I'm not racing, this season, but I'll sell you some Pigeon Poo!

Finally Fall! I have a variety of late hatches I really should be flying and then training.  Man!  So busy!  I need to pair up my two Black Eagles.  I'm not sure they were a pair after all. 

The Evansville Racing Pigeon Club Young Bird racing season is going strong.  Follow them at http://twitter.com/evvrpc

We are taking a break from racing this week because it is time once again for the Evansville West Side Nut Club Fall Festival We are booth #47 and the only place to get Pigeon Poo (it's a treat - you'll like it!)

Come on out to the nation's 2nd largest street festival (I heard this once, not sure if it's true).  I see you at booth #47.  It's a great cause!  "Won't you please help us ship pigeons to Alabama?"  :-)  Oh, come on!  Have a chili cheese hot tamale!

No Futurity Race

There will be no Futurity Race for me this year.  I had only one of my 10 futurity birds left.  For some reason, this was a particularly high loss season.  She had been out 165 miles when I lost all of the remaining futurities so I held her back and just gave her deep training drops along with the rest.  On her 4th drop from 64 miles, she did not come home.  That was Sunday.  On Monday evening, while driving home on the divided highway I saw a dead bird - a pigeon!  It had to be a pigeon the size and color were right and there's not a lot of pigeons in the suburbs so it stood out (still amazing that I noticed it).  I pulled over and walked back.  Yup!  A pigeon wearing the same blue race bands I use.  I grabbed it's foot and pulled it back from the road to flip it over (I can't imagine what the passing cars thought of my actions).  Sure enough, it was my last futurity bird.  What a strange thing!

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

It's been busy.  I missed a real high point.  After 5 seasons of Young Bird Racing, I finally won! 

National Database-1        EVANSVILLE RACING PIGEON CLUB         09/17/11-12:44
                                   Mt. Vernon IN
                                 Weekly Race Report                      Page 1
                             Open and Junior Category
Name: FT. CAMPBELL 1              Young Bird Race             Flown: 08/31/2011

Release(A): 07:00  Birds: 188  Lofts: 8            Station: FT. CAMPBKY (0201)
Weather (Rel) PC, SE 5, 60 deg  (Arr) PC, SE 7, 80 deg


POS NAME          BAND NUMBER        CLR  X ARRIVAL   MILES   TOWIN      YPM  WS Cus Pts  NDB Std Pts
  1 THREET ROB/30 5311   AU 11 EVV   BB   H 08:46:02  91.384  00.00 1516.795    187         97  
  2 THREET ROBERT 5393   AU 11 EVV   GRIZ H 08:46:14   2/30   00.12 1513.892    186         95  
  3 THREET ROBERT 5324   AU 11 EVV   BLK  H 08:46:25   3/30   00.22 1511.355    185         92  
  4 HELFRICH S/30 11323  AU 11 HELF  BB     08:48:19  92.274  01.14 1499.335    184         89  
  5 HELFRICH STEV 11306  AU 11 HELF  BC     08:48:20   2/30   01.15 1499.104    183         87  
  6 HELFRICH STEV 11310  AU 11 HELF  BCWF   08:48:20   3/30   01.15 1499.104    182         84  
  7 HELFRICH STEV 11327  AU 11 HELF  BB     08:48:20   4/30   01.15 1499.104    181         81  
  8 HELFRICH STEV 11307  AU 11 HELF  BC     08:48:21   5/30   01.16 1498.874    180         79  
  9 HELFRICH STEV 11329  AU 11 HELF  BC     08:48:22   6/30   01.17 1498.643    179         76  
 10 HELFRICH STEV 11390  AU 11 HELF  BC     08:48:27   7/30   01.22 1497.492    178         73  
 11 HELFRICH STEV 11321  AU 11 HELF  BC     08:48:33   8/30   01.28 1496.112    177         71  
 12 HELFRICH STEV 11360  AU 11 HELF  RC     08:48:48   9/30   01.43 1492.674    176         68  
 13 HELFRICH STEV 11366  AU 11 HELF  BB     08:48:53  10/30   01.48 1491.532    175         65  
 14 HELFRICH STEV 11328  AU 11 HELF  QUAL   08:49:05  11/30   02.00 1488.797    174         63  
 15 HELFRICH STEV 11314  AU 11 HELF  BB     08:49:06  12/30   02.01 1488.570    173         60  
 16 HELFRICH STEV 11402  AU 11 HELF  BBWF   08:49:06  13/30   02.01 1488.570    172         57  
 17 HELFRICH STEV 11394  AU 11 HELF  BKSP   08:49:09  14/30   02.04 1487.888    171         55  
 18 HELFRICH STEV 11401  AU 11 HELF  BCSP   08:49:11  15/30   02.06 1487.434    170         52  
 19 HELFRICH STEV 11311  AU 11 HELF  BB     08:49:14  16/30   02.09 1486.753    169         49  
--------------------------------- Above are 10 percent -------------------------

