MANHEIM, Pa. -- Dozens of domestic turkeys were staked to bales of straw and used as live targets at an archery contest, according to authorities who charged a sportsmen's club with violating animal cruelty laws.
The birds were secured at their feet but able to flap their wings as participants paid $12 for three attempts to hit one with an arrow. Those who drew blood won the birds, said Christine Wilson, a Lancaster County assistant district attorney.
About 40 turkeys were killed in the contest at the Elstonville Sportsman's Association, Wilson said. They were butchered at the site along with a number of additional turkeys, according to Keith Mohler, a Humane Society officer who investigated the case.
"The butchering part is fine," but intentional cruelty to animals is illegal, said Mohler, who works for the Farm Sanctuary of Pennsylvania, an animal welfare agency.
Mohler, one of dozens of humane officers authorized by county courts to enforce Pennsylvania's laws against animal cruelty, worked undercover as the guest of a club member who called him to report the activity. He took photographs of the action and alerted state police.
The Sept. 9 event involved people "seeking amusement from the senseless torture of animals," Mohler said.
"It was unnecessary, unsportsmanlike and perhaps the most gutless act of cruelty I've seen," he said.
The association's club, located a couple miles off the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Lancaster County, features a shooting range, a fishing pond and a lounge with a bar, according to its Web site. The club's manager declined to discuss the case Friday.
The association faces fines of as much as $4,000 for eight summary violations of laws against the cruel treatment of animals and offering live animals as prizes in a contest, Mohler said.
District Judge John C. Winters issued a summons to the club Monday, Wilson said. The association can either plead guilty and pay a fine or request a hearing before Winters.

that set us back another 20 yrs.

those ppl that did that are pretty pathetic!

while i agree that it is wrong, i cant put my finger on why exactly.

killing a captive turkey and butchering it is legal. and shooting a wild turkey is legal. so why is shooting a captive turkey wrong? how is shooting with a bow any different than killing one the old fasion way on a farm? and why does that not apply to hunting?

dont get me wrong, i dont agree with this, and think it was a really stupid thing, but it makes me think is all

there is a more humane way to kill a domestic turkey. like chopping its head off. why shoot it with arrows when you can kill it instantly? i think that is the problem. unfortunately with wild turkeys you can't catch them and chop their head off.

I think they might of done better shooting at a McKenzie target and giving out frozen turkeys... I would much rather have a 20# Butterball than a dead turkey that I have to clean and pluck

My thoughts exactly, this kind of stuff is exactly what anti-hunting groups latch onto.