Legislators Seek Ban On Live Pigeon Shoots As Protest Shapes Up

April 6, 1991

The State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL)

Kevin McDermott
Staff Writer

Legislation was proposed Thursday to ban live pigeon shoots in Illinois, even as law enforcement officials brace for a Peoria-area protest against the sport this month.

Two northern Illinois state representatives are co-sponsoring the legislation to outlaw the sport, which involves catapulting live pigeons from boxes and into waiting lines of shotgun fire. Under current state law, private citizens can conduct pigeon shoots by obtaining a free license from the Illinois Department of Conservation.

"Whether you like a pigeon or not, it's a slow-moving bird, and kind of defenseless," said state Rep. John Matijevich, D-Waukegan. "I don't think, as a matter of state policy, that we ought to be condoning that as a sport. What ever happened to the old clay pigeon?" Matijevich and state Rep. E.J. Giorgi, D-Rockford, began putting the proposal together more than a month ago, at the request of animal-rights activists in the Chicago and Rockford areas.

Matijevich said it was started before the current controversy over an upcoming shoot near Peoria.

That event will be conducted for the 13th year on the property of Donald Holford, north of Canton, April 18-21. About 10,000 birds will be targeted, with about 100 invited shooters paying a $150 daily entry fee for a chance to win a cash prize.

"This is fantastic -- this is like Christmas," said Steve Hindi of Plano, one of Illinois' most outspoken critics of the sport, in reaction to news of the proposed legislation.

But Carol Knowles, spokeswoman for Conservation, said the language of the current proposal would seem to outlaw all bird hunting, which Matijevich has said wasn't the intent.

"As it stands now, it goes too far, in our view," Knowles said.

Matijevich said the intent of his proposal is to outlaw only caged pigeon shoots, and future revisions could narrow it to that focus. Knowles said Conservation hasn't formed an opinion yet on any law that would specifically outlaw pigeon shoots.

Even if the bill gets enough legislative support to pass, the process couldn't be completed quickly enough to affect the Holford shoot.

Hindi said a "peaceful, non-violent" protest will take place there.

Proponents say pigeon shoots are not very different from skeet shooting, and that they also help control the populations of the pigeons, which often are considered pests. Critics claim the sport is cruel to both birds and to the young "trapper boys" who are sent in to finish off the wounded pigeons.

Hindi, a private businessman and activist, was arrested in Hegins, Pa., last year along with more than 20 other protesters who clashed with participants at the nation's largest annual pigeon shoot. Recently he has hinted that Illinois could face the same kind of publicized confrontation.

As a result, the Fulton County sheriff's office has asked the Department of Conservation to help with security, if necessary, at the Holford event. Conservation officials said this week their law enforcement division will be ready for "backup" duty at the shoot.

Matijevich called on activists to show restraint at the shoot, saying violence wouldn't help the chances of getting the anti-pigeon-shoot bill approved.

The present state statute says it's unlawful to shoot pigeons for sport, "unless such person has a permit from the Department of Conservation to do so." The proposed legislation would strike that exception, making it illegal in any circumstance "to shoot any domestic pigeon . . . as a test of skill in marksmanship."

Among supporters of pigeon shoots is the National Rifle Association, which views them as a legitimate firearm sport.