The next race - no so good.  70th place and I dropped 7 birds (out of 31). 

We flew the first two on Wednesdays to avoid dove season opening weekend. 

I picked up 2 birds just in time for race 3. I held back the two stragglers and sent

24 birds.  I only got back 8 race day!  So, at the end of the day I now had 10 birds.

I had 31 only four days earlier.  Very depressing.  I did get several birds in the top 

10% and 20% though.

National Database-1        EVANSVILLE RACING PIGEON CLUB         09/17/11-12:49
                                    Haubstadt IN
                                 Weekly Race Report                      Page 1
                             Open and Junior Category
Name: COLUMBIA 5                  Young Bird Race             Flown: 09/10/2011

Release(A): 07:00  Birds: 159  Lofts: 8           Station: COLUMBIA, TN (0203)
Weather (Rel) PC, Calm, 52 deg  (Arr) Cloudy, WSW-5, 75 deg


POS NAME          BAND NUMBER        CLR  X ARRIVAL   MILES   TOWIN      YPM  WS Cus Pts  NDB Std Pts
  1 SIMPSON DON/8 4434   AU 11 EVV   BKCK H 10:57:52  179.426 00.00 1327.593    316         97  
  2 SIMPSON DON   4430   AU 11 EVV   BLCK C 11:01:08   2/8    03.16 1309.527    314         94  
  3 GOODWIN DO/30 4561   AU 11 EVV   BC   H 10:50:01  169.333 05.32 1295.631    312         91  
  4 HELFRICH S/30 11307  AU 11 HELF  BC     10:50:49  167.769 08.24 1279.229    310         87  
  5 GOODWIN DON   4596   AU 11 EVV   BBWF H 10:54:57   2/30   10.28 1268.427    308         84  
  6 SIMPSON DEB/6 4485   AU 11 EVV   BLCK H 11:10:33  179.426 12.41 1260.363    306         81  
  7 SIMPSON DEBBI 4483   AU 11 EVV   BLCK H 11:10:35   2/6    12.42 1260.220    304         78  
  8 THREET ROB/24 5323   AU 11 EVV   BB   C 10:58:39  167.476 16.37 1235.086    302         75  
  9 HELFRICH M/30 4859   AU 11 EVV   BC   C 11:03:58  167.945 21.18 1211.598    300         72  
 10 HELFRICH STEV 11306  AU 11 HELF  BC     11:03:53   2/30   21.28 1210.692    298         69  
 11 HELFRICH MARK 4114   AU 11 EVV   BB   C 11:04:10   2/30   21.30 1210.606    296         65  
 12 HELFRICH STEV 11315  AU 11 HELF  BBWF   11:03:56   3/30   21.31 1210.444    294         62  
 13 HELFRICH MARK 4802   AU 11 EVV   RB   C 11:04:58   3/30   22.18 1206.652    292         59  
 14 BUTCH GARR/15 4314   AU 11 EVV        H 11:02:17  165.270 23.10 1200.609    290         56  
 15 BUTCH GARRISO 4324   AU 11 EVV        H 11:07:23   2/15   28.17 1175.801    288         53  
 16 SIMPSON DEBBI 4480   AU 11 EVV   BLCK H 11:33:48   3/6    35.55 1153.361    286         50  
--------------------------------- Above are 10 percent -------------------------
 17 SIMPSON DON   4040   AU 11 EVV   BLCK C 11:33:50   3/8    35.57 1153.220    284         47  
 18 SIMPSON DEBBI 4482   AU 11 EVV   BB   C 11:33:52   4/6    36.00 1153.045    282         43  
 19 SIMPSON DON   4041   AU 11 EVV   BLCK H 11:33:55   4/8    36.03 1152.834    280         40  
 20 SIMPSON DEBBI 4050   AU 11 EVV   GRIZ C 11:33:58   5/6    36.06 1152.631    278         37  
 21 SIMPSON DON   4435   AU 11 EVV   BLCK C 11:36:45   5/8    38.53 1141.039    276         34  
 22 GOODWIN DON   4509   AU 11 EVV   BB   H 11:24:04   3/30   39.34 1128.607    274         31  
 23 HELFRICH STEV 11314  AU 11 HELF  BB     11:23:12   4/30   40.47 1121.839    272         28  
 24 GARRISON B/16 4275   AU 11 EVV   RDCK H 11:37:03  163.374 01:00 1037.857    270         25  
 25 BUTCH GARRISO 4312   AU 11 EVV        H 11:47:32   3/15   01:08 1011.660    268         21  
 26 BUTCH GARRISO 4353   AU 11 EVV        H 11:47:32   4/15   01:08 1011.649    266         18  
 27 BUTCH GARRISO 4322   AU 11 EVV        H 11:47:35   5/15   01:08 1011.473    264         15  
 28 BUTCH GARRISO 4306   AU 11 EVV        H 11:47:37   6/15   01:08 1011.320    262         12  
 29 GARRISON BUTC 4218   AU 11 EVV   BLCK H 11:51:48   2/16   01:15  985.396    260          9  
 30 THREET ROBERT 5321   AU 11 EVV   BLK  C 12:12:15   2/24   01:30  943.969    258          6  
 31 THREET ROBERT 1229   AU 11 APA   BC   H 12:20:15   3/24   01:38  920.365    256          3  
 32 SIMPSON DON   4432   AU 11 EVV   BLCK H 12:43:44   6/8    01:45  918.702    254          0  
--------------------------------- Above are 20 percent -------------------------

