Media Coverage
Click here for Michigan Editorial Excerpts (Word Document)
Michigan newspapers editorialize for the heritage and continued protection of the mourning dove as Michigan's official bird of peace and a traditional backyard songbird.
Click here to see Proposal 3 votes by county.
Click here to see Proposal 3 vote percentages by county.
THE VOCAL POINT: Ballot Defeats (November 17, 2006)
Michigan's Proposal 3, an ill-conceived initiative that would have set a hunting season for mourning doves. The measure was DOA long before Election Day, and ended up losing by a lopsided 69 to 31 percent.
Paul Harvey, The Rest of the Story - Michigan Mourning Doves (November 13, 2006)
Excerpt: “The recent mid-term elections were indeed historic. The most neglected segment in our society won BIG. If they could communicate, in our language, they surely would. Michigan's doves would thank you, thank you for not killing them for fun. All 83 Michigan counties voted for the doves.”
Click here to listen (the segment runs from 7:01-8:44).
Why Not More Proposals at the Polls? (November 12, 2006)
OK, voters. Time for a quiz on last week’s election. Of the following, which got the most votes in Tuesday’s polling?
The Oakland Press Editorial – Negative Political Ads Swayed Voters - And That's Too Bad (November 9, 2006)
Excerpt : Fortunately, despite some ridiculous claims by pro-dove hunters, Proposal 3 to establish a dove hunting season was soundly defeated. The advertisements seemed to say that if dove hunting were turned down, Americans would somehow lose all of the rights to bear arms and hunt other game. Probably, because the advertisements were so outrageous, most voters just shook their heads and ignored them.
Mich. Protects Birds, Measure to Hunt Mourning Doves Decidedly Rejected (November 8, 2006)
A referendum that would allow hunting of mourning doves was overwhelmingly defeated Tuesday. The state’s ban on hunting mourning doves had stood until 2004.
On Target for Nature, Doves (November 8, 2006)
The resounding rejection of a hunting season for mourning doves builds on a century of Michigan history.
Proposal 3: Dove Hunting Does Not Fly (November 8, 2006)
Michigan voters spared the state's doves. Proposal 3, the ballot measure to allow mourning dove hunting, went down by a margin of nearly 2-1.
Environment News Service – Environment Wins in Democratic Landslide (November 8, 2006) Excerpt: Michigan turned down the shooting of mourning doves, authorized by a bill narrowly passed by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Jennifer Granholm last year. The new law permitted the shooting of mourning doves in Michigan for the first time since 1905.
The Committee to Keep Doves Protected successfully campaigned to overturn the bill and to restore Michigan's 100 year tradition of protecting the mourning dove, Michigan's official bird of peace.
Emotion Wins, 2-1 (November 8, 2006)
A very effective campaign against Proposal 3 was engineered by the Humane Society of the United States, a Washington-based animal rights group. But proponents couldn't even convince many Michigan deer, duck, pheasant, turkey and bear hunters that mourning doves should be game birds.
Dowagiac Daily News Editorial–Vote NO on Proposal 3 (November 6, 2006)
There is no need to manage the mourning dove population in Michigan. There is no over population of these birds. They do not destroy or damage crops or the habitat of any other creature. That leaves only one reason that hunters would want to gun down these lovely songbirds -and that's for the thrill of the kill. What's next? Robins and cardinals?
Michigan Daily Editorial – No Reason to Hunt Doves; No on 3 (November 6, 2006)
But perhaps the best reason to vote against Proposal 3 is simply that unlike other game, doves are little more than target practice, with even hunters admitting that each dove, weighing three to four ounces, yields little meat. There's no good reason to add doves to already lengthy list of game birds; vote NO on Proposal 3.
State News Editorial – Proposal 3: No (November 6, 2006)
Mourning doves are not overpopulated or dangerous and cannot possibly be a viable food source for human consumption. There seems to be no valid reason for legalizing the hunting of the birds.
