New-York tribune., 1902-01-08
TO STOP SLAUGHTER.
BILL TO PROHIBIT THE SPORT" OF
PIGEON SHOOTING TOURNAMENTS.

| PIGEON SHOOTING TOURNAMENTS.
| Albany, Jan. 7-Senator Slater this morning
| introduced bill which WILL if 1t becomes a law,
| put end to the big national trap shooting
| tournaments that have been held in New-York
| State for many years result in having the
| tournaments held outside this State. At one
| tournament held last year over twenty thousand
| pigeons were slaughtered. and at the time hu-
name societies and ornithoogical associations
adopted resolutions and urged legislative action
| to prevent this cruelty.
Descriptions Of the tournament were pub
lished, and 1t was shown Now wounded pigeons
were left the field to die. The bill introduced
by Senator Slater provides that it shall be a
! misdemeanor for any one to shoot live pigeon,
and any organization holding tournament at
which live pigeons are used for targets may be
proceeded against and its officers prosecuted in
criminal courts.
a similar bill was introduced last year along
toward the close OF the session. 1t passed the
Senate. but failed by six votes in the Assembly.
Senator Slater said that he would make the
greatest effort to have the bill become a law
this year. for he understood that unless a law
was made prohibiting such shoots. that another
tournament would he held and twenty thousand
more pigeons killed.
The bill introduced at Albany yesterday,
which. if passed, will prevent live bird slaugh-
tering tournaments in this State, not sur
prise to those who follow this alleged sport
Those who are interested in trap shooting tour
naments have been working quietly for several
weeks among their friends at Albany, and they
have hopes Of defeating the bill this year, as
they did last
This indiscrmnate slaughter OF domestic
pigeons created so much disgust and opposition
last fall that several contemplated tournaments
on Long Island were declared off. while others
were transferred to New-Jersey grounds The
promoters of Interstate Park Long Island
where most of the big tournaments have been
held, and where the Grand American Handicap
takes place each year. continue to say that they
see no brutality in such tournaments. and that
the birds have a reasonable chance for their
lives when liberated from the traps Many
spectators at these tournaments, however. have
often left the grounds thoroughly disgusted with
what they have seen. The pigeon. partially
paralyzed with fright, is tossed into the air at
the mercy of the man with the double barreled
shotgun. Most OF the experts empty both
barrels into the bird as It leaves the
trap, and the poor feathered creature has not
one chance in fifty of getting away in safety.
With three drachms OF smokeless powder in each
cartridge and an ounce and eighth of chilled
shot on top Of the powder in each barrel. the
leaden hall would stop a buffalo II the animal
was close enough
The result Is that straight Kills are frequently
made Of from forty TO fifty birds and occasion
ally an even better record is made. In the field
these trap shooters would do well to average
one bird in two, and in the woods kill in
three attempts. This is one Of the reasons why
the real sportsmen who hunt for wild game sell
dom wish to be confused with a trap shooter
Many hunters who go into the field and woods
after quail and partridge each fall winter
try TO get little practice before starting on
their shooting trips. Their practice, however. is
generally done bluerocks and not live
birds Practice clay pigeons sent skmmng
from unknown angles furnishes better training
TO the eye and finger than live birds would do.
anyway.
1t is said that other cruel practices are used
al the big live bird tournaments. The pigeons
not allowed to fatten. that would retard
their flight when they released from the
traps, and consequently they fed sparingly
for days before the tournament. Even at that,
some of the pigeons are so frightened that they
viii not fly when the trap Is sprung and attend
ants compelled to kick them out. Occasion
ally bird Will get away. but even when he does
he seldom, If ever, wholly escapes the shower
OF shot. and his escape is only lingering death
in a nearby tree later
If the slaughter is allowed to continue some
people Of the opinion that the domestic
pigeon viii in time become almost extinct
has been the with the wild pigeon and the
buffalo. Twenty years ago wild pigeons
plentiful in this country wild duck to-
day. and hunters seldom. If ever
This fine game bird was known to migrate at
certain seasons Of the year, and when resting
night would so fill tree that big branches
would be broken off with the weight Of the
birds. The hunters would creep up to the roOsts
before daylight, and proceed TO pour shot into
the trees until the birds killed by the
wagon load 1t slaughter even nastier than
the killing Of the domestic birds under more
modern trap shooting methods