Posted: Feb 14, 2012 11:28 AM EST Updated: Feb 14, 2012 12:25 PM EST
ORANGEBURG, SC (WIS) - An animal rights group says it tried to launch a remote-controlled aircraft to take videos of a pigeon shoot in South Carolina, but the aircraft apparently was shot down.

Steve Hindi with Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) says his group wanted to videotape a pigeon shoot at the Broxton Bridge Plantation near Ehrhardt.

On Sunday, when SHARK began to prepare to launch the aircraft, both the police and a lawyer who said he represented the plantation showed up and tried to stop the group from flying its aircraft, Hindi said.

What they were doing was deemed to be legal, according to Hindi, and they continued on with their planned videotaping.

"Once they knew nothing was going to stop us, the shooting stopped and the cars lined up to leave," said Hindi. "These people had no problem wounding and killing birds for pleasure, but as soon as the spotlight turned to them, they ran away. We decided to send the copter up anyway. Seconds after it hit the air numerous shots rang out. As an act of revenge for us shutting down the pigeon slaughter, they had shot down our copter."

A report filed by the group with the Colleton County Sheriff's Department says the aircraft was hovering near U.S. 601 when it was shot at and crashed near the road. The deputy that took the report says he was unable to speak with anyone at the plantation following the crash.

The Department of Natural Resources says live bird shoots are legal in South Carolina, but SHARK asked the governor to step in.
Nobody from Broxton Bridge has commented on the incident.

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Anybody here about this?

Dimitri

Yeah read about it on another forum. I would have loved to see the look on there faces when they shot down there helicopter

Good for them shooting the r/c copter down. As far as I know there is no daily bag limit and open season year round on r/c copters.

Nothing like #7 shot of dove & quail loads for anti-aircraft service.

I'd would say the protesters picked the wrong "air space" to fly the
copter. I'm sure whoever pulled the trigger on that one is enjoying a good
belly laugh now. Who knows it was probably more fun then shooting the
pigeons. Thats what happens when you fly into restricted Airspace.
You get shot down.

"The deputy that took the report says he was unable to speak with anyone at the plantation following the crash."

Cuz he was too busy laughing!

I posted about this on another forum-but aside from the stupidity of these animal rights dummies is ;tresspass,invasion of privacy,unauthorized surveillance,possibly endangering of shooters at that private "club",maybe even violation of some aircraft ceiling laws.And when the shots rang out-the drone was definately not over the highway!Too bad it was'nt a stinger missle used to shoot it down..........Maybe a little overkill.

Hey! Wait a minute. Don't we have someone with a Bophers??

maybe it flew into a wayward pidgeon!!!!

I can't imagine for one minute that the dove shooters would have that much disrespect for the SHARK members that they would deliberately damage or destroy one of their toys that they were having fun flying around....nah...they wouldn't do that...would they?

The look on the operators face would have been priceless.

Cost of travel to and from the hunt site for protestors:..........$500
Cost to buy the R/C helicopter:...........................................$400
Cost of video camera attached to helicopter:........................$300

The look on the operators face when a series of "stray" shots blows his surveillance rigged R/C helicopter out of the air:......PRICELESS


Cheers, Vince

Did this shooter know , R/C 'copter , that you can't eat that thing no matter how good the gravy is. /S ,sarcasm tag, had a good laugh when i first read this.

Ever see one of those R/C copters flittin' about? They do look an awful lot like a pigeon and if'n it looks like a pigeon and flies like a pigeon......
Don