Dove Debate: Delightful or Delicious? (November 6, 2006)
To Roger Tharp, secretary of the Muskegon County Nature Club, mourning doves are songbirds that are better for watching than for hunting.
Cheboygen Daily Tribune – Never Fear: Thankfully It's Almost Over With (November 6, 2006)
Excerpt from a November 6 column: Proposal 06-3 is “a referendum on Public Act 160 of 2004 - an act to allow the establishment of a hunting season for mourning doves.” This one wants us to be able to shoot at mourning doves during designated hunting seasons. Mourning doves? You mean those nice little birds that wake us up in the morning and don't offer enough meat for a snack? What's the point? Target practice?
Flock to the Polls (November 5, 2006)
It's an odd paradox being presented to the voters in Michigan, whether or not to allow hunters to kill the state's bird of peace. On Nov. 7, voters will determine the fate of dove hunting in Michigan by voting on Proposal 3. A "yes" vote would establish a dove hunting season while a "no" vote would continue the ban. <>In 1998, the State House of Representatives officially designated the dove as the state's bird of peace.
The Oakland Press Editorial: Don’t Believe Proposal 3 ad (November 4, 2006)
But the ad urging a "yes" vote makes some outrageous claims. It talks about how a ban would infringe "upon our rights," how a "group of extremists is trying to change our way of life and restrict our freedoms" and how the proposal is the first step toward a total hunting ban. The ad even says the ban would lead to not allowing research on animals to find cures for a number of deadly diseases. All of these claims are false. The real extremists are the people who wrote this ad and a few newspapers that have used this wrong information in their editorials.
Voters Split on School Funding, Firm on Doves (November 4, 2006)
Excerpt from November 4, 2006 news bulletin: Michigan voters said they would defeat, by more than a 2-1 margin, Proposal 3 to allow the state to establish a hunting season for mourning doves. More than three of four women oppose dove hunting, compared to slightly more than half of men. Among those 55 and older, 78% are opposed to Proposal 3.
A 'No' Vote on Proposal 3 Will Save Mourning Doves (November 4, 2006)
Michigan hunters had survived nearly 100 years without the ability to hunt doves.
We see no reason why they cannot continue to survive without a dove hunting season.
Manistee News Advocate Editorial - State Proposals, Our View (Published November 3, 2006)
NO, the News Advocate editorial team does not endorse this referendum. Because mourning doves would be shot mainly for "target practice" and not for food, and because these songbirds are not considered to be harmful to humans, property or crops, there seems to be no legitimate argument to hunt these birds.
Detroit's Channel 7 - Endorsement (November 2, 2006)
Michigan isn't overpopulated with doves and the bird isn't hunted for food. Protect our peaceful songbird. Vote no, on proposal 3.
Michigan State Grange - State's Oldest Agricultural Org - Urges NO on 3 (November 2, 2006)
Mourning doves are often referred to as the farmer's friend. These helpful, ground-feeding birds eat pest weed seeds and insects, acting as a natural herbicide. They pose no threat to agricultural crops, homes or anything of value to people.
Vote No to Stop Cruelty Against Songbird that Defies State Tradition
(Published November 2, 2006)
For 100 years, the mourning dove has been protected in Michigan. Now, out-of-state extremists want to take away this tradition and create a dove shooting season with Proposal 3. The Michigan Humane Society strongly urges voters to keep Michigan's tradition of protecting doves by voting no on Proposal 3.
Lincoln Park News-Herald Editorial - Endorsements (Published November 1, 2006)
We endorse a "no" vote on the proposal. mourning doves have been protected in Michigan for a century and a hunting season for them serves no wildlife management purpose. These doves are not a viable food source. There is no logical reason for hunting them.
Blissfield Advance Editorial - On Proposals...(Published November 1, 2006)
No on 3. We have nothing against hunting in Michigan. Mourning doves are not sporting targets. They are sitting ducks, so to speak. This is just a disgusting proposal.
