# Training birds to fly over water.



## palomo (Aug 28, 2009)

HI everybody, i live in the bay area and my question is how do you train pigeons to fly over water?


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## victor miller (Apr 29, 2009)

*Pigeons*

Hi
If There Homer Take Them On The Other Side Of The Water And They Should Fly Home


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

palomo said:


> HI everybody, i live in the bay area and my question is how do you train pigeons to fly over water?


That is the magic of homing pigeons. You don't have to train them how to find home, they are already born with that ability. If they are in the proper condition, they can be released from hundreds of miles from home...be it over land, or over water...and they will come home. The main purpose of road training...IMHO...is not to "teach" them how to find home, but to get them into condition for the flight. If your birds are loft flying for several hours around the loft, then they are in good enough condition to fly home from hundreds of miles.


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## Big T (Mar 25, 2008)

Someone here said they released the birds once in the middle of their lake so they learn to cross and not go around. I haven't done anything like that but it made since to me.

Tony


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## bbcdon (Oct 16, 2007)

Their special gift, which is beyond mans comprehension, is a gift from above.


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## Big T (Mar 25, 2008)

bbcdon said:


> Their special gift, which is beyond mans comprehension, is a gift from above.


Amen Brother, and we all have special gifts. Some of us spend a lifetime searching for it, when we only need to look within.

Hard lesson for me to learn,
Tony


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

I live where Iam surrounded by a large reservoir, have not had any problems with them coming home, when released in the beginning I was right on the dam and they did not go around the water they circled right over it. do not know this as a fact, but I would like to think they use it for a land mark as the reservoir encircles my property.


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## Frank2620 (Feb 7, 2017)

I see it's an old question . However, I was searching for the answer as well . This link shows the problem but not the answer .
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...8C93DF7D784301F2090A8C93DF7D784301F&FORM=VIRE


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## rpalmer (Mar 10, 2011)

I agree with Spirit Wings. One of my first release points is just across the Maumee River. It's not very large but big enough I think. They do the same as SW's. 

Note: There is a large grain elevators about a mile up the river and I have seen them head for them. But they always cross rive water without any excess time lost.


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## Frank2620 (Feb 7, 2017)

My pigeons have been doing alright on their training tosses .Not great , but alright . That is until I cross them over the water . Then they may take hours for over water tosses of 12 or 36 miles . Other tosses without the water to cross , they circle about a minute and a half and head toward home . This video shows pigeons don't like to cross over water .

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...301F&FORM=VIRE

I think releasing the pigeons from a boat would help them get over their fear faster . Or even flying with other pigeons that will fly over the water . I don't have a boat , so I guess I'll just continue with the short over water tosses until they get used to it .

Thanks,
Frank


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## 95SPORTSTER (Jun 30, 2011)

Hey man I heard all of the things about bird's not wanting to cross over water and I was concerned because the flight line of most of our races takes the bird's over a couple of large lakes in central NY. I went on a training toss with one of my club friends and we went to a lake on the line and he was telling me how my birds would probably hang up and fly up and down the shore line until they figured out how to go around and then they would probably follow his home and he would feed them for me. Much to his surprise my bird's didn't even hesitate to cross over the center of the lake and then they left his bird's in the dust and beat them home. Beware of the myths that you hear that are spread as gospel. Look at English flyers they have to fly over water, the Philippines really have to fly over water. Just was talking to a guy at work a friend who lives on Long Island NY brought his bird's to a job on the south Jersey shore so that the bird's would fly out over the Ocean. So as others here have said water isn't the issue. I'm thinking motivation and training are the key.


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## zooman (Sep 23, 2016)

My have no problem crossing Delaware river


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## Frank2620 (Feb 7, 2017)

Thanks for the responses .

On Aug 10th I tossed my pigeons over 2 rivers and about 7 air miles away , to my 10 city driving miles . To my surprise they beat me home . On the 11th I took them about 20 air miles and over a wider river . They were gone for over an hour and a half , at that time I left the coop . I returned later and they were all home . Maybe they just aren't coming straight home .

After seeing the GPS video and also another person telling me that pigeons don't like crossing over water . I thought that was my problem . I know there is a lot of water to cross over on race days . So I'll just keep tossing them and hope for the best .Maybe even motivate them by letting their mates sit on fake eggs .

Thanks again,
Frank


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## 95SPORTSTER (Jun 30, 2011)

Question for you, how old are your bird's. ..how long do they route when you loft fly them? Are you flying them hungry?
Because it seems to me that they are probably just enjoying the day in the country. I'm not the most experienced flyer but I know that once my birds got to the point of 10 miles if I didn't change direction they would be off exploring. 
I'm in my second season and I have a lot of new blood lines so I have no idea what they are capable of doing ,plus in my club we have a lot of guy's with decades of experience so I have had to work really hard to try and get my birds ready to go. 
I have been training my bird's since late June every day until we got to 50 miles then every other day all the way to the first race station last Tuesday for today's race. 
I'm sitting here nervous as hell waiting for the call that they are in the air and then I will see how it goes. I've trained more and further than anyone else and I have been using the Versa Laga feeds according to their plan so I've done all I know how to at this point now it's up to the bird's. 
Good luck with your bird's and enjoy them!


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## YaSin11 (Jul 23, 2009)

95SPORTSTER said:


> I'm sitting here nervous as hell waiting for the call that they are in the air and then I will see how it goes.


 Good Luck


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## Frank2620 (Feb 7, 2017)

My pigeons are 3 to 8 months old . They loft fly sometimes for only 5 minutes , then other times for 45 minutes . I feed when they come in . Then I let them back out to fly as they please . When I take them down the road , I don't feed them until they return from their toss . So yes , I'm flying them hungry . Maybe , when loft flying I'll lock them out for an hour before feeding them . That may keep them in the air longer .

Well good luck on the race . I sure wish I was waiting on a call , telling me they were in the air . Or a call from another flyer near me saying they had one home . There isn't a club anywhere near me . I live in St Augustine, Florida . The closest cubs were in Daytona and another in Jacksonville . Both have closed down now , due to death . Another old timer and myself are trying to find 5 flyers to start a club now . I don't want to run nothing , I just want to be a flyer .

Well best of luck to you,

Frank


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## chayi (May 1, 2010)

Well here we live on an island it's 35 miles wide and 100 miles long and we have a racing club that tosses birds from islands as far as 80 miles to about 200 miles away and they make it back all flying over the Caribbean islands some make it back and some don't but most the time they all make it back in good time.


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## Frank2620 (Feb 7, 2017)

Thanks Chayi ,

Your response shows if water is a problem . The pigeons sure get over it . 95SPORTSTER had pointed out his bird's didn't even hesitate to cross over the center of the lake . Also , That the English and the Philippine flyers have to fly over water as well . So I'll just keep tossing .

Thanks again, 
Frank


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