Pigeon-shooting

[3] The sport still exists in pockets around the world, but generally, it is not well publicized and it is only hosted in select locations, such as private gun clubs typically by invitation only.

In the United States live pigeon shoots have been held on large privately owned ranches and plantations in the South.

[citation needed] Animal rights activists have begun deploying drones in an attempt to disrupt live pigeon competitions.

Senator Jim Inhofe held annual live pigeon shoots in Oklahoma as part of a political fundraiser.

In 2015 a drone operated by an animal rights group was shot down while flying over Inhofe's fundraiser that was being held at a remote ranch.

[6] In 2017 due to protests from animal rights groups Inhofe replaced his annual live pigeon shoot with a wild dove hunt.

[9] The following table shows the host cities and winners of the pigeon-shooting world championships:[10] A brief list of some of the active venues in the 1950s:[11][12] Pigeon shooting in Monaco dates back to 1872.

Edward Burd Grubb Jr. a former Union Army General, businessman and New Jersey politician who was appointed as United States Ambassador to Spain by Benjamin Harrison, and was a close associate of Woodrow Wilson was an early president of the club.

Annie Oakley and her then employer, Buffalo Bill attended shoots at the Philadelphia Gun Club around the turn of the century.

In 1928, outdoor writer and conservationist Nash Buckingham, who contributed many articles to Field and Stream, shot his famous A.H. Fox waterfowl gun, "Bo Whoop", that had been custom built in Philadelphia by gunsmith Burt Becker at the club, as a guest of the magazine's publisher.

[36] In the 1930s and 1940s, club members and guests included notables such as writer Ernest Hemingway, who also participated in live pigeon shoots in Europe and Cuba,[37][16] and Canadian jazz musician Charles Biddle.

It was finally called off in 1999 following years of protests by animal rights activists and a legal battle that ultimately went all the way to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

These extra features were in place to handle the higher pressure loads used for live pigeon competitions where the bird had to be dropped inside the ring.

[52] John Goodwin, director of animal cruelty policy with The Humane Society of the United States, has criticized pigeon shooting.