****ENOUGH IS ENOUGH****

[Guest]

Sadly, and with a heavy heart, and tear filled eyes, it is time to call it a day.

For the second year in succession my youngsters have been wiped out through BOP, and as much as pigeons have been my life for 60+ years I cannot carry on like this. My son (Gooner on this site) has suggested that I fly with him and just use my lofts for breeding purposes, but the way I feel at this point in time, I really don’t know, as I was so much looking forward to Racing my pigeons in my retirement, where I could spend my days doing what I have always loved. Son, my heart is in my pigeons, as you know, but it has gone in my head, as there is no future in this Hobby/Sport while these killers of the skies are allowed to carry on procreating uncontrolled and decimating all our birds, be that song birds or our beloved pigeons.

 

I took my 48 babies on their first training toss yesterday morning and liberated them at 8:55 on a lovely clear sunny day. One arrived back after 15 minutes, another after 25 minutes, then nothing for over an hour and a half when a third arrived that had been “Hawkedâ€. Its back was ripped open, and it later died. On inspection the puncture marks from the talons could be clearly seen and the flesh had been ripped from the base of the neck all down its back. A further hour passed and another arrived bleeding from the chest where it had flown into wires in panic. During the course of the day the weather deteriorated and there was heavy rain, but despite this I had a total of 15 work back and one reported at 9:50 last night, which I am going to collect this morning. 2/3rds of my babies are still missing.

This has totally devastated me and left me feeling empty and very angry. I would just like to say a big thank you to all the wonderful people on here who have bred babies both for me and my grandson, and this is just to let you know what has happened to them.

Yes I know some may still work back over the next few days, but I am now so frightened to put them back in the basket and train, for fear of yet another “Strike†by these F’ing killers of the sky that ARE DECIMATING OUR SPORT.

 

[Novice]

Bob, I understand how you feel and would make no attempt to change your mind.

However I will say that I retired about a year ago and that,without my pigeons, I would have found the days---especially in winter very difficult.

We all need an interest to keep us going and pigeons fill the void for many people.

You need something to get you out of bed in the morning and knowing that the birds are dependant on you is all the motivation I need.

Think very carefully before you take any decisions.

[gangster]

im really sorry to hear this bob another flyer driven 2 the wall by the percy....

[Guest spin cycle]

sorry to hear that bob..you don't seem to get alot of luck.  you must do as you see fit....but hang in there for a little while. i've only 12 trained ybs so you could just concentrate on the 15. where did you train from as although we've the odd percy...its mainly sparrowhawks about here. chin up

[PIGEONJIMI]

Sorry to hear of your plight Bob,I can feel the pain in your post,Its bad enough losing a single bird to a BOP,but to lose a way of life is something a lot harder to stomach,Your son's idea seems one alternative worth trying,At the moment you are dealing with raw grief & anger and its not the best time to make such a big decision,Whatever you do decide I wish you all success & peace of mind

[BLACK W F]

i am sorry to read that your packing in Bob  i know what its like getting hit by BOP every day  its hopeless  especially when your y/b team gets desimated but hang in there you never know there could be light at the end of the tunnel but what ever you decide good luck for the future

[Guest]

sorry to hear that bob..you don't seem to get alot of luck.  you must do as you see fit....but hang in there for a little while. i've only 12 trained ybs so you could just concentrate on the 15. where did you train from as although we've the odd percy...its mainly sparrowhawks about here. chin up

 

I took them to Hockering about 5 miles Jim. One reported last night is in Aylsham. Although I am only about 15 miles from you mate, we are inundated with Sparrow Hawks and at least one breeding pair of percies in the area, that I know off. I can look upwards into the skies everywhere I go and at any time of the day and see the *expletive removed* ers circling above.

[barnsley_pigeonman]

yep sorry your calling it aday bob you will miss your pigeons when you do i pack in for 3 years but i miss them that much i started back up again

[Guest]

i am sorry to read that your packing in Bob  i know what its like getting hit by BOP every day  its hopeless  especially when your y/b team gets desimated but hang in there you never know there could be light at the end of the tunnel but what ever you decide good luck for the future

 

How long is the tunnel? cos sadly I don't see the light coming in my lifetime, unless something drastic happens and a change of mind from the so-called do-gooders. Anyway I don't want this turning into another anti RSPB thread. I posted it as a thank you to all the great friends I have made on here who have helped me over the past 12 months or so, to get re-started after I moved to Norfolk.

