tapp
184 posts
Jan 30, 2007
10:10 PM
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-Hi list, I was flying one of my kit's at 1;20 and and it was spitting snow. well 5 min into the fly the wind kicked up to 25+ mph and started really snowing and blowing snow.It was a white out for 8 min. It was so bad I couldn't see 2 tall silos only 150yds away my kit was gone. It would clear up then do it agin. finaly it quit. I kept checking to see if any came back ever hour. I went out at 5 pm and all were back. I sure was lucky this time. 2 times last week I got hit by a coopers hawk about 1hr before dark. they stayed up till after dark. each time I got all birds back with in 3 days. This roller flying is hard on the nerves!!! I thank GOD because I've got them all back each time so far. .---------
Tapp
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Shaun
441 posts
Jan 30, 2007
11:49 PM
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That's interesting, Tapp, because I've been advised to fly my birds after sundown, say an hour before dark - just enough time to give them some exercise and get them back in before the light falls too low. The idea behind this was that the hawks will by then have had their evening meal and will be settling down for the night.
Clearly not from what you've just said about your hawk.
Shaun
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Missouri-Flyer
157 posts
Jan 30, 2007
11:57 PM
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Congrats Tapp,
been 4 days for me now and only got 4 out of 17 back....can ya rub some of that luck on your screen for me?...Jerry
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Eat, sleep, Cowboys, Pigeons... The facts of life
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radusopo
25 posts
Jan 31, 2007
6:44 AM
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well I have some experience with hawks......
what i know for sure is that theyll hit in rainy days with cloudy skye,and at 1-4 pm and after sun down,this is the situation ower here.
hope all your birds will come back!!
had some problems myself with snow,but they all came back in within hours
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J_Star
785 posts
Jan 31, 2007
5:22 PM
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With all due respect, flying your birds an hour before sundown or in a white out conditions or a heavey storm is foolish and, to me, it shows poor management of the birds. How can any of you justify putting your birds in harms way and cry about loosing them? If the hawks are bad, then don't fly them. The birds don't forget how to fly if kept in for a period of time. In the winter when it is very cold the birds fly slugish and disoriented and easy picking for the hawks. An hour before sundown, how do you know that your birds don't decide to fly for 2 hours or more that day? In a storm, how do you know that wind will pickup and the excessive wind won't blow your birds 30 miles away from home? Just food for thoughts....
Jay
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tapp
185 posts
Jan 31, 2007
7:35 PM
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Jay, I didn't fly my birds an hour before sun down they got bussed by a coopers when come down to land at 3:30pm a week later different one came by and did it agin.And I never turned my kit lose in a white out. I had flew a kit before this one. The white out just came up. I fly up to 4 kits a day. I lost one bird on thanksgiving day to a hawk, and thats all. And I haven't lost birds to an over fly yet. I flew all last winter to. as far as birds flying slugish and disoriented. I dont have a bit of problems they fly good even in 0 deg.I'm flying Weins and Mee's and some Hendersons. What the heck are you flying? Or should I say not flying? another ting I stay out with my birds when flying on guard. Why, because I can! So I don't concider my self a poor manager!
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Tapp
Last Edited by on May 31, 2007 9:54 PM
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motherlodelofts
1349 posts
Jan 31, 2007
10:17 PM
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Yea Tapp it can be a hoot , one time I even started smoking again after quiting for four years, I sat there and watched my oldbird team get swallowed up as a fog bank rolled in on top of them.
Next thing I know I'm grabbing a smoke from the wife, there I was ingulfed in fog with tears rolling down my cheeks , coughing on a cigarette and shaking the feed can.
Man that was a heavy hit on a very fine team, lost over half , man you don't build teams like that in just one season.
Scott
PS glad you got em back
Last Edited by on Jan 31, 2007 10:18 PM
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tapp
186 posts
Feb 01, 2007
8:26 AM
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Ya Scott I know how you must have felt. One thing I learmed is pigeons can't see shit in the dark. It was just after and ice storm. I could here some land on the loft and slide down the roof and go in between the loft and horse barn. and I would get them out and put in 6the kit box its only 2 ft apart. siz were on the peak and I whistled and all six slid down to the edge and I shined a flashlight on landing board and they all made a dive for the door and went in. And I could see a few on my big barn 30ft up. they stayed till mornning. 3 days latter I was only missing one and it came in to the kit I was flying and trapped in with them. I don't know wwere it was for 3 days! I didn't know pigeons had such bad night vision. I would hear some hit the ground and go over with the flashlight and just pick them up and put in the box. I'm going to put up three flood lights in a way that it wont blind them with one shinning on the landing boards. I'll be flying the rest of my life. and I'm sure somting will happen agin. Wendell up north here had a hawk hit his kit comming in and kept them up past dark. And he got them back in safe with lights. On over cast days I will fly with them on so they can get used to them. And hopfully will work. When needed! Take care Scott, I'll give ya a call tonight just to YaK! PS I felt Like smoking agin to! and getting a bottle of Jimmy!!!!
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Tapp
Last Edited by on Feb 01, 2007 8:30 AM
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splitter
9 posts
Feb 01, 2007
5:17 PM
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Tapp, Up here in midland the sharp shind and coopers are just hanging around all day. You can go out and start to feed the pigeons and one will show up. I am lock down till later. I am glad some one is still flying. good luck
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tapp
187 posts
Feb 01, 2007
7:35 PM
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Splitter, Im in open country all corn flieds sometimes beans,It's 1/2 mile to nearest woods. a few fence rows with a few scrub brush. A couple big oaks 100 yds. away. I have an excellent place to fly! Funny thing when I moved here I didn't like it no woods or river. Well now that I fly rollers. I feel blesed.
Tapp
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