City Pulse - Editorial (November 1, 2006)
Simply put, throwing a mourning dove into the “game bird” designation defies common sense. We’re talking about creating a hunting season for a bird you can cup in your hands. Why? Because it’s there?
Michigan Ballot Proposals (October 30, 2006)
No on Proposal 3. Proposal 3 would change mourning doves from songbirds into game birds. Except that they are songbirds -- something Michigan residents have known for 100 years. To use live birds for target practice, which is essentially what would happen if mourning doves could be hunted, is troubling...
Kalamazoo Gazette - Editorial (October 27, 2006)
Proposal 3. No. Mourning doves are not overpopulating Michigan. They are not disease carriers. They don't damage agriculture, landscaping or wild areas...While we don't feel any special affinity for these birds, we just don't buy the argument that it has become necessary to hunt them. Michigan has an abundance of game birds -- from pheasants, woodcocks and turkeys, to ducks, geese and coots. We see no compelling reason to add doves to the hunt.
Proposal 3 Polling by EPIC/MRA (October 27, 2006)
Excerpt: "The poll showed just 25 percent support for Proposal 3, which would allow mourning dove hunting in Michigan. Meanwhile the poll showed 65 percent of those surveyed saying they'd vote against the proposal. ‘This proposal is going to be defeated,’ Sarpolus said."
Inkster Ledger Editorial - Our Vote on Proposals (October 26, 2006)
We have better things to worry about than blasting little creatures our of existence. This is one of those things that we find ourselves shaking our collective heads at.
Poll Surveys Voters on Ballot Proposals (October 26, 2006)
A poll released Thursday surveyed 600 likely voters on how they would vote on Michigan ballot proposals if the election were today. On Proposal 3, a referendum on a law that would allow dove hunting in Michigan, 25 percent supported it, 66 percent opposed it and 9 percent were undecided
HUGH McDIARMID: Should Michigan Allow Dove Hunting? NO (October 26, 2006)
What continued nonsense! As widely predicted, the gun nuts and their pals are going bonkers these days over the prospect that, once again, Michigan may turn its back on slaughtering mourning doves for fun and entertainment ... or, if you're gullible enough to believe the handful who insist it's true, also for food.
Compromise to Mourning Dove Issue (October 26, 2006)
Dove lovers are, naturally, outraged. They argue that doves are the international symbol of peace, and that many hunters simply want to use them as target practice rather than for food. Hunters, just as naturally, are outraged about the outrage, saying they do so want to eat the doves, and besides mourning doves are wily, difficult to shoot adversaries. That’s where they start to lose me. Wily? Difficult to kill? I’ve had mourning doves sit on my driveway behind my car. I have to get out and shoo them away so I don’t squish them.
Bird of Peace? War of Words (October 26, 2006)
Big-time wrestling has nothing on Michigan's dove-hunting debate.
Hunting Debate Heats Up (October 26, 2006)
Voters across Michigan will have their say on the issue on Nov. 7, when they will vote on state Proposal 3 — a referendum on a 2004 law that temporarily ended Michigan's nearly 100-year ban on hunting the small, gray birds best known for their mournful coo.
Ballot Inititive Would Allow Dove Hunting (October 26, 2006)
A game bird or a song bird? It will be up to Michigan voters to decide on Nov. 7.
Proposal 3: Bird Watcher verses Bird Hunter (October 25, 2006)
Proposal 3 has pitted bird watcher against bird hunter. Both appreciate mourning doves, but each has a different opinion about the question.
Poll Shows Proposal 3 A No Go (October 24, 2006)
An internal poll released today by Lake Research Partners shows that 54 percent of the likely voters polled will vote no on Proposal 3, which would create a dove hunting season.
Let's Leave Bird of Peace Alone (October 24, 2006)
We don't need a new law to kill a bird. If you want to hunt doves, take a trip to Wisconsin, Tennessee or South Dakota or any of the 39 states that allow it. <> And anybody who thinks that outlawing dove hunts is the first step to outlawing all hunting or gun ownership isn't thinking straight, either. There is space between with us and agin' us, but let's leave the doves alone.
