[Brummie]

Wherever I went,north,south, east or west. I would train my bird''s. I feel it's a way to make them smarter and independant. Your thought's?

 

[Lovebirds]

Wherever I went,north,south, east or west. I would train my bird''s. I feel it's a way to make them smarter and independant. Your thought's?

I agree with you some what, but homing pigeons are supposed to be able to "home" from anywhere. We take them 300, 400, 500 miles to unknown, unfamiliar territory and they make it home, so why should it matter whether they're released from the north, south, east or west?
Now what I THINK is.......if you're GOING north for some reason, sure, take the birds, or if you're going any other direction. However, if you're making a special trip JUST to train, then take them in the direction of the race course. We train our birds 99% of the time on the race course, because that's the direction we're always going WHEN we go anywhere. Seldom, do we go north for any reason or east or west for that matter.
Guess it depends on the individual.

 

[Brummie]

I agree with you some what, but homing pigeons are supposed to be able to "home" from anywhere. We take them 300, 400, 500 miles to unknown, unfamiliar territory and they make it home, so why should it matter whether they're released from the north, south, east or west?
Now what I THINK is.......if you're GOING north for some reason, sure, take the birds, or if you're going any other direction. However, if you're making a special trip JUST to train, then take them in the direction of the race course. We train our birds 99% of the time on the race course, because that's the direction we're always going WHEN we go anywhere. Seldom, do we go north for any reason or east or west for that matter.
Guess it depends on the individual.

I agree, but I think we all second guess ourselve's.There is a "line", wether it being from the NSEW.
There was a documentary on the BBC.With a gps,they tracked the bird's coming home from a race. You would be amazed at the "pinpoint's" pigeon's make.We tend to think they fly straight home, as the crow flie's.
This documentary prove's otherwise. I wish I had the expertise to send you that video. My pigeon's will altimatly be smarter than me!

 

[Lovebirds]

I agree, but I think we all second guess ourselve's.There is a "line", wether it being from the NSEW.
There was a documentary on the BBC.With a gps,they tracked the bird's coming home from a race. You would be amazed at the "pinpoint's" pigeon's make.We tend to think they fly straight home, as the crow flie's.
This documentary prove's otherwise. I wish I had the expertise to send you that video. My pigeon's will altimatly be smarter than me!

I think I've seen what you're talking about, or something similiar. I know that the birds don't fly straight home. If we had a way of actually tracking the route that the birds take AND the ACTUAL miles they fly in the time that they fly, we might be a bit surprised.
We "say" that a bird flew 200 miles in 2 1/2 hours, when in reality, it may have flow 225 miles in that amount of time..........who really knows?
That's why I pay close attention to the TIME that my birds fly. Just because the race is "200" miles and it takes some birds an extra hour to get home, doesn't mean that he flew that slow. It means, (to me anyway), that he got off course possibly and flew way more than the 200 miles. Maybe he really sat down somewhere for an hour, but since I don't KNOW.......he gets the benefit of the doubt.

 

[LUCKYT]

Renee, that is the way most People do it, and i did most of the Time, BUT if released in the same Course all the time it does not Give them Confidence, at least in my opinion.Also If you have a smash, the Bird will be shook up, and letting it get used to the Land marks Past your Loft, and all other points, it even though shaken up will have a better chance of getting back.
It makes them better Homers. instead of following the flock, and breaking they will learn NOT to go off course with the Group, in a smash race.They will lose a lot of the Group mentality. I raced with free birds from average to good Flyers, My only forte was MY Birds always made it back, yes i lost a few but no were near what other fliers did.NOW, imagine if i had GREAT bloodlines?
I truly beleive some race birds are only so, so homers. They do great with a race that stays on Course and Break at the Right time... AND they are Fast!
BUT, if things change, Now were did that bird go? But on short Races this does not really apply, only, just a Guess 150 and up.A sprint bird, is a sprint bird... FAST!! JMHO Dave

 

[Brummie]

I think I've seen what you're talking about, or something similiar. I know that the birds don't fly straight home. If we had a way of actually tracking the route that the birds take AND the ACTUAL miles they fly in the time that they fly, we might be a bit surprised.
We "say" that a bird flew 200 miles in 2 1/2 hours, when in reality, it may have flow 225 miles in that amount of time..........who really knows?
That's why I pay close attention to the TIME that my birds fly. Just because the race is "200" miles and it takes some birds an extra hour to get home, doesn't mean that he flew that slow. It means, (to me anyway), that he got off course possibly and flew way more than the 200 miles. Maybe he really sat down somewhere for an hour, but since I don't KNOW.......he gets the benefit of the doubt.

Pigeon racing:
It's the thing's I don't know, that make it interesting.

 

[Lovebirds]

Pigeon racing:
It's the thing's I don't know, that make it interesting.

