The Brandon Gun Club (pictured left) in the early 1900s held annual tournaments at the club on the outskirts of Brandon. Events at these tournaments involved shooting pigeons for a small fee. The June 17, 1909 Brandon Sun reported that a warm up shoot for $0.25 was gave the participant the chance to shoot ten pigeons. If you were a big spender your could enter the sweepstakes for $20.00 and try to shoot twenty-five pigeons After the tournaments the pigeons were collected for pigeon pie and other related meals.
If you’ve ever wondered what pigeon pie tastes like here is a recipe from the Museum’s 1901 Home Queen Cookbook for you to try.
Pigeon Pie
Prepare the pigeons for roasting, and put a lump of butter in each one. Border a pudding dish with puff paste. Lay veal cutlet or a cut of tenderloin steak in the bottom of the dish. Place a layer of pigeons, breast downward, in the dish. Chop 5 hard boiled eggs and cover the pigeons with them. Put in a little veal broth, enriched with butter. Cover with a puff crust, and bake slowly for 1 1/4 hours.