Students Discuss Ballot Proposals (October 24, 2006)
Another proposal causing an emotional stir is Proposal 3. If passed, the proposal would establish a hunting season for mourning doves. Chesterfield senior Danielle Fracassa said she plans to vote no on Proposal 3.
Flint Journal - Editorial (October 23, 2006)
Maintain bird's protection in Michigan by Voting No. By getting lawmakers in 2004 to lift the century-long protection for the gentle bird, they've also set up a showdown with many in the state's population that fully backs our hunting heritage, but opposes shooting doves. Count us in that group, as we've long considered the mourning dove a songbird, a stand that admittedly is partly based on emotion. But we make no apologies for our feelings, and urge voters Nov. 7 not to add this creature to a long list of game birds already available.
Proposal 3 Would Make Doves Fair Game (October 23, 2006)
One choice on the Nov. 7 ballot is a matter of life and death. That is, if you're a mourning dove.
Hunting Doves up to Voters (October 23, 2006)
Both sides on Proposal 3 - which would legalize the shooting of mourning doves in - are loading up arguments as the Nov. 7 vote gets closer. A "yes" vote on the proposal would approve reclassifying the mourning dove as a game bird, a "no" vote would return the mourning dove to the status of a song bird, and prohibit hunting them.
'Dave' takes aim (October 22, 2006)
Cartoon spokes-dove an advertising coo?
Ballot Initiative to Decide Fate of Dove Hunting (October 22, 2006)
Voters will decide which image they prefer in a Nov. 7 referendum on whether to restore a statewide ban on dove hunting, which stood for nearly a century until the Legislature lifted it in 2004.
Referenda give voters something to read in booth (October 22, 2006)
Meat eaters may well favor Proposal 3, which would lift Michigan's 101-year-old ban on hunting mourning doves. On the other hand, the idea of basting songbirds isn't everyone's idea of gastronomy.
Cal Morgan: There's no good reason to shoot doves (October 22, 2006)
The Michigan Humane Society strongly urges voters in our state to keep Michigan's tradition of protecting doves by voting "no" on Proposal 3. The Michigan Humane Society is the state's oldest and largest animal welfare organization. Best known for our work of rescuing companion animals and running animal shelters in the metropolitan Detroit area, we also have an obligation to speak out when our state's humane laws are threatened.
Canton Observer - Editorial (October 20, 2006)
"The vast majority of those urging a no vote on Proposal 3 do so to retain Michigan's 100-year-old ban on hunting doves -- a traditional backyard songbird. We urge a no vote on Proposal 3..."
Fair game? Voters to Decide Emotional Mourning Dove Issue (October 19, 2006)
Voters to decide emotional mourning dove issue...But after nearly two decades of debate, the time has come to decide once and for all: Will Michigan allow hunters to shoot the mourning dove?
Delta Township Women Says Anti-Dove Hunting Issue Consumes Her (Published October 19, 2006)
Julie Baker decided practice of killing doves ‘just wrong’
The Bay Voice of New Baltimore Editorial - Dove Hunting is Not Needed Here (October 18, 2006)
Clearly, there is no overwhelming reason to enact a permanent dove hunting season. There is no groundswell clamoring for dove hunting. There is no compelling reason to add mourning doves to the lsit of game that can be hunted in Michigan. Vote "no" on Proposal 3 to defeat a mourning dove season.
Dove Hunting Finds Place on Mich. Ballot (October 17, 2006)
DETROIT — Maybe it's because these pudgy birds are widely known as monogamists. Or maybe it is the irony of blasting shotgun pellets into a creature declared by Michigan's House of Representatives in 1998 to be the state bird of peace.
It’s All About the Doves — Vote No on Proposal 3
"Presenting mythical fears to replace factual reason is not a new tactic for those who oppose protecting doves. They have demonstrated over and over again that they don’t respect Michigan citizens and they don’t respect Michigan laws."
