i wanna know how is it that pigeons always find their way home??

[conditionfreak]

Originally Posted by keystonepaul

Two questions:
1. Anyone have any antecdotal stories of birds flying back to thier original loft after a very long time- 5 years, 10 years, how long a distance have you heard of a bird flying back, etc.- no purpose asking other than curiosity

2. Homing ability vs. speed- other than taking a more direct route which is the obvious- if a certain pigeon has a better homing instinct than another but are flying the correct dircection does the one that's let's say 100% locked on positive of the route fly faster than the one that might be 80% sure but not fully committed to the route even though it's correct. Does being rock solid sure of your route as quickly as possible have other advantages than just flying the straightest shortest route is what I guess I'm asking or asked another way- Does a smarter or more intuitive bird have other advantages than just flying the straightest, shortest route? How would one determine this if it is determineable. Do folks observe thier birds upon release and pick up anything in terms of ability and intuition from the time of release until thier out of sight? Haven't seen it mentioned if it's of value so I thought I'd ask. Thanks for wading through that one, Keystonepaul

I was in the Marines stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C. back in 1976. While there, I flew pigeons with the local racing club (New River Racing Club). I got transferred to Cleveland, Ohio and a fellow club member (I forget his name but he was a bank president) gave me a 13 year old hen as a departing gift. This hen had bred many winners. He wold me her last two eggs were infertile and maybe I could get something out of her. He also told me that she had been a prisoner at his loft for 12 years.

I took her along with my other pigeons to Cleveland. A month later, she got out on me. Another month later, I received a letter from the man who had given her to me. He asked if I had lost something

She had went home. If I remember correctly, we figured it was 832 miles from my location to his. It did take he about three weeks apparently, but she made it. She had never been flown at his loft according to him.

It's a shame that I did not get some youngs ones out of her. But I gave up pigeons a couple of years later anyway. Due to Pigeon Lung disease.

But I'm back baby. (assuming I don't get lost forever in Warrens test)

[SmithFamilyLoft]

Originally Posted by conditionfreak

I was in the Marines stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C. back in 1976..........But I'm back baby. (assuming I don't get lost forever in Warrens test)

Now that explains a lot of things !!!

My guess is, you would have never made shore....at least not the right one.

In 1974, while a Paratrooper with the famous 1/509th Airborne Battalion Combat Team, we were engaged in a huge multinational war game to capture the island of Sardinia in the Mediterranean.

My unit of US Army Paratroopers executed our mission flawlessly, we dropped behind enemy lines, at night with only the light of the moon, vastly outnumbered and outgunned, we captured our objective of a strategic military airport, and held our position waiting to be reinforced by the Marines from the sea. Our small unit, single handedly won the "War". Those poor guys never showed...the reason ? They "hit" the wrong beaches and scared the local citizens half to death, who were enjoying the sunny weather on the beach.

Apparently, in that part of Italy, on those particular beaches, the locals don't always bother to wear bathing suits, so as you can imagine, these poor jar heads became so distracted and disoriented from this event, by the time the officers got control of the situation and started them back onto the mission, they ended up marching off in the wrong direction again, only to be captured later in the day by a much smaller force of Army National Guard troops. Rumor was, they never were quite "right" again from that experience..... For all I know, they might still be on latrine duty !

Sorry for taking the readers a bit OT on the subject of Marine navigation skills. I guess there was good reason why during WWII, they put the training of the Pigeon Corps into the hands of skilled ARMY pigeon fanciers !!

[conditionfreak]

Originally Posted by keystonepaul

Two questions:
1. Anyone have any antecdotal stories of birds flying back to thier original loft after a very long time- 5 years, 10 years, how long a distance have you heard of a bird flying back, etc.- no purpose asking other than curiosity

2. Homing ability vs. speed- other than taking a more direct route which is the obvious- if a certain pigeon has a better homing instinct than another but are flying the correct dircection does the one that's let's say 100% locked on positive of the route fly faster than the one that might be 80% sure but not fully committed to the route even though it's correct. Does being rock solid sure of your route as quickly as possible have other advantages than just flying the straightest shortest route is what I guess I'm asking or asked another way- Does a smarter or more intuitive bird have other advantages than just flying the straightest, shortest route? How would one determine this if it is determineable. Do folks observe thier birds upon release and pick up anything in terms of ability and intuition from the time of release until thier out of sight? Haven't seen it mentioned if it's of value so I thought I'd ask. Thanks for wading through that one, Keystonepaul

It has not happened to me, but I have had fellow flyers tell me that they have had birds come home to Ohio, that had seaweed stuck to their feet and bands. Many birds will come home with mud on their bands indicating they stopped somewhere for water. Even from relatively short races, like 200 miles or so. They probably are not winners though.

I had one fellow flyer just last week tell me that two years ago, his entire race team disappeared from a training toss of twenty miles. He then got contacted by a guy in Pennsylvania who had my friends entire racing team in his loft. We are in Cincinnati. My friend drove to Pa to get his birds.

Here in Cincy, they used to race from Texas. Seems not many race a thousand miles anymore. I would like to enter some really long races. I have some Jan Ardens that I think could possibly do it. Not speed birds by any stretch.

[conditionfreak]

Ha Ha. Again the Doggies and the JarHeads go at it.

I remember once, just after watching a Bruce Lee movie (Enter The Dragon) at a base theater. Afterwards, everyone exiting the theater naturally wanted to chop or kick someone. So, a couple of Marines picked on some Soldiers. Well, a big fight ensued between the Soldiers and the Marines. It was a "free for all".

Afterwards, the Marines (approximately 40 or so) were displined for beating up the Soldiers (maybe a hundred or so) and sending so many to the infirmary for medical treatment. I am sure that I sent three or four myself.

None, I repeat, none of the Marines sought medical treatment (although my hand was fractured).

My brother was in the Army and I still laugh about how during boot camp, they were not allowed to use the soda pop and beer vending machines located in their BOOT CAMP barracks, during the week. Only on weekends.

HaHaHaHaHaHa

Ever watch M.A.S.H.? That is how I picture the Army. I am sure that I am wrong, but that's how I picture them.

Now tell me about Gomer Pyle

(P.S. I don't want to tell you that I was also in the Navy, because that would leave me open for a whole lot of jokes at my expense)

[zeroc2k]

Pigeon racing is not a sport played for glamour, but for love.
Really Good old Article about Racing Pigeon
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/ny...pige.html?_r=1