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BLAIR, Okla. – A controversial event that has served as a fundraiser for a U.S. senator is coming to an end.

In the past, U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe held annual pigeon shoots as a fundraiser.

Video of the fundraiser showed volunteers throwing pigeons from a cage into the air so that the animals could be shot by people attending the event.

Although it was not against the law, the act upset many animal advocates who thought it was in poor taste.

“There’s hunting with a hunting code, hunting ethics, where you hunt an animal, use the animal, you eat the animal. Those hunters have respect for the animal in their own way,” Steve Hindi, with SHARK, told NewsChannel 4.

During last year’s event, hundreds of pigeons were shot during the event and many were left to die.

“It’s not part of hunting, they’re not going to be eaten and it`s neglect to have these live wounded pigeons suffering without food, water, medical attention or shelter,” Hindi said.

Now, officials with SHARK say that Sen. Jim Inhofe will no longer hold live pigeon shoots as part of his annual fundraiser.

Instead, documents obtained from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation show that the fundraiser will now consist of a wild dove hunt.