Shoot opponent wants to know where governor stands

August 2, 1990

Pottsville (PA.) Republican

By Karen Hube

An Illinois man who has staked $10,000 and the future of the Fred Coleman Memorial Pigeon Shoot on a physical confrontation with a shoot planner is now asking Gov. Robert P. Casey to take a stance on the annual event.

Steven Hindi of Plano said that he was incredulous when he found that Casey has not publicly stated his position on the controversial shoot, and in a letter dated Wednesday, asked him to make his position clear.

Hindi was one of 500 animal rights activists at last year’s shoot protesting the event, calling the killing of the pigeons a “massacre.”

Further fueling his fire, Hindi said he called Casey’s office on Monday and was given “totally false misinformation” about the shoot.

When he asked a spokesman what the justification for the shoot is, he was told the Hegins area has a “pigeon overpopulation problem.”

Farmers in that area can attest to their infestation problems, which are obvious and gross in some barns and other structures, but Hindi completely discounts that as a justification for the shoot.

In his letter, he points out to the governor that many farmers raise their own pigeons for use as targets and most of the birds used in the shoot are imported to Schuylkill County form other areas.

The number of pigeons that survive what he calls “blood-letting” – estimated between 10 and 40 percent by different sources – go free into the environment and contribute to the overpopulation problem.

That means in last year’s shoot, which used about 7,000 birds, at least 700 escaped.

Hindi said he was enraged to find the governor’s office doling out misinformation.

Last year, at least 6,000 birds were killed by about 200 shooters.

The contestants paid $90 each to stand about 30 yards from pigeon traps and shoot when the birds are released.
This year’s shoot, which Hindi is trying desperately to prevent, will mark the 56th year the event has been used as a fund-raiser for the Hegins Park Association.

Hindi posed his challenge to Robert Tobash, a shoot organizer, in early July, which, if he wins, would put an end to the shoot forever. If Tobash wins, Hindis $10,000 would go to the Hegins Park Association and the shoot would continue.

Last week, Hindi put half of the money into a Schuylkill County bank account to prove he is serious in his challenge, and notified Tobash of his move in a letter. Hindi said Thursday that the letter was returned to him, unopened, with “Don’t want” written on it.