Safety of eating squirrels/pigeons

oldmanwilly said:
Idk about any hard and fast rules, but as long as the head is removed (where the venom glands reside) you should be good to go. So far the rattlesnakes I've eaten haven't caused me any problems after getting a French neck tie.

For what it's worth, most snake venous are derived from proteins the snakes produce in their glands. That means that, generally speaking, snake venom is harmless if swallowed. It needs to enter the blood stream to cause trouble, but it will have no effect if you swallow and digest it completely. BUT, if you happen to have any cuts, scratches, sores or ulcers in your mouth/throat/stomach then the venom can enter your blood stream and get to work. So, don't eat a bunch of tortilla chips before taking a shot. Otherwise, they have clean meat which is distinctly reptilian but not off-putting.
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It should also be mentioned that most of the proteins aren't stable in hot environments from 70-80 degrees Celsius from what I remember. That means that thorough cooking should get rid off any possible venom residue. Proteins are also destroyed by things like alcohol. I wouldn't even be scared of those snake liqueurs from Japan. If they are properly made, of course.

I wonder how someone hunts for rattlesnake?
 
Pluck them well, preferably on the field. They might contain fleas and give your dogs and cats a rough time. Gut them carefully and stew them for a good period. I like to stew mine in vinegar and garlic (adobo.) Other guys might do it with red wine.
 
C_Claycomb said:
If you are in Europe, it is possible that the pigeons you find in the woods and fields are Common Wood Pigeons, which are a different beast than the city pigeons and Barn pigeons common in the US. They are eaten in the United Kingdom, no problem.
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The "pigeons" in the US are rock doves, introduced from Europe in the early 17th century. Not all that different.....
 
Arathol said:
The "pigeons" in the US are rock doves, introduced from Europe in the early 17th century. Not all that different.....
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Yup, feral pigeons the world over are all pretty similar, having descended from birds domesticated from the wild rock doves. However, I was comparing the US feral pigeons that folk in the US are familiar with to wood pigeons which are native to Europe and as far as I know, have not been exported to the US. The wood pigeon is different from the rock dove/feral pigeon found in the UK. They look different, they behave differently, they eat different things, are found in different areas (although there is some overlap) and they do not interbreed.
 
I hunted Pigeon this morning. They are not protected here and no license needed. I've eaten alot of them both, Pigeon and Squirrel.
They are both good eating IMO; As an aside, the word pigeon is French , meaning Dove.
The pic isn't from this morning, but a good day of wing shooting just the same. I only breast them out and cook as you desire. Squirrels I like to Crock-Pot.
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I've been shooting and eating squirrels, doves and rabbits since I was a teen and I'll be 57 end of this month, hasn't killed me yet? Wild game is as safe as any other meat, maybe safer as it hasn't sat around collecting bacteria like factory processed meats can.
 
I've always been told dont eat rabbits a certain time of year, dont eat deer that are staggering or have an open wound etc. So, what kind of diseases and parasites can survive being in a crockpot on high for 4 hours? I always assumed that boiling the water in any living organisms body would kill it.
 
Kragnut Kragnut You may be able to simmer bacteria, parasites, and viruses into oblivion. But when it comes to prion diseases like CWD (basically mad cow disease/kuru but specific to deer) I would take absolutely no chances. Any cervid that is stumbling around, slobbering, or otherwise appearing ragged should be avoided at all costs (ideally such an animal should be dispatched and destroyed immediately). I'm not aware of any cervid-to-human infection but I would not risk being the first.
 
Boattale said:
When I was in the Philippines in 1972 street vendors sold skewers of so called monkey meat they grilled on a hibachi. I figure rats were easier to get than monkeys, but it was still good and hasn't killed me yet.

Also I've eaten a lot of squirrels especially in my younger days. The secret is to get them tender. Pan fry, then in a 250 oven for an hour or two and then they're good. Never had pigeon but wouldn't hesitate, especially given the same treatment.
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Rats are just squirrels with bad PR.
 
