Heheheheheheheheheheheheh . . . Pretty Frickin' stoopid. Fly yer little toy to a shooting range and then piss and moan because it got shot at . . .
Just guessing on what those "Pigeon hunters" were using for guns and loads, probably 12 ga, maybe even 20 ga, with probably #6 or even #8 steel shot, like I said, a 10 ga goose gun with 3" mag single 0 buck would be almost like a varmit gun to those little helicopters. Even a 12 ga with the same load would probably make little pieces out of one . .
I'm just guessing (again) but I'd bet that the lenses on their cameras aren't quite up to those being used on the predators (because most State Governments can't afford them) so they have to get in a little closer than one might think . . Plus when they hover . . Well, geese (or pigeons) don't hover, so you know how that would go down . .
Gotta add . . I have a buddy whose wife is into RC airplanes and we go out often and watch er do her thing . . On a 30' flyby, I have no doubt that I could hit the Plane with a handgun (I'm kinda shiny with one) so a rifle shot wouldn't be a very big deal on a higher flying copter . .
jus' sayin' . . .