The Humble Pigeon

Woodpigeon make for excellent eating.  Not being quite so stupid as pheasants they tend not to get killed on the roads as frequently but you do see them especially on windy days.  This was a squab (juvenile) woodpigeon, it hadn't yet grown the characteristic bulge above its beak.  That generally means that it won't be as plump as an older bird but it should be tender.  Never-the-less, I still like to hang them.  A pigeon doesn't need as long as a pheasant and 3 days can be sufficient.  I generally leave my birds hanging at least until the rigour mortise subsides and the wings start to relax.  If you don't want to hang them you will need to cook them in a slow cooker to ensure they are tender otherwise they can be a challenge to eat.

Plucking a pigeon couldn't be easier.  You could give one a good shake and half the feathers could fall out!  It can take me about an hour to pluck a pheasant but a pigeon I can have fully plucked in less than 10 minutes, flight feathers and all.  Most people just removed the breasts and throw the rest away.  Basically, the only part worth eating on a pigeon is the breasts but if I can I like to keep the whole bird (minus head, feet and guts obviously).  The reason is it allows me more options when it comes to cooking.  I can always take the breasts off later after-all.  If you have a whole bird you can roast them and serve then whole, one per person, as an impressive meal when entertaining.  Again, I would recommend roasting them in a slow cooker, hung or otherwise, as taking the meat off the bone using normal cutlery can be tricky otherwise.  If, however, the skin appears badly damaged across the breasts after plucking the bird it's not worth keeping the bird whole so you might as well just remove the breasts and save space in your freezer.  This bird had some damage across its back and one leg but the breasts were covered so I decided to keep it whole.
You can remove the head by cutting through the neck with kitchen scissors.  If the bird has a full crop, this can be pulled out now but don't worry otherwise.  Gutting a pigeon is just the same as any other bird but on a smaller scale.  Cut from the anus to the base of the breastbone and insert a finger into the body cavity.  You probably won't be able to get more than one finger in which makes it a bit more awkward but one is sufficient.  You just have to try and hook the contents and pull.  Once you have some of it out you might then be able to get a second finger in to hook out the rest.  If you are vacuum packing this bird, be careful removing the feet.  Don't be tempted simply to cut through the bone as sharp pieces of bone will easily puncture your vacuum bags.  Instead, take a sharp knife and cut the tendons in front and behind the ankle joint then bend the joint the wrong way and it should give way,  Cut through any remaining tissue with the knife leaving the rounded bone end with no splinters.  Truss it to keep it compact and you are done.
If you don't have a vacuum sealing, I can thoroughly recommend you get one.  You can get a perfectly good one from JML for £40.  Vacuum packing not only saves tons of space in your freezer but prolongs the life of the food and prevents freezer burn.  I've had mine 4 years now and I wouldn't be without it.  Even for foods stored in the fridge such as cheese and bacon, it can increase their storage life by months.  The bags, if washed out, are re-usable too.  And honestly, I'm not on commission!