Writing about nature at this time of year is a bit like writing about football. Nothing really significant is happening, but it’s almost too soon, so we all look forward with hope rather than telling stories about the great things that are happening.

Of course, there are people who fish, go camping, practice shooting and enjoy other outdoor activities, but on September 1st – the opening day of the 2024-2025 dove hunting season – the relevant stories start to be written.

In the meantime, build your fantasy football teams, keep hoping your high school and college teams make the playoffs, and imagine that perfect cast that lands a record-breaking fish or that big buck that comes out from behind a tree and jumps right into your line of fire.

I always like to plan ahead and have put together some of my favorite fish and game recipes for fall. And since we’re only a week away from the first open fire, I thought I’d share a few pigeon recipes with you in case you’re lucky enough to shoot down some of these acrobatic, erratic flying birds.

The first is by Harley Berg, whose stories I watched and read as a child and from whom I learned a lot about the natural world (along with Earl Golding and Marlin Perkins). Berg was a regular on KWTX-TV and taught generations of people how to fish, hunt and conserve our natural resources for future generations, urging us on every show to “let them run, fly and swim.”

He was all for preserving habitat and taking only what you need (at a time when many people caught and shot as many fish and wildlife as they could, often so many that they couldn’t bear to gut them and left the rest to rot). That’s one reason we have size and bag limits and other regulations. Should have listened to Harley.

Here’s a recipe from Harley that I found recently – it’s called “Cajun Dove Delight.”

Take 12 pigeons and dismember them, leaving the legs and wings on the birds. Split them along the spine to pull them, and keep the heart and stomach and clean them.

Berg said the secret to Cajun cooking is using the right type of pot and very little fire. Slow cooking allows time for the flavors to blend properly and preserves the natural juices for the sauce. He recommended using a heavy cast iron pot with a tight lid.

Sprinkle the moist pigeon with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder, melt a knob of butter in the pot and brown the pigeons on the back, breast and sides. Place the browned pigeons on their backs and cover with a large chopped onion.

Put the lid on the pot and let it simmer very slowly for 45 minutes.

Turn the pigeons onto their breasts and drop the onions into the sauce. Replace the lid and simmer over very low heat for 2 hours. If the sauce begins to boil away, add water and reduce the heat.

When done, the pigeons will be a beautiful dark brown color and so tender that the meat will fall off the bone. Serve the sauce over rice.

Place the rice on a plate, arrange the pigeons around it breast side up and garnish with paprika and parsley.

Another (quicker to make) Cajun-inspired pigeon recipe calls for a dozen cleaned pigeons (leave skin on breast), 1 teaspoon each garlic and onion powder, 1 stick butter (melted), salt/pepper/cayenne to taste, and a gallon of peanut oil. Be sure to rinse the pigeons before cooking.

Add some of the spice powder to the melted butter and mix well.

Using a poultry needle, inject some of the butter mixture on both sides of the pigeon breasts.

Coat the injected birds with more spice mixture.

Heat oil in a deep pot or outdoor propane stove to 325 degrees.

Carefully place the pigeons in the hot oil and fry for about 2 minutes. Remove the birds and drain on kitchen paper. (Serves 4 adults if you have side dishes.)

Hunting and fishing licenses for the upcoming outdoor season are now available by phone, online, through the TPWD app, and at sporting goods, feed and bait stores, and other retail outlets across the state. Get yours early.

The TPWD app not only allows you to access your license proof from your smartphone, but it also includes all state fishing and hunting regulations, fish and wildlife identification, public hunting access areas and much more.