Traverse City Record Eagle - Editorial (October 13 ,2006
Michigan hunters already have approval to kill 40 species of birds, and until now the mourning dove has been a protected songbird. Let's keep it that way. Vote "no" on Proposal 3.
Detroit Free Press - Editorial (October 13,2006)
"Michigan has plenty of mourning doves, enough that city folk recognize them and hear them cooing gently into the dusk. The idea of shooting them evokes a wince; some hunters will use the birds for target practice, rather than clean and cook them in line with good hunting practices...Hunting is very much a part of Michigan's culture and deserves continued support. But birders and backyard observers have every bit as much right to draw the line on targeting a gentle species that they enjoy. Vote NO on Proposal 06-3."
Future of Mourning Doves to be Decided (October 11, 2006)
LANSING — Julie Baker doesn’t understand why anyone would want to hunt mourning doves, but she does know that the effort to establish a hunting season for the birds in Michigan has failed many times.
The Bay City Times - Editorial (October 10, 2006)
“Should dove hunting be allowed in Michigan? No. Of course not. In Michigan, we consider our mourning doves songbirds: Coo. Coo. Not targets, nor food….On Nov. 7, end this effort to kill our doves. Vote ''no'' on Proposal 3.”
Doves in the Crosshairs (October 10, 2006)
To some, the idea of hunting mourning doves makes good sense. The birds are easy targets -- practically sitting ducks...But for many Michiganians, including birdwatchers and many hunters, the idea of shooting a songbird and the worldwide symbol of peace doesn’t seem all that sporting.
Anti-dove Hunting Ads Hit TV (October 10, 2006)
Groups behind the ad include the Michigan Humane Society, as well as hundreds of local humane societies, and student, religious and civic groups. They are urging a no vote on Proposal 3, which asks voters if they want the state to establish a hunting season for mourning doves.
Proposal 3: A 'No' to the Dove-Season Law (October 8, 2006)
The Citizen Patriot has consistently sided with those who argue that the dove enjoys a privileged status as songbird and "Bird of Peace." Therefore, we advocate a "no" vote on Proposal 3 -- that is, "no" to the law that permitted dove hunting.
Reject the Dove Hunt (October 8, 2006)
There are plenty of other birds -- 40 species -- to hunt in Michigan, and the argument that doves are shot for their meat doesn't fly. Since other states allow the hunt, how would one benefit tourism in Michigan? It wouldn't. Although the species is plentiful in Michigan, it's not overpopulated, so a hunt isn't an wildlife management issue. Doves don't harm crops or property. So why do it? It amounts to little more than live skeet shooting. A hunt for the sake of target practice is unnecessary.
Dove hunting ban should be put back (October 08, 2006)
Doves have been off-limits to hunters for more than a century, and should remain so, but those who support the hunt want them to be classified as game birds, like partridge and woodcock and nearly 40 other species in our state. That would be a stretch. For one thing, mourning doves are sought mainly for target practice -- clay pigeons with wings -- and where's the sport in that? Doves aren't "food" birds either; you'd have trouble covering a toast point with what was left of one.
Royal Oak Daily Tribune – Editorial (October 5, 2006)
“Michigan offers hunters plenty of opportunities without adding mourning doves to the list of species that can be hunted…There are 40 species of bird in Michigan that can be hunted. Clearly, there is no overwhelming reason to enact a permanent dove hunting season.”
The Oakland Press: We don’t need a hunting season on mourning doves, so vote no (October 4, 2006)
There is no groundswell clamoring for dove hunting. There is no compelling reason to add mourning doves to the list of game that can be hunted in Michigan. We're going to be hawkish and urge residents to vote no on Proposal 3 to defeat a mourning dove season.
Wood TV 8 Debate – To the Point (Aired October 1, 2006)
To hunt doves or not to hunt doves, that is the question.
