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A bill in the Pennsylvania state legislature would ban live pigeon shoots and tethered turkey shoots. Philly.com reports that 22,000 birds are used for these shoots every year.
Tethering is a new one for me. Although animal protection groups have campaigned against live pigeon shoots for decades, I'd never heard of tethering until a week ago. Sometimes called "turkey shoots" or "turkey bale shoots," live domesticated turkeys are tethered to bales of hay or tires while shooters take aim. Philly.com explains in an editorial,
The mechanical launch and tethering at bird shoots continue to be an embarrassment to our commonwealth. Other states have wisely banned the contests, leaving us with the lone reputation of enabling them. In fact, many of the people who participate at pigeon shoots come from other states.
In a pigeon shoot, live pigeons are used as targets. Hundreds or thousands of pigeons are killed in a single day. The notorious Hegins, PA pigeon shoot ended in 1999, when a PA Supreme Court decision held that anti-cruelty laws apply to pigeons. At Hegins, pigeons were released from traps, and while still dazed and not yet in full flight, were targeted by shooters only 30 yards away. The pigeons who were wounded would be stomped on, flung against the ground, or have their necks wrung, frequently by children, "trapper boys" or "trapper girls," at the event. It's not hunting; it's target practice. The birds are treated with no more consideration than clay targets at a skeet shoot.
You can watch a video of an actual pigeon shoot here, but I warn you that it's disturbing. This video of a turkey shoot is also disturbing.
Despite the PA Supreme Court decision, pigeon shoots continue. And as recently as 2007, a sportsmen's club pled "no contest" to animal cruelty charges stemming from their live turkey shoot. Acording to an editorial in the Pocono Record, "Organizers try to stay under the radar so people who believe animals have rights don't interfere."
This seems to be a no-brainer, but incredibly, the NRA opposes the bill, claiming that the bill threatens all hunting. No. As much as I despise hunting, calling a pigeon shoot "hunting" is like calling shoplifting "gathering."
If you live in Pennsylvania, please contact your state representative and state senator and ask them to support H.B. 1411 and S.B. 843 to ban the use of live animals for targets.
Links:
- More on Pigeon Shoots from SHowing Animal Respect and Kindness (SHARK)
- April Showers, May Flowers, and Berks Pigeon Shoots Humane Society of Berks County
- End inhumane live bird shoots Pocono Record
- Cruel & unusual: Stop turning pigeons into sitting ducks Philly.com
- H.B. 1411 full text
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Comments
I agree about the Bird shoots I feed them in my our back yard, to me it is the same as the Buffalo shooting, that was also dumb more like shooing a cow yae what a sport, ( how exciting shooting an animal that just stands their). Doris I applaud your work and cant wait to get involved. Thank you for the opportunity. C white.
Bird shoots breed a killer! This is one way people may get used to moving targets! They do this as a sport but are just ‘using’ the birds who are the victims! No animal should be killed, never mind tethered! Of the people who kill birds, many will advance into bigger game, maybe you or me.
how interesting that Pa. the home of the god-awful puppymills also allows this garbage. spare me. I wish I did live there.
Everyone can have there own opinion but pigeon shoots aren’t bad. Dog fights are bad. I’m from PA and seen dozens of pigeon shoots at my gun club and there important events that draw big crowds to cheer for there shooter. Pigeon shooting and raising is big in my family.The specially breed pigeons are given the chance to fly when released from the trap and most of the time the bird flies away. I hope this loved tradition never ends.
http://www.sharkonline.org/?P0000000854
Link above expose reality of sadistic nature of pigeon shoots.
Pigeons are starved, dehydrated and some pigeons don’t have strength to fly.
About 70% of pigeons are not killed instantly but wounded and collected by youngsters who break their neck, step on them, tear off wings and suffocate.
Some birds are end up in Delaware river to drowned to death or freeze to death!
Only people who can do this to gentle timid birds are people with heart of devil.
@ZK: I’m with you buddy. My family too has a tradition that is often frowned upon by those bleeding-heart city folk. But, like I explained to the last fat guy my dad and I found stumbling around in the woods and then proceeded to violate while he screamed out pig noises: “This is a great and ancient family tradition, and this is America! If we let you go and don’t finish raping you them we have lost our freedoms as Americans to do whatever pointless and cruel thing we want to!”. The sheer truth and logic of my words shut him right up!
So fight the good fight buddy!