waterfowl and boat racing

[Jim Mamaril]

just trying to get a general concensus on how your clubs handle waterfowl on the race course,

do you clear the course before any boats are lanched for each heat?

do you launch boats on the two minute clock and mill the waterfowl out of the way and still try to get in position to make the start clock?

do you think it is worth the risk of milling waterfowl with boats during the clock to possibly have your boat die from milling too slow or possibly hitting waterfowl and getting DQ'ed for the heat?

I feel that if we are milling waterfowl during the two minute clock and we are racing for district points that it is unfair to expect the racers to use their boats and possible loss of points and race position to clear the course. Please chime in on how your clubs handle this.

You must be talking about Waughop....................Several years ago,while racing at Waughop,we brought about 6 loaves of day old bread and paid

[took up a collection] one of the kids to go 100 yards down the beach and feed the ducks a couple of slices of bread every 10 minutes or so.......worked great

Dunlap ought to remember that......

Good Idea, C.D. always anounces position of birds on course-birds get the right of way. Most move to the other side of the lake when the boats hit the water. Usually races are not delayed.A DQ or fine from the club may make drivers a bit more carefull. Like someone mentioned you never know who's watching.

Rick Sowell races in District 8 and unless you have raced at Lake Waughop with the ducks that live there ,you have no idea the problem that Rick is facing dealing with the Waughop ducks...

The ducks at Waughop are born,raised and live their entire lives on that lake.........They have grown up with model boats and are completely oblivious to the noise and speed of the boats.....

Migratory waterfowl will move when hassled but the stay at homers [and there are a million of them] don't move an inch.......

Now I haven't raced at Waughop for several years but I would bet a dollar to a dog turd the ducks haven't become any smarter about model boats since I left district 8...... .....

I just remember feeding them always worked to get them off the course.....

Rod, you are right they haven't gotten any smarter, unfortunately there are large signs that say DO NOT FEED THE DUCKS. So now we are between a rock and a hard spot.

Rick, I understand your point and I guess we will have to get everyone together and discuss what we can do and come up with some sort of plan. I know it is frustrating and it effected you more than some at the last race but I hope you don't decide to get out of the boats, you are one of the best people at the races and don't hesitate to help anyone when you can and I know it is much appreciated especially by me.

As far as going after them with the chase boats I think our arms would get pretty tired since we don't use motors on them.

Jim

 

[Hammerhead]

just trying to get a general concensus on how your clubs handle waterfowl on the race course,

do you clear the course before any boats are lanched for each heat?

do you launch boats on the two minute clock and mill the waterfowl out of the way and still try to get in position to make the start clock?

do you think it is worth the risk of milling waterfowl with boats during the clock to possibly have your boat die from milling too slow or possibly hitting waterfowl and getting DQ'ed for the heat?

I feel that if we are milling waterfowl during the two minute clock and we are racing for district points that it is unfair to expect the racers to use their boats and possible loss of points and race position to clear the course. Please chime in on how your clubs handle this.

You must be talking about Waughop....................Several years ago,while racing at Waughop,we brought about 6 loaves of day old bread and paid

[took up a collection] one of the kids to go 100 yards down the beach and feed the ducks a couple of slices of bread every 10 minutes or so.......worked great

Dunlap ought to remember that......

Good Idea, C.D. always anounces position of birds on course-birds get the right of way. Most move to the other side of the lake when the boats hit the water. Usually races are not delayed.A DQ or fine from the club may make drivers a bit more carefull. Like someone mentioned you never know who's watching.

Rick Sowell races in District 8 and unless you have raced at Lake Waughop with the ducks that live there ,you have no idea the problem that Rick is facing dealing with the Waughop ducks...

The ducks at Waughop are born,raised and live their entire lives on that lake.........They have grown up with model boats and are completely oblivious to the noise and speed of the boats.....

Migratory waterfowl will move when hassled but the stay at homers [and there are a million of them] don't move an inch.......

Now I haven't raced at Waughop for several years but I would bet a dollar to a dog turd the ducks haven't become any smarter about model boats since I left district 8...... .....

I just remember feeding them always worked to get them off the course.....

Rod, you are right they haven't gotten any smarter, unfortunately there are large signs that say DO NOT FEED THE DUCKS. So now we are between a rock and a hard spot.

Rick, I understand your point and I guess we will have to get everyone together and discuss what we can do and come up with some sort of plan. I know it is frustrating and it effected you more than some at the last race but I hope you don't decide to get out of the boats, you are one of the best people at the races and don't hesitate to help anyone when you can and I know it is much appreciated especially by me.

As far as going after them with the chase boats I think our arms would get pretty tired since we don't use motors on them.

Jim

I second Jim on that, Rick. You are a great person and an asset to have around. I know you had it worse than the rest of us that day. It sucks when you have to focus your attention on something other that racing. I'm still kinda new to the PSMBC, so I'm just going to go with the flow. I do feel for you, though.

 

[Mike Hughes]

The biggest problem is with the new ducks. The tweener ducks. The ones that are not following mom anymore but are not smart enough to know anything about the boats. The adults move or fly away with some close passes. It is the younger ones that do not know any better. They are everywhere. Later in the year they are not that bad. It is june/july months when they are out in force. And I mean there are 200 or so on the lake. Jerry usually bring out a RTR electric mono that does a good job of herding. The ESC burned up and we had to have the boats do the herding.

Mike

 

[Rick Sowell]

Rod,Jim, Marty, thanks for the kind words, to say I had a bad day at the last race might be an understatement. I was just frustrated with how we have to use our boats to move the ducks out of the way, all the while being on the clock and racing for points. and I was robbed of several opportunities to get any points for the day, and the season championship. Rick