Today's race was one of the best for my birds - not sure how I did against the

other but 9 out of 10 came in at the expected time.  I may only have 11 birds left,

but the are pretty good based on that race.  Gotta go - they are waiting on a bath

(since they can hear that I gave the breeding loft baths).  :-) 

Lookin much better from 42 miles

My favorite drop

racing pigeons against sunrise

Yesterday's time was really good.  Today's was slower but they had a pretty good head wind and even then it was okay - they were on time anyway.  The best part - 27 of 30 clocked in on time!  I check the loft and I had 31 last night.  HOWEVER, 2 of them were without race bands which means they weren't here Sunday when I banded them all.  After I released them, I called and the loft manager said there was already one eating.  A straggler had come in - a futurity.  Oh well.  This was the 4th drop from 42 miles.  Tomorrow makes 5 drops (as I want them to break this early).  This weekend the weather is looking good for 2 drops from 64 miles.  Then, if I can (and the weather is looking like I can), I will drop them from 42 miles again Monday & Tuesday (boxing night).  I like to get them a good stretch before shipping.

Looking Good at 24 miles!

The corn was much taller than previous years at this drop.  I am a couple of weeks later than usual.  There are 36 that are doing well and another 2-3 that are struggling.  I was worried I'd be able to get done with training but it looks really good.  If the weather does ok - I'll be at 42 miles by Friday - an entire week before shipping for the first race.  I hope to get them out 64 miles before that (and maybe one drop at 82 miles if we're really lucky (and I'm not too sleepy)).

I finally remembered to turn on my camera before releasing!  :-)

Slow Going

It is going to be exciting this year.  I still need to get all the racing bands on the birds and get them in the computer.  I hope to get them used to the computer trap sooner this year (that would be right now!).  I took a week off to medicate them.  I believe many of them had respiratory infections.  They are mostly looking better now.  I hope to jump them up to 12 miles tomorrow.  16 days until we basket for the first race.  Yikes!  I'll be lucky to get them trained out as far as I like (64 miles).

on the 3rd day of training

I dropped another yesterday.  I had two weak fliers this morning.  Not sure what is going on.  I left back Aqua so I only too out 40 this morning.  I'm giving up on Aqua.  The black hen 5381 is acting pretty weird.  Her and a pied blue bar flew up in a tree.  After the others left they took off each by themselves toward home.  I will medicate them and hold them back when I jump up to 6 miles tomorrow.  The other 38 looked real good.

