Tomorrow, Winge Pointe Hunting Resort, Shoemakersville, PA (Rt. 662) will be holding a Tower Shoot. A tower shoot differs greatly from a regular pigeon shoot. While pigeons are sprung into the air via a small catapulting box during a regular shoot, a tower shoot involves having the “tower” (shown below) placed in the center of a grassy area surrounded by a number of shooters. According to Winge Pointe’s website, they can have up to “40 shooters” encompassing the tower in a circle. According to the Animal Liberation Front, approximately “13 small stations where pigeon shooters wait, a man releases a crate of pigeons at a time, so that a dozen or so birds are thrown into the air-and then mercilessly fired upon from all sides.”
Pigeons being thrown out of the tower by a man hiding within. One of the shooting stations is seen to the right. (picture courtesy of the Animal Liberation Front)
The pigeons can’t escape the barrage of gunfire. Pigeons that are wounded and find themselves on the ground are kicked around savagely (as seen in photo), then shot and killed. Some are fortunate enough to be killed even at point-blank range and die a slow, agonizing death.
(photo courtesy of the Animal Liberation Front)
SHARK (Showing Animals Respect and Kindness) will be there, as usual to document this horrendous shoot. To see footage of an actual tower shoot filmed by SHARK, click here to view.
I’ve spoken with actual hunters and they want people to understand that pigeon and tower shoots should not be misconstrued with real hunting and also find these atrocious shoots appalling. What does that tell you? How many pigeons will lose their lives tomorrow or the during the ensuing days?
