Pigeons, squirrels and the homeless

[stomachmonkey]

Just had this odd thought pop into my head.

How common is it for the urban homeless to avail themselves of the fairly common nearly limitless supply of alternative nutrition sources?

[Hugh R]

Many places have signs that say "Don't Feed the Squirrels or Pigeons". Why? It makes them dependent on handouts. Just saying.

[id10t]

A buddies father fed himself in college on a 5 cent bags of popcorn and his air rifle...

[Jim Richards]

I dunno about that idea, stomachmonkey. Here in DC, the squirrels and pigeons are aggressive. We count on them to control the homeless population.

[944Larry]

you can't trade pidgeons and squirrels for alcohol and drugs. That's why most of them want cash.

[Zeke]

Too much trouble to kill, clean and then find fuel and a way to cook. That's work. Those urban homeless aren't hobos. And they aren't Les Stroud.

[willtel]

Where I live there is a defined hunting season for squirrels. I called the cops on my neighbor once because he thought it was a good idea to shoot them with a .22 off his back porch.

[vash]

wild pigeons not eating human vomit is actually very delicious.
i use to hang out at a dairy farm where the owner loved us shooting the rotating flock of pigeon..they would crash on the ground like small airplanes.

same with squirrels..i actually make squirrel stock and freeze it sometimes..squirrel noodle soup!

on college, my silkscreening class..i made a t-shirt with a pigeon silhouette, with "feed the homeless". it was not always a hit.

[RWebb]

we always ate squirrel jambalaya when I was a kid - funny thing tho, we never ate the ones in our yard - I had to go into the back woods or the side woods to bring in the meat

I agree with Zeke - besides, do you really want a pop'n of mentally disturbed people downtown using rifles, snares, etc.??

[9dreizig]

Originally Posted by willtel

Where I live there is a defined hunting season for squirrels. I called the cops on my neighbor once because he thought it was a good idea to shoot them with a .22 off his back porch.

Kill Joy!!!

[johnco]

my grandfather used to squirrel hunt all the the time. he loved squirrel brains, but I can't remember how he prepared them. Not so long ago I saw canned squirrel brains in the supermarket. mais, dem coonasses eat anyting!

[Evans, Marv]

During a couple of years of my early college career, I'd go wild pigeon hunting in the foothills of the central valley of Cali. with a buddy. He just wanted someone to hunt with, so I'd use one of his shotguns, he'd supply the ammo, and we'd have fun. He didn't want the pigeons, so I'd take them, clean them, & freeze them to eat later on. I love fried tree squirrel. During that time I'd put out a night line for catfish in a pond behind where I lived, go get frogs at night, pick berries from the vines during season & lots of other things to save money.

[A930Rocket]

Had a guy in college across the hall who would hunt for squirrels all the time. He'd clean them in the bathroom we all shared. Blood was every where. His girlfriend would cook them for him in her off campus apartment.

[Bill Douglas]

Pigeon pie anyone?

Really Nice Recipes - Pigeon Pie

[sm70911]

Strange synchronicity. I am making a short film about someone I know who is homeless (gambling and crack addicted) and survives in NYC by catching pigeons and selling them in Chinatown (the real one in Brooklyn). Hes originally from Maine and grew up on a poultry farm. He learned to speak Cantonese as a kid from his father who he would travel with when his dad sold Chickens to restaurants in the city. He doesn't use a rifle or traps. He just throws bread out waits until a group of Pigeons drop down and then he grabs groups pf three or four at a time.
He sells individual birds on the street, and sometimes bulk orders. He will 'dress' (kill and pluck the birds) or just sell them live. He's a dynamic and engaging guy who probably could have done anything, but sadly the Crack seems to be finally winning.

Interestingly the most desirable and tasty pigeons in Chinese cooking are Kai Shek which are a mix of Feral and bred birds.

[rnln]

You did all these in SCal? Where in SCal?

Originally Posted by Evans, Marv

During a couple of years of my early college career, I'd go wild pigeon hunting in the foothills of the central valley of Cali. with a buddy. He just wanted someone to hunt with, so I'd use one of his shotguns, he'd supply the ammo, and we'd have fun. He didn't want the pigeons, so I'd take them, clean them, & freeze them to eat later on. I love fried tree squirrel. During that time I'd put out a night line for catfish in a pond behind where I lived, go get frogs at night, pick berries from the vines during season & lots of other things to save money.

[Don Ro]

Speaking of squirrels, as a kid in North Dakota we used to "chip" them...hitting the tree bark near their head which would knock them off the branch. They'd land and scoot off. Great sport - I shot a .22 Mag w/scope.

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

Had a guy in college across the hall who would hunt for squirrels all the time. He'd clean them in the bathroom we all shared. Blood was every where. His girlfriend would cook them for him in her off campus apartment.

you are lucky you did not get tularemia or plague or something worse...

[Evans, Marv]

rnin - I went to a jr. college outside of Fresno, CA. It was Reedley College in Reedley. During that time I bought an 8x332 ft. house trailor and lived in the country outside of Reedley. There were only 8 or so trailers there & it cost me $25/mo. rent. My budget for food was $37.50/mo. I lived on savings from summer jobs & the GI Bill along with small jobs picked up now & then. It was near where the San Jouquin River crosses Hwy 180. There was also a creek that ran into the river behind the little trailer park that had crawdads in it. I'd catch those things, clean them, cook them, & put them in a quart milk carton & freeze them for later on.

[slakjaw]

Before u boyz start going out and hunting squirrels... City squirrels are not safe to eat in the summer time. The diseased ones die in the winter though.