And then there were 42

Sad and strange.  A first.  While dropping the birds from their first training release I found a dead bird in the basket.  It was 5380 - the one that seemed to be having problems after vaccines Saturday.  She felt a little light but had been flying.  I sure didn't expect to find her like that.  I basketed just before 6am and released just before 8am.  I have administered that vaccine nearly 200 times in the last 4 years and never had a problem.


I held back one: Aqua.  The one with the freakish obsession for drinking bath water.  He has, no doubt, picked up something  from that bad habit.  He was seriously light this weekend but I administered some meds and he's feeling better.  He has always been strangely tame.  He flies up on our shoulders when we go in to feed.  I keep meaning to hand feed him.  I think he's going to be a pet instead of a racer.  (Sorry Phil - yep, he's one of yours).

Kitting Nicely

I was worried about the younger half but they are all kitting now.  I had to shoo several out.  The Alaska birds seem to not like our 115 degree heat index and prefer the cool loft (amazing design - it stays pretty nice in there - I need to put a thermometer in there to see how cool). 

I can't wait to start taking them down the road.  It's going to be fun!

Late Breeding Means Short Old Bird Season

I had a terrible breeding season.  Not sure exactly why - perhaps the bitterly cold winter over came my tricking them into thinking its Spring with extra morning and evening lighting.  At any rate - I really needed all of those late hatches for the Young Bird Team and didn't want to risk losing any feeders so I stayed out the first 5 races.  Combined with the terrible weather - I am just now getting the birds out 42 miles.  They've done that twice and have been loft flying in the evenings since March so they're in fairly good condition - though the older cocks are a bit heavy.  They switched the 165 with a 300 so I had to lay out yet another race.  I hope to get them a 100 mile training drop before going to their first OB race of 225 miles.

Nearly 70 degrees - First Liberation

It was the first time many of the late hatches had been out and just about the only time the old birds had been out since I started training young birds.  I came home early and they looked pretty antsy - it had been nearly 70 degrees (it's supposed to break a record today at 72).  As soon as I opened the trap they started busting for the exit.  With only 30 minutes before sun down, I figured they'd be safe from hawks, especially if I stayed and watched  - which I did (supper got cold, oh well).  You could feel their joy as they climbed into the wind and then zoomed down with the wind.  The late hatches tried to keep up with the old birds and after less than two minutes were back on the roof panting, resting before going again.  I was amazed that everyone went back up fine - even the late hatches.  Such an intelligent bird!  I expected some of the Young Birds would protest and try to get back in the Young Bird loft but they didn't.  The 11' geodesic winter fly pen spoiled them, I guess.  Need to do this every night and start getting them conditioned for old bird races in April.

Stitches

I just realized that my best bird ever, the young bird that came within 42 seconds of winning the big race, was the one I had to stitch up before training because she got damaged by a hawk.  Tiny little hen.  Never would've guessed her to nearly win a 300 mile race as a young bird.

Good Birds! (Well Behaved Anyway)

I held back 4 late arrivals from this weekend's race.  Did very nicely!  My best score sheet EVER!  With a 3rd place diploma winner (my highest ever!), I was very happy.  This weekends race is a bit further so I am taking the remaining 22 young birds out today and Friday for a 42 mile conditioning drop.  The sun sure comes up late now.

The drop is exactly an hours drive for me.  I stopped about 30 minutes before the drop at the last (good) gas station and filled up and went inside to get coffee.  I came back and drove the remaining 30 minutes then opened the back hatch of the van to find that one of my baskets was not latched on one side and two birds were out!  I stared at them and they stared at me.  They seemed to be thinking, as I was, "This isn't right!"  Thank goodness they stayed on the blanket I put down!  I decided to just do what i always do - set the baskets down and let them settle a bit before the release while I eat my breakfast.  So I did.  The two loose birds just ambled back toward the opening and stayed there (still on the blanket) while I ate.  I decided it might be funny to film the release with my cell phone.  So I did (sorry it came out sideways).

They must've gotten out at the gas station - I would've heard them otherwise.  I know they rode the last 30 minutes just standing next to the other baskets.  I was thinking this morning how calm and gentle they've become.  Heck!  Maybe I don't need baskets!!  :-)  I really love working with these animals.  They're pretty amazing creatures!

Another Bad One - for me

Well, most of the others did well.  For some reason, only 9 of 29 came in on time.  I got 12 more - but they were really late.  That's really all I have to say on it.  There was a hawk and it got one of my rollers.  Not sure of what happened as I was out of town.

