Witness to a pigeon shoot: Hundreds of birds shot, the wounded pummeled
When animal welfare groups release video depicting horrendous conditions and mistreatment of animals at a slaughterhouse or a puppy mill, often the operators charge that the video was doctored or fake. Such is the case at Pennsylvania pigeon shoots - the activity, now conducted only at private hunting clubs, that the NRA defends as a "proud hunting tradition" and animal activists call a brutal blood bath.
Witness to a pigeon shoot: Hundreds of birds shot, the wounded pummeled
Amy Worden, Inquirer Staff Writer
When animal welfare groups release video depicting horrendous conditions and mistreatment of animals at a slaughterhouse or a puppy mill, often the operators charge that the video was doctored or fake.
Such is the case at Pennsylvania pigeon shoots, the activity, now conducted only at private hunting clubs, that the NRA defends as a "proud hunting tradition" and animal activists call a brutal blood bath.
(I explain the debate over the shoots and the cruelty issue in my story in today's Inquirer.)
Last week though I was invited by the animal welfare group SHark (Showing Animals Respect and Kindness) to one of the few remaining pigeon shoot sites in Pennsylvania and see for myself.
I watched for hours as a dozen or so men positioned in a large circle fired hundreds of rounds aiming at scores of birds as they were periodically flushed from inside a "tower," a plywood box on a wagon bed in the center of the field.
The birds, many of them a brilliant white, others various shades of grey, went straight up. Dazed and confused, they flew in circles above the box as the men opened fire from every direction.
For a few minutes it sounded like a war zone. Lead shot rained down on a public trail abutting the property where members of SHark were documenting the event with high tech camera equipment.
Usually at a pigeon shoot birds are launched from battery-operated boxes to be shot at close range. There is wagering and prizes for the shooters who hit the most birds inside a 30 meter circle. It's hard to imagine how anyone could "win" a tower shoot because it would be impossible to determine who hit which bird.
The shooting went on for four hours. A couple on horseback rode by and asked what was going on. "That's disgusting and nauseating," said Michelle Gross, of Northampton, before galloping off. A hiker said he thought they were shooting clay pigeons and registered his disapproval when he found out they were real birds.
At the end, when all the cages of birds were emptied, the men and teenagers formed a line to drive out the wounded birds. Dozens of injured pigeons clustered together in a small opening in the field. The men threw rocks to force them from the tall grass. Some grabbed birds off the ground and punted them like footballs. Others threw birds unable to fly into the air and shot them at a few feet, as they exploded in a mass of feathers. (All of this is documented in the video below.)
Hunters say the most humane way to "dispatch" a wounded bird is to break its neck. I saw no one breaking any bird's neck that day. The shooters slammed them to the ground, whacked them against their boot heels, stomped on them. A teenager appeared to delight in the killing, laughing as he twisted his leg to smash birds into the ground.
When it was over the SHark members gathered up nine wounded birds that clung to tree limbs and landed on the ground in the surrounding area. One bird huddled in a cardboard box was an unusual dark grey with a brilliant white streak down its wing. SHark founder Steve Hindi told me he believes the white pigeons shot that day were bred for the shoots by Amish farmers. The wounded birds were taken to a wildlife rehabilitator for care. The mortality rate from gunshot is high. As of yesterday four survived.
This is "sport"???? Wholesale slaughter of trapped birds? Realistically, how is this different from cockfights or dogfights? It is killing for fun. Not food, not to protect people or property, purely for the fun of killing. It appears that half the time it is not even merciful killing. What a bunch of small-minded, tiny little "men".— mportik- This is the most digusting act humanity can be involved in. It is just like the NRA to be proud of such a heinious act. The fact that it continues, and is illegal shows what a lawless inhumane element lives in PA. Does it take a skill or marksmanship to shoot fish in a barrel? This state had a slogan, "You have a Friend In PA" This should be changed to "You have a FIEND in PA" and more than one. It seems law enforcement is corrupt and a worthless group. PA where barbarians rule.— egstrasser
- It really is time to put this ugliness to rest. Let's just even say it has nothing to do with the brutalized birds... Let's just figure that it puts our own human species in the worst possible light imaginable. Can we do it even for vain self-pride? Can we shut these practices down because they degrade the image of man? Can we do it because it's vile for adults to be torturing helpless creatures? Can we do it because it violates health and sanitary codes? Can we do it because it's illegal? Pick a reason - Any one will be fine - Just shut these pigeon shootings down!— Bea Elliott
- I'm a serious hunter, but this is one of the most disgusting displays of sportsmanship I've seen. Downed game should be treated with respect and dispatched of properly. This is the type of activity that gives all hunters a bad rap. Shooting tame pigeons is not a sport.— dogman5
- First let me say Thank You to Ms. Worden for your investigative reporting regarding a voice for animals.
To the Wing Pointe Gun Club in Berks County,Pennsylvania,You are condoning animal cruelty. Cruelty means causing pain and suffering. I saw that on the video over and over again. That is a sport in Pennsylvania? Wow, people are sick if you belong to or participate in this kind of behavior to amuse oneself. I would think that one with this kind of mentality should be over in Iraq or Afghanistan on the front lines.You are merciless and society has no room for your kind in it. To the Berks County District Attorney John Adams. I am nauseated to think that you can honesty say that no laws have been broken in the making of this so called yearly sporting event. Real hunters do not act in this manner, Beating a pigeon on the bottom of ones shoe while still alive, punting a live pigeon like a football before it hits the ground or stomping a live pigeon into the ground is cruel and those animals suffered to the end. If you cannot see that for yourself then maybe the folks who voted you into office need to vote you out. The DA is the lawyer for the people, a non-partisan official who is elected every four years, supposedly. To anyone who has seen the video footage or read this story, I sincerely hope that like myself, you feel the need to stand up and voice your outrage loud and clear. This is unequivocally wrong and we will not stand for this abuse. Thank You to Shark for all your hard work and your compassion. It gives me hope and faith in mankind.— velrae1813 - What can we do to stop this?— Jjsabath
- This is truly barbaric and unsportsmanlike. The behavior is despicable... the suffering of these poor birds is unimaginable. If you want to do something about it - please contact your state representatives and senators and tell them how you feel. There are people working to end this - but they need to hear from YOU!! Tell them you care about animal issues - and that you VOTE.... be willing to cross party lines to do the right thing. Remember - the way we treat our animals says a lot about how we treat each other. If the people who work for us in Harrisburg don't care about animals - they don't care about us. (Some of them allow themselves to be bought by, or bullied by - the NRA...) Real sportsman don't do this!— mslinda
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