Friday, March 15, 1991

Protest will target local pigeon shoot

By Elaine Hopkins
Journal Star

CANTON-A Chicago-area animal rights activist is taking aim at a local pigeon shoot next month, calling the annual event a "slaughter."

Steve Hindi, 36, of Plano said he hopes many demonstrators turn out to protest the shooting contest, which is scheduled April 18-21 at Donald Holford's Gun Club off Illinois Route 78 two miles north of Canton.

Holford has had the four-day, private pigeon shoot on his farm for a dozen years without incident. "I'm 100 percent legal and everything is perfect," he said, declining to talk further about the upcoming event because, "I don't need any publicity."

Asked if he is concerned about a large demonstration, Holford said he is not worried: "This is private property. There's nothing they can do."

But Hindi has experience organizing such protests. Working with about 40 animal rights groups, he arranged a protest against a pigeon shoot in Hegins, Pa., last Labor Day weekend. About 300 people appeared at that demonstration, drawing national attention, and Hindi and 26 others were arrested when fights broke out.

Hindi said he believes shooting live pigeons released from boxes is "insane" and "unsportsmanlike."

"Slaughtering an animal for food is different from this," Hindi said. "People are doing it because they like to kill. You have nothing but life which is turned into death apparently for the blood lust and ego of some insecure little macho maniacs."

A Spring Bay gunsmith who has worked at pigeon shoots said the birds are doomed regardless of how they are killed. Paul Homer said the pigeons used at Holford's event were all trapped in cities because they were disease-carrying pests. "They're going to be exterminated anyway," he said.

The pigeons are released from the spring-loaded boxes and can fly away, Homer said. "It's not something for everybody's taste, but these pigeons are going to be dead one way or another."

Homer questioned the motives of the animal rights activists, and he asked if they have thought about the 9,000 pigeons in the shoot that, if released, would damage the environment and carry disease.

"If we stop pigeon shooting right now, how would they provide for the quality of life for these pigeons?"

Homer said the event attracts more than 100 shooters and is the largest competition of its kind in Illinois. Participants spend about $500 daily in entry fees, he said, and additional money for airfare and lodging. Many are affluent.

Hindi said he wants the public to know what's going on. "We're going to bring massive public notice to this event," he said. "It's going to be one of the biggest animal rights stories of the year."

The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, based in Rockville, Md., has listed the pigeon shoot on its 24 action phone line, said Jenny Woods, a grass-roots campaign manager. PETA has a national membership of 350,000 including 17,600 in Illinois, she said.

The Fund for Animals, a national group of 200,000 members, will be including information about the shoot in its mailings, said Heidi Prescott, national outreach director. "There's starting to be some coalition types of efforts to end these, especially the more barbaric forms of sport killing," she said.

Sgt. Walley Litwiller of the Illinois Department of Conservation police said Holford has received a free permit needed for the event. Shooting any domestic pigeon or fowl for sporting purposes is unlawful without such a permit, he said.