Anybody got a recipe for Eurasian collared doves?

[tularetom]

These guys:


They're an invasive species and the CA Dept of Fish & Wildlife has removed all bag limits and set a year round open season on them. Right now, there are about a dozen of them in my freezer, ready to cook.

They're about a third larger than the white wing or mourning doves and I have no idea what they taste like. So if anybody has any experience with them I'd like to hear about it.

[NYC_SKP]

1. No help here, dove were a favorite among my central valley family members but...

our Italian stock probably cared more about which region of Italy was represented than the species of the bird.

I would think that a buttery red sauce with a side of polenta would be great!

buon appetitto!

[Eleanors38]

2. I have shot and eaten EA doves. They taste the same

as the 2 native species, imo. I have taken a couple of rock dove (pigeons) as well, and they are roughly the same in flavor. I incorporate all into regular dove recipes and have been happy with the results. Further, I don't buy into the pigeons-are-tough argument. All these birds are firm in texture, and marination can ameliorate that, but I usually don't bother.

The EA dove seem not to have adapted (as yet) to best survival practices in bird-hunting Texas. One flew straight from a mesquite tree to a hack, big as a pigeon with me bumbling around in the clear, and landed out in the open on the end of a lower branch. Another flushed with mourning dove, but instead of putting cover between itself and me, circled back and (again) landed in the open on a lower limb. They can be harder to bring down with light field loads.

Ah! today I head up to Coryell County to try my luck again. Got a limit of mourning dove there on opening day!

[Eleanors38]

3. Got a Eurasian dove in Milam County last week!

Last edited Wed Oct 15, 2014, 12:00 PM - Edit history (1)

Hunting a muddy maize field in Milam County, Tx., everyone was getting mourning. Then a big one flew by and I puffed him (they don't readily go down with one shot). Ended up chasing him down on foot after crossing a fence. Really large bird. I'm up to 44 dove taken this season.

[tularetom]

5. Shot three of them Monday on the ranch across the creek from us

My neighbor came over and asked if she could go shooting with me. She's 78 and a retired attorney but she's a tough old cowgirl and a hell of a shot. We wound up with eight of them but it took almost the entire day because you have to be careful what you are shooting at. It's closed season on the mourning and white wings until Nov. 8 when the second half of the split season opens.

[Eleanors38]

6. Dinner for two with those birds. Our first season ends

after the third wk. in October, starts again in latter Dec.