West Route

[fid]

A while ago when i was racing in Scotland our fed decided due to severe losses to seek transportation with a east flying federation.Myself and my partner were not keen on this and voted against, but by democratic vote east was carried and that was that[or so we thought]Our club wanted our old route [west] so seeked transport with Solway who kindley agreed,so who were we going to go with club or fed.We decided to send with both, 8 cocks with the club and the rest with the fed.The result was these 8 pigeons flyin on what we considered the natural route were app 100ypm faster every week regardless the conditions and were homing on a true line where-as the birds racing the east almost evey week came in the back door.As for losses they were about the same pro-rata, there are hawk scum everywhere but the east have10 times the pigeon traffic all flying in diffrent directions, got to take care of the problema yourself guys cause no one else cares. Over here the have a shootin season and everything is taken care of. Iwish everybody good racing for the rest of the season and especial good luck in what i regard the real races the SNFC.[iwasnt to clever at them myself but loved them nonetheless]

[Guest Gareth Rankin]

Superb post Fid

[JADE]

Alex I heard that some Lanarkshire guys entered birds with s, Lanark last Saturday as trainers , and was informed they had great returns with only an odd bird AWOL.

 

And for fair play , east/ west is. East side of the Pennines or west of them , west is just about down the middle , and oh the Renfrew fed tried down the west and I mean west right on the west coast that was in the 80 ,s yes got it in one bad races even back then so this is no new thing .only thing is now the same ones are losing year in year out , and the same guys are not , mirror mirror on the wall ?????????

 

Spot on with your last statement. BOP, clashing, weather all come in to it but the majority of losses are because they fall into budgies 98% or are not fit enough in the first place

[Guest Gareth Rankin]

Spot on with your last statement. BOP, clashing, weather all come in to it but the majority of losses are because they fall into budgies 98% or are not fit enough in the first place

Correct Jade, the older fanciers have seen all before, Wee Normon Orr was telling me that he can still recall the bad races over 200 miles from 40/50 years ago from places like Whitchurch etc this at a time when perigrines was not so much of a problem.

[geordie1234]

Correct Jade, the older fanciers have seen all before, Wee Normon Orr was telling me that he can still recall the bad races over 200 miles from 40/50 years ago from places like Whitchurch etc this at a time when perigrines was not so much of a problem.

Read a gazette the only week from the fifties and the main topic was bad racing

[peter pandy]

Last year I split my team and sent half down the East with F&C and the other half with Midland. I dropped 2 with F&C and 23 with Midland down the West route. This year I started with 48 and flew them all with Midland down the West and at present I have 14 left with 5 of them damaged by Hawk strikes. To take this a little further I have noticed my birds no longer come straight from the South but are returning from the North East and North West. It is obvious they are not coming through the Southern Uplands for whatever reason but coming round them. I definately will not be participating in any further carnage to my birds flying the West route ever again. Trying to build a team is impossible on this route.

 

As I was writing this a 2 y/o dropped in from the first race Gretna lib 19 April

[Delboy]

Correct Jade, the older fanciers have seen all before, Wee Normon Orr was telling me that he can still recall the bad races over 200 miles from 40/50 years ago from places like Whitchurch etc this at a time when perigrines was not so much of a problem.

 

The bad racing then was down to inadequate weather information and inferior race controlling Gareth, a totally different ball game today.

 

Last year I split my team and sent half down the East with F&C and the other half with Midland. I dropped 2 with F&C and 23 with Midland down the West route. This year I started with 48 and flew them all with Midland down the West and at present I have 14 left with 5 of them damaged by Hawk strikes. To take this a little further I have noticed my birds no longer come straight from the South but are returning from the North East and North West. It is obvious they are not coming through the Southern Uplands for whatever reason but coming round them. I definately will not be participating in any further carnage to my birds flying the West route ever again. Trying to build a team is impossible on this route.

 

It is going with the Midland fed with such small birdage, its not just as bad with Lanarkshire Peter.

[Guest chad3646]

Correct Jade, the older fanciers have seen all before, Wee Normon Orr was telling me that he can still recall the bad races over 200 miles from 40/50 years ago from places like Whitchurch etc this at a time when perigrines was not so much of a problem.

 

 

spot on gareth, as i have said on a thread before they actually raced on a friday as they were losing that many pigeons and at that time you hardly ever saw a bird of prey the reason there were not a lot of hawks about one word, GAMEKEEPER

[Guest chad3646]

Wee will all rant and rave for a few weeks then it will all be forgotten and wee will have the same old argument at agm time and round in circles wee go and miss the main event cause I actually think the problem isn't east/ west it's north/ south there is a area from Penrith to Lancaster and otter burn to ripping on the east side that causes the damage once past tease areas it seems to settle down now they areas might not match up exactly but they are not far away jumping past them is not a big problem with old birds but y/ birds are different so let's think about that

[tommy bhoys]

I've spoken to guys racing east route two of these guys race good teams of pigeons each week , one has only lost 3 pigeons since the start of racing , the other I think has lost only 2 , I will name them wullie Johnstone from Carluke , and John Callan from lesmahagow , this is fact . , and listening to some of the Lanarkshire guys there all losing birds each week , one guy. Lost 66 in one week that's racing down the west , others 16 ,s and 17 ,s in one race . No story's with arms and legs. Just facts . Ok yes some racing down the east are losing birds each week , but don't think as many as the west races .

good post i lost twenty birds in one race if you would like tae see half eaten birds pay my loft a visit as i said before this is not enjoyable so carry on lanarkshire fed without me and good luck in the slaughter of your birds in those hills

[WulDon]

Spot on with your last statement. BOP, clashing, weather all come in to it but the majority of losses are because they fall into budgies 98% or are not fit enough in the first place

 

 

maybe 98% of pigeons may never be good enough to win races... fair comment, but they all have homing instinct to get home and this aint happening in some cases... poor controlling and BOP are the biggest cause of losses IMO

[sammy]

maybe 98% of pigeons may never be good enough to win races... fair comment, but they all have homing instinct to get home and this aint happening in some cases... poor controlling and BOP are the biggest cause of losses IMO

:emoticon-0137-clapping:

[Fair Play]

If it was not for the 98% there would be no racing at all they are the birds/fanciers that pay their money and prop up Feds and to some extent Nationals.I could be considered in the 98% to me it is a Sat. afternoon pastime if I had to depend on it for a living I would be bankrupt.

[frankdooman]

If it was not for the 98% there would be no racing at all they are the birds/fanciers that pay their money and prop up Feds and to some extent Nationals.I could be considered in the 98% to me it is a Sat. afternoon pastime if I had to depend on it for a living I would be bankrupt.

 

 

Like most of us Tom but the 98% rule is referring to the doo,s not the fancier personally I go along with it but would say more like 85/90%

[Fair Play]

Frank I send my birds most weeks flying well,treated for most things and vaccinated but lost a whack so much so will not be going the this weeks race,doos that have flown all race points awol and a late bred sent by mistake first back to the loft logic in pigeon racing sometimes goes right out the window,Just spoke to my mate in Manchester and his combine/Amal.got a right doing from Falaise seems there is more to worry about other than percy.In the village there is at one end someone training an "Eagle" and someone at the other end a "Harris Hawk".SODS LAW springs to mind.

The "Eagle" was sitting on a roof close to me and the place was alive with seagulls who took exception to its being there.