Fair Or Foul? Pigeon Shoots Ruffle Feathers In Pennsylvania
Animal-rights activists are hoping for change in Pennsylvania, where they're fighting to end a tradition: live pigeon shoots. At the events, shooters compete to hit birds that are launched into the air.
Elissa Katz remembers feeling helpless at the site of a pigeon shoot, with feathers flying through the air and wounded birds falling to the ground. "They flutter up in the air as they are sprung from boxes. Shooters have shotguns, they are at fairly close range, and they blast away at the birds," she says.
Like other pigeon-shoot opponents, Katz calls the practice "cruel." She's helped rescue wounded birds. As president of the political action committee Humane PA, Katz is pushing Pennsylvania lawmakers to stop the shoots.
In the other camp are pigeon-shoot supporters, like hunter Bob Tobash. He helped run a Pennsylvania pigeon shoot that was shut down after opponents' protests. "You enjoy it — the same thing as hunting a rabbit or a pheasant. When you capture the game that you're looking for, it's a good feeling, that you accomplish what you were trying to do," he says.
Not all hunters agree. Frank Nassetta made up his mind against pigeon shoots after attending one. "It was just one of the most dismal things I'd ever done," he says. "I felt absolutely nothing sporting about it. It just seemed to be an obscene little adventure. ... There was no challenge."
Heidi Prescott is senior vice president for campaigns and outreach for the Humane Society of the United States, which opposes the practice. "Pennsylvania is unique in that it openly and regularly holds these shoots. They've been outlawed since before the 1900s in states like New York and Colorado," she says.
Prescott says Pennsylvania needs to catch up with other states.
"Fourteen states have laws that make it explicitly illegal. Eight states have either an attorney general opinion or a court opinion that pigeon shoots are illegal or violate the cruelty statute," she says.
Prescott says 22 more states have cruelty codes that the society believes prevent live pigeon shoots.
Pennsylvania's pigeon shoot debate is playing out while gun laws are also discussed across the country.
Some fear the push to end pigeon shoots represents a slippery slope. Among them is Jack Walters, the president of the Allegheny County Sportsmen's League, which covers the Pittsburgh area. He calls "legislation" a dangerous thing.
"If they say you can't bring birds in to shoot, that's a foot in the door. As we all know, if government gets their foot in the door, they keep on movin' in," he says. "It's just a scary thing. Shouldn't approve anything that will restrict the sportsmen's rights."
For decades, the Pennsylvania Legislature has failed to act on bills to stop the shoots. But pigeon shoot opponents say support is growing, with more co-sponsors being added every year.
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Transcript
MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Melissa Block.
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
And I'm Audie Cornish. In Pennsylvania, what's tradition to some is cruelty to others. I'm talking about live pigeon shoots. From member station WHYY in Philadelphia, Elizabeth Fiedler reports that animal activists are now hard at work trying to end the practice.
ELIZABETH FIEDLER, BYLINE: Elissa Katz remembers feeling helpless at the site of a pigeon shoot, with feathers flying through the air and wounded birds falling to the ground. She pulls up a Humane Society of the United States video on her computer to make her point.
ELISSA KATZ: They flutter up in the air as they are sprung from boxes. Shooters have shotguns, they are at fairly close range, and they blast away at the birds.
FIEDLER: Like other pigeon-shoot opponents, Katz calls the practice cruel. She's helped rescue wounded birds. As president of the political action committee Humane PA, Katz is pushing Pennsylvania lawmakers to stop the shoots. In the other camp are pigeon-shoot supporters, like hunter Bob Tobash.
He helped to run a Pennsylvania pigeon shoot that was shut down after opponents' protests.
BOB TOBASH: Well, you enjoy it when you do - the same thing as hunting a rabbit or a pheasant. When you capture the game that you're looking for, it's a good feeling, that you accomplished what you were trying to do.
FIEDLER: Not all hunters agree.
FRANK NASSETTA: It was just one of the most dismal things I'd ever done.
FIEDLER: That's Frank Nassetta, who made up his mind against pigeon shoots after attending one.
NASSETTA: I felt absolutely nothing sporting about it. It just seemed to be an obscene little adventure. There was no challenge.
FIEDLER: Heidi Prescott is with the Humane Society of the United States.
HEIDI PRESCOTT: Pennsylvania is unique in that it openly and regularly holds these shoots. They've been outlawed since before the 1900s in states like New York and Colorado.
FIEDLER: Prescott says Pennsylvania needs to catch up with other states.
PRESCOTT: Fourteen states have laws that make it explicitly illegal. Eight states have either an attorney general opinion or a court opinion that pigeon shoots are illegal or violate the cruelty statute.
FIEDLER: Prescott says another 22 states have cruelty codes the Humane Society believes prevent live pigeon shoots. Pennsylvania's pigeon shoot debate is playing out while gun laws are also discussed across the country. Some fear the push to end pigeon shoots represents a slippery slope, like Jack Walters, the president of the Allegheny County Sportsmen's League, which covers the Pittsburgh area. He calls legislation a dangerous thing.
JACK WALTERS: If they say you can't bring birds in to shoot, that's a foot in the door. S, as we all know, if government gets their foot in the door, they keep on moving in. It's just a scary thing. Shouldn't approve anything that will restrict the sportsmen's rights.
FIEDLER: For decades, the Pennsylvania Legislature has failed to act on bills to stop the shoots. But pigeon shoot opponents say support is growing, with more co-sponsors being added every year. For NPR News, I'm Elizabeth Fiedler in Philadelphia. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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