Flying over hills.

[BCBrian]

Hello All!

 

I'm new to this website and I'm glad I found it. I've competed with competition flyers (performing rollers) since the first formal competitions started in 1969. Five years ago I moved to a new location which has made roller flying difficult (do to it's surrounding topography) and I looked at many different options. Finally with the encouragement of a number of fine fanciers in BC's interior - I've decided to do what roller flyers call "Going over to the dark side" - and I've decided to get into racing homers.

 

My first question is this. My altitude is about 1785 feet above sea level. A 6000 foot mountain range lies at an oblique angle to what would be the most direct path home, (flying from the north-west) from all of our differing race routes. My loft is about 10 miles from the mountain top - which can be reached by a road - it's a popular ski hill, called Silver Star, and you can see the mountain top from my loft.

 

My plan was this. Perhaps my first training toss from the base of the mountain - about 5 miles away. After a few of those - do a few releases from the top of the ski hill. Then (using logging roads) work my way down the back side incrementally - so the birds learn the most direct route - over this range - rather than going past

the range - and then swinging 90 degrees and coming down a valley from straight west. I'd like to see if I can train them to avoid the dogleg.

 

Old flyers (none of whom are located "behind" the hill) say it might be a good plan - but they doubt the birds will fly over the range - but instead think they'll go around it. My thoughts are, that if they progressively learn the route over it (without learning about the dogleg) that they might just go over it. I'm going to try my theory out regardless - but I'd sure welcome any thoughts from people who may have tried to get birds to fly more direct routes over hills - rather than having birds take much less direct routes around them.

 

I welcome your opinions.

 

Thanks...

[Guest shadow]

most birds fly round mountain ranges rathewr than go over them

[Pompey Mick]

Pigeons are like all wild animals insomuch as they like to be near cover when they are flying. In their mind they are constantly at risk whilst in the air. This is why they fly round bays and harbours keeping to the safety of cover, usually trees, The same thing applies to high ground, they feel more exposed and would rather keep to the valleys where once again they feel safer. Try it yourself, find a nice open field, clear of any obstacles and release the birds, they will fly straight towards the nearest cover, either trees or a building. I've watched many a liberation at Portsmouth on Southsea common which borders the sea and without fail no matter the wind the liberated birds head towards the large hotels on the landward side of the common. It,s nature, it's how the animal mind works and I think that pigeons will always take the safest route home, not the straightest. If you can find a route which gives them a feeling of safety with plenty of available 'cover' you may be successful. If the route you pick is exposed I feel you will have little chance of encouraging the birds to use it. In their minds they would rather be a late pigeon than a dead one.

[Diamond dave]

Welcome to the dark side BC. I think your aka should have been Darth Vader

 

I suspect the wind direction and strength will play a big part in the path your birds will take.

 

- May the force be with you!!!!!!

[Guest]

Very interesting topic and once again the major problem with it is it assumes we know how pigeons find their way home. Basically, we don't.

 

My first thought is that your young birds will range in their first few weeks on the wing, and get some idea of their local area, maybe 20+ miles in every direction? Would also assume that they will scout out the valleys as it is commonly held that birds come through the hills (or go around) rather than go over the top of the highest ranges, although if you live on top, they've got to get there somehow.

 

Reminds me of interview Derik Norden of Langholm, South Scotland gave after he won 1st & 2nd Scottish National Flying Club from Rennes 500 miles; Derik reckoned Langholm was high-up (Scottish Southern Uplands, hundreds rather than thousands of feet above sea level) and his birds came higher still, little dots in the sky, they were actually cold-to-the-touch when he timed them... in June, summer time here.

 

 

[Chatrace]

Train over the mountian ,but keep to the upper side of the normal path that the rest fly around, Make so yours break towards the mt before the main drag goes for the around way. Stay to the high side.

[jimmy white]

it all depends on the weather in my veiw, as commented before the pigeon will take the safest way home, on windy days the birds will fly low ,,and on warm, blue sky day with little or no wind they will fly high, ive often watched the birds on  race day from one of the highest points in the borders  [ carter bar] and you can see them do exactly this.,,, the winners are the fittest birds

[Guest]

When I raced in Lancashire, if our pigeons came straight they had to fly over some hills, Part of the Pennine chain.  To get my birds coming the right way I used to take them to a disused stone quarry on the top of the hill and release them from there.  Some did come this way, but some also flew up to the nearest town Bacup to take the path round the side of the hill and I had to give the Bacup flyers distance.

 

When I could see a bird coming over the hill I knew I had a good one

[Guest]

Brian

 

where do you fly from in BC, I have a good English Mate Kevin Ball of Panorama Lofts Abbotsford.

 

He has some cracking pigeons which he imported from The Mighty Up North Combine.

[BCBrian]

I'll be flying with the Okanagan Racing Pigeon federation, from just outside the city of Vernon - I live out towards Lumby.

 

Our shortest races start at the town of 100 Mile House, in the Cariboo - our longest is to Meziadin Junction. Our series is a 12 race, old bird schedule, that culminates with a 950 Kilometer race to Meziadin Junction, north of the Alaska border. The old-bird race series starts with a 250Km race, then a 350Km, then a 400Km, a 500Km, a second 350Km, a 700Km, another 350Km,an 800Km, then a second 250Km, an 850Km, a third 250Km and finally, the 950 Km race. Then the young birds start, after a free weekend, and fly a five race series, a 250Km race, another 250Km, a 350 Km, a 400Km, and finally a 500Km race. It's a good course, losses are minimal (my good friend Chester Lompart, kept 30 out of 33 last year) and the times tend to be pretty fast (in the 1200 to 1400) range - for the longer races.The birds basically fly straight south-east over the rolling Cariboo Plateau - home to the Okanagan valley.

 

I can't wait for the season to begin - but this year, all I'll be able to compete in is the young-bird races, of course.

[Diamond dave]

250km first young bird race sounds a bit harsh BC - good luck and may the force be with your birds!!

[sj irving jnr]

yes bruno it is true what d norden says my fathers 22nd open snfc rennes was the same just a tiny dot in the sky,shut the wings and dropped he said it was like a block of ice when he caught it.