Racing Homing Pigeons

[spinnerdoc]

An older gentleman that came to the shop about 8 yrs ago and told us about it. I blows my mind how far they used to do it. He said they had the start at Thunder Bay and finish is somewhere in southern ontario. It is a dying sport apparently. Conicedently a pigeon landed on our backdoor a few months after speaking with him and it appeared to be in a race with the tags on it legs.

 

I knew a cat make it's way from Muskoka to Brampton. He went missing in Brampton and then reappear in Muskoka 2 months after.

 

 

[Roy]

I knew a cat make it's way from Muskoka to Brampton. He went missing in Brampton and then reappear in Muskoka 2 months after.

 

He was probably following the pigeon.

[Terry]

lol

[Rizzo]

occasionally for funerals we have "dove releases"...but they are really white homing pigeons. There are local companies in all the cities I have worked (Toronto, Barrie, Kitchener). To be honest, they often don't work out as well as expected. Last one I did they flew like 10 feet, landed and sat there staring at us. And a colleague told me he did one and one of the birds got picked off by a hawk as everyone watched "the spirit ascending". Not sure if it really happened, but pretty neat story.

[crappieperchhunter]

Get yourself a good PR man spinnerdoc. I'm sure there's a reality TV show in the future if you play your cards right

[pikehunter]

My father raised and raced pigeons in the 50's and early 60's. My mothers uncle in Galt and my uncle in Hamilton also. I have several of my father's trophys. 1000 milee or 500 mile races were common.

 

When the bird returned to the coup you would remove the leg band and drop it into a clock, this is how the winner is determined.

[ketchenany]

 

He was probably following the pigeon.

And a 'northern Cougar' got the cat.

[ketchenany]

occasionally for funerals we have "dove releases"...but they are really white homing pigeons. There are local companies in all the cities I have worked (Toronto, Barrie, Kitchener). To be honest, they often don't work out as well as expected. Last one I did they flew like 10 feet, landed and sat there staring at us. And a colleague told me he did one and one of the birds got picked off by a hawk as everyone watched "the spirit ascending". Not sure if it really happened, but pretty neat story.

That happened in Rome a while back, they released one after a Pope blessing and just after takeoff a seagull got him. The are lots of seagulls in St. Peter's Square I know.

[spinnerdoc]

He was probably following the pigeon.

I bet he was

[spinnerdoc]

My father raised and raced pigeons in the 50's and early 60's. My mothers uncle in Galt and my uncle in Hamilton also. I have several of my father's trophys. 1000 milee or 500 mile races were common.

 

When the bird returned to the coup you would remove the leg band and drop it into a clock, this is how the winner is determined

Is it the same coup for all of the birds on the race? I asked bec. they usually go back to their own coup. so if you have multiple owners would that be a problem?

[spinnerdoc]

Get yourself a good PR man spinnerdoc. I'm sure there's a reality TV show in the future if you play your cards right

That's a good one. There's a reality show for almost anything these days

[spinnerdoc]

occasionally for funerals we have "dove releases"...but they are really white homing pigeons. There are local companies in all the cities I have worked (Toronto, Barrie, Kitchener). To be honest, they often don't work out as well as expected. Last one I did they flew like 10 feet, landed and sat there staring at us. And a colleague told me he did one and one of the birds got picked off by a hawk as everyone watched "the spirit ascending". Not sure if it really happened, but pretty neat story.

A poor ladie's pet bird got out and was perched on a tree, the super was trying to catch it for her, for over an hour. The bird decides to fly off just a few meters in flight , a bird of prey swooped down and took her away.True story.

[reelinrolly]

My grandfather races pigeons to this day. I remember many of a day sitting. Outside the coup waiting for those damn birds to show up we always joked that his birds were walking home haha.

 

It can be quite the expensive sport. My grandfather buys eggs from holland for $400 and that doesn't even guarantee it hatches. He also sends birds to Africa once a year to race in some huge event. Won lots of money I guess lol

[pikehunter]

They return to their home coup. Training involved taking the birds to a chosen location to release them and try to beat them home. The first stage of training he would let them out of the coup to get their bearings and get familiar with the neighbourhood and learn how to enter the landing (pen?) Often the birds would be sitting waiting for you to get home. Remember the name "Homing pigeons."

