Whoosh !!!!

Little fat bloke     rang me last night, for a chat & told me a story about one of my new club mates here. He races the Van Duck's  (Van Dykes)        as we like to call them between ourselves in secret      . The Van Duck man is big on the local internet scene here & was boasting how he had just given his birds 2 tosses etc to start the season off & both times when released they just went whoosh & were gone type of thing out of site at a 100 mph. What he forgot thou to tell every one       Was !!! he tossed them all at 3 miles etc & both times they had a gail up there backside. Now !!!     here is my dilemma etc. Should I follow his fine example ???
(Toss 3 miles)       or let my little team of late breds here, continue on with what they are doing, like ranging for 1-1/2 to 2 hrs plus a day around the loft (Free flying). Seeing as I class myself as a novice now "returning to the sport" all help/advise will be appreciated with my dilemma  
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hi knackerd you should not need advice now, but if they were mine 2 weeks flying like that, then i would start them off training in the direction i would want them to fly home, but it would not be 3 miles but 12 miles, when they get that right then i would move them on 10 miles or so . good luck  

I always started mine at 5 miles for just 2 tosses then 10 miles for 3 or 4 then 4 or 5 at 20 miles then into first race 60 miles always had good returns for doing it that way but many do it differently and still get good returns...they prob range out to ten miles so can see edgies reasoning

Edgie is right. All mine start at 12 then 10 up then 20 up if they are coming on time. Heck 300 feet up they can see well over 20 miles. 40 miles is the clubhouse so once there they are fine for any distance. Young birds do not know how far they have to fly in a race. If never been there previously. They put their heads down and fly in the home direction. Many factors can make them deviate off course. Wind, bird drag whatever but as the season goes on the cream rises to the top.

edgie wrote:

hi knackerd you should not need advice now, but if they were mine 2 weeks flying like that, then i would start them off training in the direction i would want them to fly home, but it would not be 3 miles but 12 miles, when they get that right then i would move them on 10 miles or so . good luck  

Thank's Steve    & Co here, I was about to stress out type of thing when I heard the above news etc as I knew things had changed somewhat since I last raced here, thou tossing them at 3 miles is what one could call part of the silly season to some. Like you Steve etc I believe good pigeons have a brain & one exspects them to use it type of thing & as such I always start mine off at around the same distance as yourself, without any major
hic-cups. Around 6 weeks to go here before it all fires up     & I must admit it will be somewhat strange to have to produce a clock again here & only time will tell       whether I slit my wrists       or have a smile on my face etc come race day.   
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Knackered wrote:

edgie wrote:

hi knackerd you should not need advice now, but if they were mine 2 weeks flying like that, then i would start them off training in the direction i would want them to fly home, but it would not be 3 miles but 12 miles, when they get that right then i would move them on 10 miles or so . good luck  

Thank's Steve    & Co here, I was about to stress out type of thing when I heard the above news etc as I knew things had changed somewhat since I last raced here, thou tossing them at 3 miles is what one could call part of the silly season to some. Like you Steve etc I believe good pigeons have a brain & one exspects them to use it type of thing & as such I always start mine off at around the same distance as yourself, without any major
hic-cups. Around 6 weeks to go here before it all fires up     & I must admit it will be somewhat strange to have to produce a clock again here & only time will tell       whether I slit my wrists       or have a smile on my face etc come race day.   
*****

Had another phone call yesterday     from the little fat bloke
etc. The Van Duck man    was feeling confident after his first 2 tosses (Which is good) so he went for the big one     7 miles. Unfortunately !!!! even thou they all went whoosh when released, they forgot to put the brakes on when they went over his loft at 100mph I'm   & subsequently the lights were on at sunset in his loft for what I was told & as sad as it is he has less perches to clean now, but he will at least save on his feed bill etc.  

wicked.

like i said in my view dont under estimate them, give them some thing to think about,or they will go piss about, and bang thats what happens ? its just like when you was a kid you never wanted to go home when you were told, same with y/b they go running and get out of there depth ?.   

I am in open country. Nearest small town 7 miles away. First toss for young birds when I moved to this location was at 7 miles. They came good over the loft and kept on going. All returned eventually. 12 miles is starting point now. Heck they get up high they can see a 20 mile radius. why fool around with the short tosses? My apologies, perhaps different in towns.