richg Posted March 7, 2007 Report Share Posted March 7, 2007 My mate and i shot sixty three pigeons yesterday calling in at the gamedealers on the way home. Giving us 15p each for them he said that next time we should ring first as he may not be able to take them as he would only be able to get 5p each for frozen birds,offering us just 2p, the three pence would not even run his chillers. Now my question is this, if we cannot find a market for our birds (we can only eat so many) what do we do with our shot birds, do we buy our own freezers, or only shoot what we can eat or give away. I know we dont expect to make a profit from our shooting, but we do like to think that the birds are going into the food chain and we are getting a bit of cartridge money back, I would hate to think that we might be faced with burying them at the end of the day. Is the market for pigeons ending, and if so why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted March 7, 2007 Report Share Posted March 7, 2007 The market for pigeons isn't ending, although its seasonal on a supply and demand basis, like most things. Try to find another outlet, as some Dealers slow down their bird buying, outside the Game Season. There have been loads of threads on here about what to do with your pigeons if you can't, sell them, eat them all, freeze them, or give them away and the consensus of opinion seems to be, bury them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new boy Posted March 7, 2007 Report Share Posted March 7, 2007 Hi mate where are you if you are local i will always come and pick some up off you! seems a shame to just bury them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloudwalker Posted March 7, 2007 Report Share Posted March 7, 2007 Pigeons are down to 10p here now. It is very much down to supply and demand. A few weeks ago my dealer was offering 30p (this is when they were all on the ivy berries).No one was bringing any in. Now that the pigeon have moved onto the rape he is getting loads and the price has dropped. You could buy a freezer. I have seen someone in the Shooting Times advertising for pigeons but he will only collect a minimum of 200 or 300 birds. As long as your dealer takes them off you, even at 3p each, carry on shooting but like you, I would rather stop shooting them than burying them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilp Posted March 7, 2007 Report Share Posted March 7, 2007 try making pies and selling them or get a stall at the races like hugh :blink: :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted March 8, 2007 Report Share Posted March 8, 2007 My mate and i shot sixty three pigeons yesterday calling in at the gamedealers on the way home. Giving us 15p each for them he said that next time we should ring first as he may not be able to take them Yeh give him a call the day before and let him know how many pigeons you'll be shooting The market for pigeons is seasonal like most 'wild' meat etc. The dealers will offer good (.35p) prices when there's none being shot and about .05p/.10p when there's plenty in the bag. Be glad of your .15p. Either freeze them until you have enough to get a reasonable (frozen) price for them or find some local restaurant, deli or other retail outlet willing to buy them from you on a regular basis. Maybe try your local Indian If you have to end up burying them DON'T shoot them! :unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richg Posted March 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2007 My mate and i shot sixty three pigeons yesterday calling in at the gamedealers on the way home. Giving us 15p each for them he said that next time we should ring first as he may not be able to take them Yeh give him a call the day before and let him know how many pigeons you'll be shooting The market for pigeons is seasonal like most 'wild' meat etc. The dealers will offer good (.35p) prices when there's none being shot and about .05p/.10p when there's plenty in the bag. Be glad of your .15p. Either freeze them until you have enough to get a reasonable (frozen) price for them or find some local restaurant, deli or other retail outlet willing to buy them from you on a regular basis. Maybe try your local Indian If you have to end up burying them DON'T shoot them! :( I take on board what your saying about finding an alternative market for our birds, but it's not easy when we cannot ensure any sort of supply on a regular basis, I would be quite happy to give them all away instead of burying them, my dealer says he justy won't take them at all outside the game season and I would not like to give up decoying through the spring and summer (Golf does not appeal) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted March 9, 2007 Report Share Posted March 9, 2007 Buy a freezer and look for a Dealer that takes frozen birds. They will have a minimum collection number ,usually 200-300 birds and the price may be lower than the best "fresh" birds price, but it is a regular outlet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurcherboy Posted March 9, 2007 Report Share Posted March 9, 2007 Yet 4 breasts cost £4-00 at my local farmers market. Someone is having it off :( LB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starlight32 Posted March 11, 2007 Report Share Posted March 11, 2007 I am getting 15p down in east anglia, down from a high of 32p in late January. I would strongly advise even if there is only a few pence on offer to take them to the game dealers. Failing that, I have quite a few people who still like pigeon to eat, as well as a few people who want them for ferrets which can also be a good outlet. Recently, in the letters column of my local press there was an article from the council regarding a large quantity of pigeons as well as two foxes which all had been shot had been dumped in a layby on an A road. The response the following week in the letters column as you can imagine was spontaneous, all told giving us in the shooting community a bad name. starlight32 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashcmt Posted March 11, 2007 Report Share Posted March 11, 2007 I am getting 15p down in east anglia, down from a high of 32p in late January. I would strongly advise even if there is only a few pence on offer to take them to the game dealers. Failing that, I have quite a few people who still like pigeon to eat, as well as a few people who want them for ferrets which can also be a good outlet. Recently, in the letters column of my local press there was an article from the council regarding a large quantity of pigeons as well as two foxes which all had been shot had been dumped in a layby on an A road. The response the following week in the letters column as you can imagine was spontaneous, all told giving us in the shooting community a bad name. starlight32 send them my way i cant get enough of the stuff. love pigeon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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