LOL.........we were talking about this tonight at clock opening. IF anyone EVER figures out all of these weird things that happen, they'll be RICH!! LOL
And we won't have fun any more, cause we'll always know "why", whatever happened, happened.

 

[bbcdon]

In my travels over the years, when I am lucky enough to come up on racing birds during the season, they are fascinating to watch in the mountains and canyons. They stay low, and follow the ravines. It is quite a site to watch them. One of the blessings I have had over the years for being on the road.

 

[Brummie]

LOL.........we were talking about this tonight at clock opening. IF anyone EVER figures out all of these weird things that happen, they'll be RICH!! LOL
And we won't have fun any more, cause we'll always know "why", whatever happened, happened.

.......ditto

 

[Tennman1]

So how about a miniature GPS system to attach to the leg? Then you could track your birds live and get the exact course they take. I see them on TV all the time

 

[Lovebirds]

So how about a miniature GPS system to attach to the leg? Then you could track your birds live and get the exact course they take. I see them on TV all the time

You buying??? LOL

 

[george simon]

Line Of Least Restance

In my travels over the years, when I am lucky enough to come up on racing birds during the season, they are fascinating to watch in the mountains and canyons. They stay low, and follow the ravines. It is quite a site to watch them. One of the blessings I have had over the years for being on the road.

Hi bbcdon, How right you are. We have people that race that seem to think that the birds fly over high spots when infact they follow the line of least resistance. WE have had people conduct experiments and they say that racers follow the roads well of course they do, roads also follow the line of least restance GEORGE

 

[conditionfreak]

I have followed some big races, whereupon you can watch on the internet, the birds paths going back to one loft race locations. They seem to follow straight lines in those. I believe this is done with radar or planes following the flocks.

I have also read that it is better to train them in different directions because as birds get closer to home (areas they have been before) sudies have shown, they tend to follow roads or use landmarks instead of whatever it is that they use up to observing those known roads or landmarks.

So, if they have been trained in various directions, then it stands to reason that they will feel more comfortable and do a more straight line (therefore quicker arrival) to the loft, once they get within sight of those landmarks they have flown over before.

Am I wrong?

 

[bbcdon]

I have no doubt that they follow a straight line where the terrain is flat. My observations have been over the Grapevine pass between southern California, and the central valley. And believe me, most of the races in southern cal, at least in LA and Orange county are north, and the grapevine is the route they travel. There are alot of birds that go over that pass.

 

[RodSD]

I agree with George on this one. They do follow the least resistance. Looking at gps data on pigeons on youtube will show that indeed they do that. They can also parallel road tracks.

 

[LUCKYT]

Heck, i have watched them fly around Sat. Towers. Dave

 

[ohiogsp]

So how about a miniature GPS system to attach to the leg? Then you could track your birds live and get the exact course they take. I see them on TV all the time

Yep and for $269 each you can put one on every bird. I would run out of money if I did that.

Birds will go out and around stuff and totally off the line of flight. If there is fog or some different weather they will travel around this instead of through it and you will never know what makes them do this or that but we will know what they do when the GPS's get cheaper. I have seen some weird paths from these gps devices and you really don't know what makes they go off course sometimes but it is not always a straight line.

 

[whitesnmore]

Wherever I went,north,south, east or west. I would train my bird''s. I feel it's a way to make them smarter and independant. Your thought's?

Brummie, I do train the OB's like this when the opportunity is there but I never do this with Yb's and have not really experienced negative results from training on the line of flight. However, my line of flight training may be 40 miles wide during the final days prior to a race season. I cannot see that it would hurt the Yb's to do the NSEW training if you have the time after they have learned the line of flight. It would probably benifit them. Especially if your loft is off the line of flight like some folks are.
Ken

 

[SmithFamilyLoft]

Wherever I went,north,south, east or west. I would train my bird''s. I feel it's a way to make them smarter and independant. Your thought's?

There are of course ideas on this subject, all over the map. My orginal mentor, who was a WWII pigeon corps member, and who had 75 years of experience, did not think it was necessary to "teach" a homing pigeon how to find home. That ability is already bred into the bird.

My current partner, with 50+ years of experience, has tried all of the mentioned ideas at one time or another. Which has led us right back to the basic concept of training along the line of flight. The reason ? Pure and simply, rather then have the birds circle the release site in order to gain their bearings, by training on the line of flight, they tend to head in the direction they have always headed in, at every training toss since the very 1st one.

So, if you want to train pigeons to "home", then train them from the four corners of the map and everywhere in between. If you want them to "race", then train along the line of flight. We can agree to disagree, but I will follow the example of some of the great masters of this sport, the majority of whom, train along the line of flight. Since they are smarter and better then I am in regards to winning races, I will follow their lead, rather then trying to reinvent the wheel. But, that is me.....

 

[RodSD]

I have this crazy idea. What if we train birds on a line of flight and also train them against a head wind? I think that could be excellent where our birds probably will struggle against a head wind to develop their muscles? Just a thought.