Macomb Daily News Editorial (September 29, 2006)
Voters should reject mourning dove hunting because there is no clear and compelling reason to hunt the birds. Some dove hunting proponents claim the opponents are anti-hunting forces seeking to use this ballot issue as a stepping stone in which to further attack hunting in Michigan. Such claims are hogwash. Michigan has an enduring hunting heritage, and that heritage is not going to be threatened by the lack of dove hunting.
Tim Skubick’s Off the Record (Aired September 29, 2006)
Our opposition: Donna Stine of the MUCC on shooting mourning doves in Michigan.
Schneider: Dove Hunting Inexcusable, Many Readers Say (September 25, 2006)
Sept. 17 column about dove hunting ruffled some feathers.
Hunting Season Would Hurt Mourning Doves (September 24, 2006)
Michigan laws have protected doves since 1905, but a recent change permits a short season in a limited number of counties. Hunters, wanting to ease the restrictions further, are pushing to lengthen the season and increase the number of counties involved, thus seriously threatening the well-being of dove populations.
Decision 2006 - Dove hunting push splits hunters and bird lovers (September 22, 2006)
Ballot issue's foes say there's no good reason to put the species in gun sights; others disagree.
Anti-dove hunting group files another complaint over fundraising (September 13,2006)
A group that opposes dove hunting in Michigan has filed another complaint against a group that supports dove hunting, alleging it raised money from an illegal lottery.
Dove Hunt Group Loses Quest for "No." (September 8, 2006)
The fate of Michigan's dove hunting season could boil down to the choice of a few simple words on the November ballot. Both sides typically want a ballot question to be worded so a "no" vote will favor their side.
Ballot proposal partisans aren't playing fair (September 7, 2006)
Two of Michigan's November ballot proposals have gotten off to very rocky starts. In both cases, advocates for one side of an issue flagrantly cheated. And they got caught. Even so, the chances of setting things right before the election seem slim. Whatever happens, when voters are considering the proposals they also should weigh the importance of a couple of schemes to skirt fair play.
Anti-Dove Hunting Committee Changes Name (September 7, 2006)
The fate of Michigan's dove hunting season could boil down to the choice of a few simple words on the November ballot. Both sides typically want a ballot question to be worded so a "no" vote will favor their side.
Dove-hunting opponents campaign to kill proposal.
Voters to decide on ending longstanding ban (September 7, 2006)
Bird lovers fanned out across Warren on Wednesday, campaigning door-to-door against a statewide ballot proposal that would allow the hunting of mourning doves. The group known as the Committee to Keep Doves Protected launched a grass-roots effort that will eventually reach tens of thousands of doors across Michigan in advance of the Nov. 7 election.
Proposal to restore dove shooting ban (September 7, 2006)
After investigating for two months -- while the lottery continued -- Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox declared it illegal. But instead of requiring that the ill-gotten gains be returned, the agreement Cox reached lets the group keep the money unless ticket-buyers ask for it back by Sept. 30. The other side, the Committee to Restore the Dove Shooting Ban, is considering its options: to seek action from the Michigan Secretary of State or to seek criminal charges at the county level.
Dove advocates launch door-to-door campaign on Lansing's east side (September 6, 2006)
Take a look out your back door. If you have a bird feeder, there’s a good chance you’ll see a mourning dove at some point. If there’s only one, its mate has likely died. The solitary bird may give its distinctive mournful cry — hence its name. Now go to the front door — you might just see the people wanting to protect the songbirds.
Sportsmen's Group Ought to Chill (August 26, 2006)
The Ohio-based U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance obviously has too much time on its hands. That's about the only explanation for its rather strange attack this week directed at the Detroit Zoo.
Feathers Fly Over Zoo's Dove Decision (August 24, 2006)
ROYAL OAK - A pro-hunting group based in Ohio has the Detroit Zoo in its crosshairs. But zoo officials say the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance has picked the wrong target.
