[K80Geoff]

I see little difference between live pigeon shooting and "Game Preserves" where birds are pen raised and then released a couple of hours before rich folks go out and "Hunt" them. Or fenced preserves where animals are raised to be hunted.

I have poisoned and trapped pigeons in my business, they are vermin and a health hazard. Shooting them in a sporting event at least gives them a chance to escape.

The plucking of feathers is done by the "Columbare" thrower to make the birds fly erratically and the shooter will have a difficult time hitting them. It actually gives the bird a greater chance of living.

Thye birds are verry difficult to hit, they are not released in such a way that they are dead meat. The game is made purposely difficult.

There is an artificial target game designed to mimic live pigeon shooting. In the US it is often called ZZ bird or something similar. In Europe it is referred to as "Electrocibles" (???). If you think you are a good shotgunner go find one of these setups and prepare to be humiliated. It will give you the flavor of live pigeon shooting but it is still not as difficult as live birds.