Phil in Alabama said:
I've been shooting and eating squirrels, doves and rabbits since I was a teen and I'll be 57 end of this month, hasn't killed me yet? Wild game is as safe as any other meat, maybe safer as it hasn't sat around collecting bacteria like factory processed meats can.
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Squirrels and doves are delicious even though the only thing Ive been able to do with doves is breast them out. I like to roast them on a grate in the oven with a pan of wine just underneath them and bacon on top. My biggest problem with doves is swallowing any #7-1/2 shot scares me. Now I know guys that have done it their whole life and don't worry about it but heavy metals just can't be good accumulating in your body for 50 years. 3 or 4 squirrels zapped with my Browning T bolt is a fine crockpot stew. I havent bothered with small game in a while because I'm lazy but I might take my 22 with me tomorrow when I'm clearing my deer trails for the rut next month.
 
Rabbits can carry tularemia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tularemia
Look for spots on the liver, aside from the typical signs of an infected animal as noted in the article. It's a rare disease to come across. Lyme disease is possible too. The prion based diseases typically are transported in central nervous system tissue, maybe always, I've have to look it up. A good reason to avoid eating brains or spinal cord matter and to wash your hands after having to handle such. That would apply to ALL animal butchery, not just wild killed game animals. All animals can carry diseases. Just because your meat is storebought doesn't mean it is perfectly safe, and it should all be cooked to sufficient temperature to kill germs. Take precautions to avoid food poisoning, with all foodstuffs, not just meat. I've had food poisoning before a couple of times, it's not something you'd like to repeat often.

Just take normal precautions with wild game meat. If an animal acts suspiciously of rabies or other possible serious illnesses, don't eat it.
 
slyraven said:
Are rabies killed in crock pot?
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Apparently, yes, rabies can be killed by thorough cooking.

Advice on Eating Game

health advice on eating game
www.health.ny.gov

Assuming that the animal isn't showing symptoms, and you are careful not to introduce fluids from the animal into your blood stream while butchering and cooking, you might be able to get away with making ol' yeller stew. However I would rather drink anti-freeze than knowingly butcher a rabid animal. Even starving to death would be preferable to contracting rabies.
 
When I hunted squirrels with my cousin in Florida some had botflies. Haven't eaten one since and I refused to eat those. He said the ones without botflies were fine but I wasn't taking any chances. I did have iguana meat from a stand down there, it was actually not bad but it was in a taco and that probably helped. I've never seen a botfly in a squirrel up here in Illinois but the memory of the ones in Florida have put me off completely. Still eat rabbit though, the classic fried with gravy, always good. Never had pigeon but I know a few who have eaten them. Pheasant and grouse are really good. Dove is good but any time a bird is small it takes a lot of birds for a family and with the price of ammo you may as well buy a chicken. I normally do well enough with deer every year to not have to hunt much else, if there's one thing Illinois has it's deer. Every year I wind up digging down into the freezer and getting any older meat out to make room, what I don't give away my dog loves.
As to rabies the only animals they ever find with rabies in Illinois are bats and an occasional fox or skunk. I don't eat any of those so it's never been a problem. I think rabies is perhaps more of a southern state thing.
 
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Pigeons are on many a fine restaurant's menu. They call them Squab.

For me; I just can't bring myself to eat a sewer falcon. Squirrel on the other hand I have both hunted and eaten enjoying it immensely
 
oldmanwilly said:
Kragnut Kragnut You may be able to simmer bacteria, parasites, and viruses into oblivion. But when it comes to prion diseases like CWD (basically mad cow disease/kuru but specific to deer) I would take absolutely no chances. Any cervid that is stumbling around, slobbering, or otherwise appearing ragged should be avoided at all costs (ideally such an animal should be dispatched and destroyed immediately). I'm not aware of any cervid-to-human infection but I would not risk being the first.
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Cooking will not kill prions.
 
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