Squabbling Over the Pigeon Bill (Part II)

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	Protecting pigeons from cruel shoots has been a hard-fought battle in Pennsylvania.

It's hard to reconcile the compassion seen in Dave Comroe's eyes with the reality that he calls pigeon shooting a sport. "There's no pretense about it," says Comroe, "It isn't hunting. It's a sport." Pigeon shoots, claims the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action, "are a traditional and international shooting sport."

Neither Hunting Nor Sport

But, killing trapped pigeons isn't a sport, according to the International Olympic Committee which banned pigeon shooting after its only appearance in the 1900 Olympics. The reason pigeon shooting isn't recognized as a sport was best explained by the IOC. "It's cruelty," it said, after thinking about the Olympics' only bloody "sport." 

Sensitive to the public outrage, almost every shooter and the organizers of the gun clubs that sponsor the events refuse to talk to the public or the press. But, in private, the shooters claim not only are they sportsmen, but they hold a high moral code. The NRA claims the participants "are law-abiding, ethical shooting enthusiasts, hunters and sportsmen." However, there appears to be a different morality for pigeon shooters than allowed under state and federal laws.

Blood Sport Spirit

Like dog fights and cock fights, participants and spectators make money not from the prizes (which are usually belt buckles, trophies and purses that average $20–$100 per event), but from an extensive underground in gambling. Comroe acknowledges that "a lot of money trades hands" at pigeon shoots. In addition to tax fraud, money is also made by the illegal capture, interstate transportation and sale of pigeons, also a violation of federal laws. 

Pennsylvania is the only state where people openly kill live pigeons in organized contests. Every other state (with the exception of Tennessee, which has no law against it but also no shoots) has either banned the practice by law or by court action, or it is covered under the state anti-cruelty statues.

The actions of pigeon shoot organizers "is clearly animal cruelty, and the Pennsylvania legislature needs to finally address it," says Johnna Seeton. Several bills have failed to gather majority support in either house of the Pennsylvania legislature. 

Contentious Legislative History

Current bills in the state legislature not only ban shooting any captive bird at a trap or block shoot, but the extends to a little-known practice of tying turkeys to hay bales and shooting at them, often with arrows. In the Senate, SB 1150, introduced by Patrick Browne (R-Lehigh Co.), has languished in committee since November 2007. The Senate Judiciary Committee was scheduled to vote on the bill in March but pulled it to deal with an equally-controversial gay marriage amendment. The pigeon shoot bill has not come up for a vote since. 

The history in the House of Representatives to enact legislation has been more contentious. In 1994, the year after State Police arrested 114 persons at the Hegins pigeon shoot, the House of Representatives voted 99–93 to ban all pigeon shoots. Supporters, however, needed a majority of 102 votes for passage. Subsequent bills have been blocked by the Republican leadership, aided by Democrats from the more rural parts of the state. 

In the House, HB 2130, introduced by Rep. Frank Shimkus (D-Lackawanna), is also stalled in the Judiciary Committee. Rep. John Pallone (D-Armstrong), chair of the subcommittee on crime and corrections, said in February he would "convene hearings [on the bill] at the earliest convenience." There have been no hearings. Pallone says he just doesn't think a law is necessary "because we do have animal laws relative to domestic and wild animals." Heidi Prescott disagrees.  

"Although the Pennsylvania Supreme Court rightfully termed these shoots 'cruel and moronic' and allowed humane officers to prosecute participants for animal cruelty, this narrow procedural ruling did not stop live pigeon shoots," says Prescott. The Humane Society, she says, "has tried in court to apply the cruelty law to shoots, but without success so far." 

Pallone says the bill, now with 51 co-sponsors, one-fourth of the House membership, an abnormally large number of co-sponsors for any piece of legislation, "is not a legislative priority." Rep. William DeWeese (D-Waynesburg), majority floor leader, sets the legislative priority. According to insiders in the House, DeWeese, like Pallone, vigorously opposes legislation to ban the state's pigeon shoots. Pallone claims that "it couldn't be any further from the truth" that DeWeese is blocking the bill from coming to the floor and has influenced the subcommittee. DeWeese, who has been in the House 32 years, twice before voted against bills that would ban pigeon shoots.

Political Ploys

Records filed with the Pennsylvania Department of State reveal that DeWeese's campaign committees have accepted significant political contributions from organizations that oppose the ban on pigeon shooting. State records reveal that his committee has received $750 from the Flyers Victory Fund, the political action arm of the Pennsylvania Flyers Association, an organization of about 300 members who are dedicated to promoting live pigeon shoots. His campaign committees the past four years, according to Department of State records, have also received $6,500 in contributions from the NRA Political Victory Fund. 

When Sen. Roy Afflerbach first introduced an amendment in 1998 to ban pigeon shooting, only about five senators supported it but, says Afllerbach, "the Senate has come a long way since then." A poll of Senate committee members conducted in February and March 2008 revealed a majority of committee members, including both the committee chair and minority chair, support the bill. An informal and confidential poll of House committee members in March revealed that 14 of the 29-member House committee would probably vote for the bill; nine were undecided and only six were firmly opposed. 

Part 3: Time To Stop Participating in the Cruelty

Related Links

Pennsylvania's Pigeon Shoots

Squabbling over The Pigeon Bill (Part I)

Squabbling Over the Pigeon Bill (Part III)

Prescott letter to NY DEC on pigeon netting

Pigeon shoot reward flyer

Unmasking Live Pigeon Shoots

Throwing Live Pigeon Shoots to the History Books

Bill Could End Pigeon Shoots in Pennsylvania

Cruel Pigeon Shoot Stopped in 11th Hour