[grizzal]

sorry to hear this Bob,but as u say pigeons in your blood

all I can say  is I hope u carry on m8

 

paul

[gooner]

dad as ive told you on the phone you aint quitting cos i aint gonna let ya, you will get some more work back over the next few days, just think how much the ones that made it back have learnt, you wont loosethem now.

your an assett to the sport having helped so many people over the years including myself on all the occassions that i have started up and then quit only to start up again a few years later, it is said that pigeons are in the blood and once hooked it never goes well thats true., if you quit then the RSPB have one another battle cos its one lesss person to vote against them, at tghe end of the day it is possible to overthrow a government so we will beat the BOP but it will only be harder if you quit

 

ps. plus i want to kick ya *expletive removed* on race day ;D ;D ;D

[grizzal]

dad as ive told you on the phone you aint quitting cos i aint gonna let ya, you will get some more work back over the next few days, just think how much the ones that made it back have learnt, you wont loosethem now.

your an assett to the sport having helped so many people over the years including myself on all the occassions that i have started up and then quit only to start up again a few years later, it is said that pigeons are in the blood and once hooked it never goes well thats true., if you quit then the RSPB have one another battle cos its one lesss person to vote against them, at tghe end of the day it is possible to overthrow a government so we will beat the BOP but it will only be harder if you quit

 

ps. plus i want to kick ya *expletive removed* on race day ;D ;D ;D

 

WELL SAID THAT MAN ;D ;D

 

[pjc]

hang on in there Bob and show gooner he's still got a lot to learn!  ;D ;D ;D

[greenlands]

My heart goes out for you mate.I've been down that road that many times with my birds, old and young,said enoughs enough a million times but i've still got them.They are a part of me,been among them since I could walk and now well in my sixties,retired early in 2002 .It's now become a part of pigeon racing which I don't like ,then you get the do gooders and the fools that are completely brainwashed ,I think they are worse than the BOP.Please reconsider mate,you'll look back in a week or so and find a few choice words and smile.I started with 32 ybs ,two week ago I had six in the loft on the night,I now have eighteen nearly trained up and ready for the fisrt race next week.Good luck with your returns.Lindsay C.

[Guest dogeon]

bob sorry to hear about this i know you was looking forward to this year and how devastated you must feel i wont try and persude you to change your mind as only you can dicide what you want to do but can i just say that if you dicide to continue in your life time sport then i will gladley breed you 12 of those younsters you had of me, and the same way bred free of charge for next year

[THE FIFER]

sorry to hear that, it does get you down, when tossing try and let them go in 2-3 different batches, this lessens the risk of them all getting split with birds of pray,

[Ronnie]

Bob i had same thing happen to me thursday mate 30 mile toss 6 hours before the first bird.

got 13 back on the night and 7 the next day i only lost four in the end and no casulties so i cant even say if it was a bop.

Anyway after nearly being wiped out last year i changed my training times i now train the young birds at 10am the thinking behind this was that the BOP will hopefully have all fed.apart from last thursday ive not had any real bad mishaps .hope you can grit ya teeth and get back into the birds and maybe this will work for you .

all the best mate

Ronnie

[Guest IB]

Sorry to hear about the strike on your YBs. I'd ask you to reconsider both your decision and the way you train. In retirement you'll have the time to devote to birds that you hadn't while working (I personally found time a bit heavy until I took them up again) so you are in danger of creating a void if you give them up. You might try changing both the time and the number released when training, after 10am as suggested, or early evening (which gives them an incentive to bee-line for home) I don't train any more than 15 at a time, thats what my basket holds, and thats what I can comfortably carry,  but you could split yours into 2 batches, put them up 15/20 minutes apart, or even from two different locations, keep everyone guessing, same place & time & all eggs in one basket is not the way to go  

 

Don't let a bird-brain beat your own.

[wilkins]

i train in groups of 6 due to the worry of a attack

[boxer]

dad as ive told you on the phone you aint quitting cos i aint gonna let ya, you will get some more work back over the next few days, just think how much the ones that made it back have learnt, you wont loosethem now.

your an assett to the sport having helped so many people over the years including myself on all the occassions that i have started up and then quit only to start up again a few years later, it is said that pigeons are in the blood and once hooked it never goes well thats true., if you quit then the RSPB have one another battle cos its one lesss person to vote against them, at tghe end of the day it is possible to overthrow a government so we will beat the BOP but it will only be harder if you quit

 

ps. plus i want to kick ya *expletive removed* on race day ;D ;D ;D

 

i have to agree with gooner stick in there bob dont let them fooooooking things beat u   :) :)

 

 

[jakjak]

i train in groups of 6 due to the worry of a attack

 

this might help Bob

[Guest numpty01]

bob you made a lot of effort to get birds and get on with flying make an effort to get over this setback ??life without birds is difficult once you have had them.as peaple say its in the blood  :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/ :-/

[pearse1888]

its been a really bad year with youngbird losses everywhere i know a few people that has been completly wyped out

[Roland]

Terrible thing Bob. I feel for you.

I know this is not the best time to say, but to others it may help of help,  to show the wisdom of mixing a little lard with salt and smearing the birds with it! Just the chest would more than suffice. Yes of course I know it wouldn't have stopped the attack this time, but at least there will be some Percy's less to hinder your birds next time, and each time less, and so forth.  Shamefully, their' lives are then not lost in vain so to speak. Harsh reality yes... But then the B.O.P. is just that.

 

[edwards]

dear bob its because of the likes of you mate my father my uncles and uncles fathers why im in the sport of pigeon racing and yes the bop are a pain in the ass but dont let them beat you mate and get in on you because of the resession we have had a lot of people back into the sport and they them selfs actually coundn belive the amount of bop around but like i said the more we have fighting the bop organisations the better .and bob the feeling of the butterflys when you see  that widowhood cock fold up into a tennis ball up in the eliments and hit the board or through the open door is that easy to let go .keep the faith.