For some reason a lot of people seem to think that blowguns are good for hunting birds. I've seen this four or five times over the last 15 years or so. Not always pigeons -- sometimes it's ducks or crows, but still: bird with blowdart sticking out of it.

It's sick, but people are stupid. I think some of them just need to make the mistake to know that it is a mistake.

This picture is no different from the last (better zoom? higher res?)

why u make sad me?

yes it is terrible. UNLESS the blowdarts are from a homeless man hunting those pigeons for food.
then, well, it's actually quite cool.

If one really wants to eat squab, there are hunting darts available - wider triangular tips with razor edges that might actually kill a pigeon. (Never done it - I'm just saying.)

I keep telling you people, put rat poison in a bunch of bird seed and then feed it to the pigeons. Blow darts are just not all that effective.

Animal control doesn't generally handle wildlife. Just pets.

It isn't "amazing" that the dumb bird is still alive. This isn't "wrong and effed up" to the point of receiving more attention. Seattle Animal Control does not give a shit about another surplus pigeon with a dart through its surplus head.

This guy is an idiot. Yeah, wait for them. Wait a full hour. Wait so they can show up and look at the stupid bird with you. Maybe if you both stare at the bird long enough, you'll be able to channel the mind of the psychopath responsible for this, and go catch him, because he's really close, obviously, because birds don't trav...never mind.

That pigeon is obviously a comedian, in the old-school Steve Martin style.

PETA has actually offered monetary compensation to anyone who has info re: the culprit(s).

More proof that humans are some seriously SICK F*#ks.

If the dart shooter wants a more sporting target he should hang out along the Fremont-Ballard section of the Burke Gilman Trail and shoot the rats that regularly cruise along it as their little freeway to Fremont. My theory is that they returning from dining forrays in Ballard to their Fremont home: Suzie Burke's vagina.

Everybody knows the best way to catch pigeons for food is using a net.

And Suzie has feelings too, by the way. How many parks have you built?

This is f'd up.

Now, if a Peregrine Falcon were to swoop down and tear that Pigeon into tasty morsels, that'd be way cool.

This is still happening? Ugh. Whoever is doing this needs to get a life. I say that because I'm guessing that any person who would torture pigeons for fun probably doesn't have much in the way of friends and/or productive activities in their life.

One of the scientists here brought her young son in to work - one of his more interesting questions was "are there any falcons or eagles that live here?" - which is a good question if you have a tall building.

@5 - If I caught you doing that, you'd need a professional food tester for every meal you would sit down to for the rest of your fucking life.

@14 Wow, you must work in a tall building. Cool.

I have some experience hunting birds with blowguns in my pre-teen years. As others mentioned, there are shorter, thicker hunting darts that more easily deliver a fatal blow. However, even the target darts can still work well against pigeons/doves. The best place to hit them is through the breast though. Usually they will take off, beat their wings a few times, and then drop dead to the ground. Sometimes there will be a disturbing gurgling noise and the bird will kind of seize up as it dies.

Hey, there were a dozen pigeons on that sidewalk, and they had me cornered! I think I heard one talk about pooping on my head. I just wanted to puff through my blowgun to, you know, scare them away! I didn't know the (blow) gun was loaded!