Pigeons Become Focus of Biblical Lessons in Texas Hill Country

Wednesday morning, 52 children, teens and adults, nestled in the beautiful Texas Hill Country near the banks of the pristine Medina River, experienced a special event.

They enthusiastically gathered on the enchanting grounds of Deer Creek Camp, a family-led, gospel-centered Christian camp, to learn from a recognized expert in his particular field of nature.

Harvey Young, known as the “Professor of Pigeons” in the Texas Hill Country, was the special presenter to the eager group. Young was awarded the honor of “AU Publicity Person of the Year” in 2025 by the American Racing Pigeon Union.

Deer Creek staff offer a unique experience away from television, video games, Internet distraction and other various influences. In this day of cell phones, emails and various technologies, it can be difficult for us to imagine past communication.

On hand to support the experience, Pastor Mack Elkin from First Baptist Church of Medina and notable Hill Country craftsman/cabinet maker Randy Potts were there.

Young explained how humans once used pigeons flying across distances during urgent times.

• It’s a standard practice to register each bird with the Racing Pigeon Union so that individual pigeons can be tracked.

• Technology has advanced to the point that individual birds can be tracked by location and speed rate during races.

• “A pigeon can fly five to six hundred miles per day,” Young said.

• Most pigeons live about 15 years, with maybe 7 of those years capable of racing.

While Young explained the process of banding the birds to send correspondence, Potts installed paper messages incorporating Bible verses selected from the audience.

The pigeons were then released to fly back to Young’s home several miles away.

The first pigeon back to their coop carried the message of Psalm 19:1. In the English Standard Version (ESV) states, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”

Young, who drove home to greet the pigeons, let the crowd know by phone that the flight from Deer Creek to his home took 11 minutes.

The second place arrival was banded with John 8-9:

“Jesus said to him,“Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.”

Genesis 8:11 arrived several minutes later:

“And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth.”