When it comes to training pigeons, it's important to understand their natural instincts and behaviors. Pigeons are known for their homing abilities, making them excellent carrier pigeons. To train a pigeon, particularly a carrier pigeon, you should start by raising it at the location you want it to fly to.
Pigeons have a strong instinct to fly back to their home or roosting location. By raising a pigeon in the specific area you intend for it to fly to, you are essentially imprinting that location as its home base. This is crucial for training the pigeon to reliably navigate back to the desired location.
Unlike some animals that can be trained to go to a specific location, pigeons are best trained to return home. If you were to take a pigeon from one location and release it miles away, it would instinctually fly back to its original home with a high degree of accuracy.
Therefore, the key to training pigeons revolves around their innate homing abilities. By providing a pigeon with a consistent home base and creating a familiar environment for it, you can effectively train it to return to that location reliably.