STRAY CATCHING

Jack Prescott
(Feathered World) Jul 2000

Suddenly, a stray pigeon joins my kit and, in due course, may drop with my kit. If it is a very attractive specimen I try, not always with success, to get it into my loft. I have this primitive and highly illogical feeling 'excited and delighted to capture something that looks outstanding and worthy of investigation.'

Over the years, I have reported a lot of lost pigeons and returned them to their owners. It used to be so easy. I could box up such a stray, in any suitable cardboard box - with a little hay or sawdust. I could call at our local railway station on my way to work and send the pigeon to any destination. It was no problem at all, but now, such a job would entail a long trip to the city - the local station is long gone. What with the regulations, the suicidal traffic and the time involved - I just cannot be bothered now.

Then of course there is the dreaded Paramyxovirus and other pleasantries. A run down stray can so easily be afflicted by some disease. A lot of pigeon diseases are present in most pigeons, in what is known, in ornithological terms, as 'Eclipse' form, but when the subject is run down or in a physically depressed state, these diseases become more firmly established and the subject then becomes a transmitting agent or carrier. Therefore we must be very careful of what we allow into our lofts.

Now, I would like a situation whereby a fancier could identify a stray and soon identify its owner, who would arrange for the speedy return of the pigeon. This service really ought to be done, free of charge and in the spirit of goodwill with only transportation expenses involved. The truth of the matter is, that the vast majority of stray pigeon owners do not want the expense and trouble of collecting strays. I have considerable experiences to prove this.

In my time I have kept and flown several high flying, very rare and very stupid pigeons. I have wing stamped and address banded such specimens. Some of the strays have been reported to me, with a wide variety of attitudes and results. One old lady reported a lost Polish Orlik which had entered her greenhouse in Halifax. She notified me and went to great trouble to return the pigeon by rail. She would not accept a penny - apart from the rail expense. On the other hand, a stray of my own was caught by a man in Nottingham. I went over to collect the stray, a Hellstork cock, and he was almost always incredibly stupid at high altitudes. He was hardly worth his feed and his perch. Arriving at this address, I met a man who in fact only spoke 'pidgin' English. Said he, 'This pigeon is worth a lot of money - I have seen in my country, this kind of pigeon - so I know and I want £20 -otherwise, I don't shall give you this pigeon.'

I answered, quite respectfully, 'if you believe this, the best thing to do, is for you to keep the pigeon.' At this the man became upset and threw the Hellstork into the air and I never saw it again.

A man stray catching, in the 1920s and 30s could market all manner of nice looking strays and perhaps earn a week's cigarette money. There was a ready sale in the local rag and flea markets. Stray catching, however, prevails out East and the capture and bounty of the other fellows' pigeons is the order of the day. It is a recognized sport.

Then, in the USA the Domestic Flight pigeon was involved in the capture of the other guy's pigeons. In Spain and Portugal the stray catching sport prevailed and still prevails.

Personally, I find it quite childish. It is my sincere estimation that 75% of stray owners do not really want the strays and the aggro involved. A stray is, all too often, a failure--completely useless.