Sat Out The First Race

Call it superstition, but I don't like to race on the opening day of dove hunting season.  There's too many sunflower fields (dove bait) between me and the  breakpoint.  In addition, the Nat'l Youth Turkey Shoot always has an event on that same day between my house and the breakpoint!  If the dove hunters of Tennessee and Kentucky don't get them, the 2 dozen 14 year olds with pump shot guns 5 miles south of my house should finish them off!  That's my opinion.  This is a very controversial opinion according to the PML.

I've sat out the last two years.  This was my 4th Young Bird Race season.  The first two years, we all lost about half of what we sent.  Last year, for whatever reason, the others had a pretty good day on Dove Season Opening.  Almost tempted me to try it but I decided against it.  So, since they weren't going out to a 115 miles - I took them a bit earlier in the week to 92 miles (a big jump up from 64).  They did great.  I feel like they're ready and not behind (much).

This Saturday I spent a lot of time in the yard working on things.  I could hear shot guns in every direction at varying distances all day long until twilight.  I saw one guy only a mile up the road in camo, painted face hiding behind a telephone pole.  That startled me!  I was glad I didn't let them out all weekend.  Instead, I flew my rollers - hey, they never leave my 2 acres back yard!  I've got another 6 acres in the front yard and they seldom use more than just the back yard.  Funny birds!  They were safe and really enjoyed the liberation (I haven't flown them since YB season started because they tend to trap into my YB loft if they can).

I am hoping the weather is better than they predicted for this weekends race.  I'm really looking forward to it.  We moved the date forward one week and I sat out so I am two weeks later starting racing that usual.  Wish us luck!

Watch Out For Those Light Posts!

I've been alternating between the breakpoint and my main conditioning drop of 42 miles.  This is their 3rd drop from 42 miles.  This one and the first one went well.  I'm not sure what happened on the 2nd one although I'm beginning to suspect hawk interference.  I dropped 7 and then got back 4 the next day (3 in the early morning).  So, the team is down to 38 now.  As soon as I get a good Saturday or Sunday, I'm going to take them out 64 miles.  That won't be this weekend.  Looks like another stretch of bad weather.  I hope I can get them out to the breakpoint again tomorrow.

Come back - that's southwest!

Perhaps the training was too rushed.  2.5, 2.5, 6, 6, 12, 12, 14, 14, 23, 23, 42 then rest two days!  Wow!  It was the fastest I had ever gotten them out to this point - by far.  But they were doing so well!  Maybe it was because they were on such a fast track everything was fresh in their minds.  Not today.  With a chance of thunderstorms in 7-8 hours, I released them from 42 miles a 2nd time after a two day rest.  In stead of NNW, they headed SW.  "They'll change course..." I thought as I drove off.  At 8:50am, they were already nearly an hour later than their first drop from this point.  That's not good!  I was getting worried!  A bit later, the loft manager called and said one blue check splash came in alone.  Yikes!  Incidentally, that bird was off of my first bird to come in from 500 miles, a small red splashed hen.  About 5-10 minutes later - they all came in.  Whew!  

Good Enough!

I took them out 42 miles (by air).  Again, they did great, barely completing a full circle before heading off straight home.  This is my favorite drop - quick and easy - right off the Interstate and a nice large empty mall parking lot!  This group did better than my old birds, who did a lot of zig-zagging before heading home.  Wow!  I'm pretty excited to see how this bunch of mostly hens does.

Big Jump Up

I am so amazed at this group! They are different each year.  This year, I must have 2/3rds hens.  The complete opposite of my previous 3 years.  I guess nature is trying to make up the difference.  These guys (and gals) never circle more than once!  Today, after jumping up 14 to 23.5 miles, they did a half circle and headed straight off on the exact bearing for home!  The only reason I knew it was an exact bearing was because I had studied satellite maps from Google.  How do they do it?!  The best part is the loft manager called me before I crossed the Ohio to tell me the birds were already home!  I wish I could've see it.

Finally Remembered the Camera

I finally remembered the camera but still missed the shot.  Juggling 4 boxes is tough!  I unlocked the first 3 baskets and then basket #1 figured out it was unlocked (or maybe they just bumped it open, either way) they bolted so I quickly released the others but by the time I got the camera they were up pretty high and moving pretty quick.

This completes the short tosses.  Jumping up from 14 miles to 23 miles tomorrow.