 

You can imagine the amount of care, time, work, expense and dedication the hobby would involve. Plus my father loved to fish and hunt plus often worked away from home leaving my ungrateful mother to feed and maintain them.

[Sinker]

There is stilll an active pigeon club in ON. I have a friend who is very active with racing pigeons. I don't know a lot about it, but its interesting to be around when they are coming back to the coup.

 

Basically they hire a transprt truck to drive them to a determined release point. At a predetermined time, they are released. When they return to the coup, they put the band in a stamp clock to see how long it takes. (That's a very brief description) its amazing how far they will travel in a short time.

 

A lot of the releases are north of north bay, and the birds are home before dark.

 

Fastest bird wins.

 

S.

[spinnerdoc]

Thanks guys, really informative post about the sport itself. Well I don't doubt about the eggs beeing expensive, your bying the brred i guess like you would in cattle. I didn't realize they only lasted for a day. I'd always thought they take days to get home from long races.

 

Nice to know there are still active racing clubs carrying the sport onwards.

 

Back home my brother used to raise pigeons and let them out the coup whenever a lone pigeon was flying, the object was to capture it, as it joins the flock, he occationally looses a few, in fact he did loose lots.

[krixxer]

A few years back Mike Tyson had a show on TV about his pigeons. They had the pigeons flying around NY and competing in some races.

[Garnet]

I raced pigeons in my teen years. Lots of fun.

 

They due a calculation from a known spot. So fred loft is 3 miles further than Joes and so on.

 

In my fishing tournament career I trained birds for guys when I'm going the right direction.

 

The big controversy is electronic scoring when the birds go into your loft or old style were you need to be their to remove a rubber band put in a little brass box drop in clock and crank.

 

To get started today after building 2 lofts 20k you would need 20k in birds and years to get competitive.

[jedimaster]

I remember that show with Tyson racing pigeons. That was hilarious.

[jedimaster]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10YdXLR16l8

[spinnerdoc]

I raced pigeons in my teen years. Lots of fun.

 

They due a calculation from a known spot. So fred loft is 3 miles further than Joes and so on.

 

In my fishing tournament career I trained birds for guys when I'm going the right direction.

 

The big controversy is electronic scoring when the birds go into your loft or old style were you need to be their to remove a rubber band put in a little brass box drop in clock and crank.

 

To get started today after building 2 lofts 20k you would need 20k in birds and years to get competitive.

That makes sense with the calculation, they spend all the time in their own coup so I would assume they go back to their own.

[DanD]

My Late Grandfather in Belgium raced pigeons for most of his life and I guess he did fairly well at it.

Back in 1939 his prize pigeon won a race across the English Channel; the pigeons were released in Dover and his came back home to a small farm house outside of Wervik West Flanders. Don’t know the time frame; but fast enough I guess to beat the others. LOL

The prize was a pendulum clock that its wood case is about 3 feet tall by approx 1 foot wide, with very nicely hand caved trim.

I've inherited it form my father when he passed away.

It now hangs proudly above the fireplace mantel in our family room. There’s a faded picture of the pigeon that won the clock attached to the pendulum.

I also have or I should say my son has my Grandfather’s racing time clock.

Neat looking thing; it’s a small wooden box that has a sealed clock in it; that when the pigeon’s ID ring was placed in the box and the lid closed it stopped the clock. Only the official time keepers had the key to open the box.

 

 

Dan.

 

[Garnet]

That wooden clock is a benz. I had the same one.

 

Homing pigeons were used for communication in the WW2 many decorated for bravery.

 

Belgium had the big doping scandal 10-15 years ago.

[spinnerdoc]

That wooden clock is a benz. I had the same one.

 

Homing pigeons were used for communication in the WW2 many decorated for bravery.

 

Belgium had the big doping scandal 10-15 years ago.

That was amazing about your grandther. You must be very proud. Those clocks are a gem I bet. Didn't they have snipers dedicated on shooting them(pigeons) down during the wwII?