Several canning factories in Nouvelle-Aquitaine sell wood pigeon salmis. It is therefore not difficult to obtain. You can also taste the famous blue bird in certain restaurants which service traditional cuisine. To have a better chance of finding this highly sought-after product, go during hunting season.
October. Wood pigeon hunters wait for it year-round. As restless and impatient as a child on Christmas Eve, hunters finally welcome the start of wood pigeon season, which will last all Autumn.
Travelling from Europe to warmer shores, wood pigeons fly over Aquitaine and always ignite a passion in regional hunters. Each hunter has their own method depending on where they are in Aquitaine. Whether they’re in Dordogne or Béarn, wood pigeon hunters tend to perch themselves at the tops of trees; in Gironde, Lot-et-Garonne or even Landes, the Basque Country and Gers, hunters camouflage their weapons under the soil. This technique consists of enticing flying wood pigeons to come down using bird calls.
Other than the bird itself, you will be able to sample the famous wood pigeon salmis. A south-west tradition, wood pigeon salmis can be described as a roasted game stew, all cooked in a spiced wine sauce.