Voters face weighty issues in November ( August 16, 2006)
The Dove Hunting Referendum asks voters whether a public act passed in 2004 that established a hunting season for mourning doves should be changed or not. Previously, hunting mourning doves was illegal. Julie Baker, from the Committee to Restore the Dove Shooting Ban, said the hunting season established for the doves goes against the historical protection of the birds.
Cox Acts to Ban Dove-Hunting Lottery - Sort of, with a Wink (August 16, 2006)
You may have read that Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox has shut down an illegal lottery that was using its proceeds to fight a Nov. 7 ballot proposal to ban dove hunting in the state. That's true as far as it goes, but the devil is in the details. Officials of the Committee to Restore the Dove Shooting Ban point out that Cox has allowed the lottery operators to keep the money already raised and to use it to fight the ban.
Latest Poll Consistent with Historic and Recent Polls ( August 15, 2006)
“Sixty-one percent oppose allowing dove hunting in Michigan, while 35 percent support it. Four percent were undecided. A ballot measure in November would reinstate a dove hunting ban in Michigan.”
Tim Skubick’s Off the Record (Aired August 4, 2006)
Julie Baker, Committee to Keep Doves Protected, for Voting NO on Proposal 3!
Delta Woman Leads Fight to Save Doves ( July 16, 2006)
DELTA TWP. — It all began with a phone call to her state representative. Julie Baker, a Delta Township resident, remembered the day she called the office of then-71st State Rep. Susan Tabor, to express her opposition to a bill to legalize the shooting of the mourning dove.
War of Words Over Bird of Peace (July 6, 2006)
The Committee to Restore the Dove Shooting Ban has condemned the sport as "live target practice" on the state's official bird of peace. "We didn't pick this fight. We respect Michigan's hunting heritage. But we believe protected nongame species should remain protected nongame species," said director Julie Baker.
Study: Dove hunt won't help state (June 22, 2006)
Opponents of mourning dove hunting Wednesday sought to refute claims that a hunting season will give a boost to Michigan's economy.
Lawmakers Seem Incapable (June 17, 2006)
Lawmakers seem incapable of not only solving the state's budget crisis, but even of making almost any difficult decisions.
Decision 2006: EPIC-MRA Poll (June 14, 2006)
A ballot proposal to bring back a dove hunting season is trailing with 31 percent in favor and 57 percent opposed. Following a century-old ban on dove hunting, the state had a limited dove hunting season in a few counties two years ago. But opponents won a legal stay against hunting doves. A yes vote would allow the hunt; a no vote would continue the ban.
Dove hunters afoul of gaming laws, group says (June 2, 2006)
Representatives of a group formed to reinstate Michigan's ban on mourning dove hunting said Thursday their pro-hunting opponents are using illegal gambling to raise money.
Anti-Dove Shooting Group Wants AG's Help (June 2, 2006)
The Committee to Restore the Dove Shooting Ban, an anti-dove hunting group, is asking the Attorney General to look at the way their opposition is raising money to pay for advertising that would promote dove shooting.
Anti-dove hunting group files complaint against opponents (June 1, 2006)
The anti-dove hunting group - called the Committee to Restore the Dove Shooting Ban - wants the state attorney general's office to investigate a sweepstakes advertised by a group called the Citizens for Wildlife Conservation.
Coo-coo-ka-shoot (May 31, 2006)
Along with choosing our next governor, one of the things Michiganders will decide when they go to the polls in November has to do with winged creatures that go "coo." Specifically, voters will determine whether manly men (and equally manly women, we should probably say, to be PC genderwise) with large guns can blast away at mourning doves.
Make your mark on the ballot (May 26, 2006)
This November, Michigan voters will decide some of the most controversial topics in the state.
Dove dilemma (May 26, 2006)
Should mourning doves in Michigan be a protected bird, or fair game for hunters?
Latest Mourning Dove Public Opinion Poll Results (March 10, 2006)
In a statewide EPIC-MRA poll (600 respondents, +-4%), 60% of Michigan voters would vote 'no' on the mourning dove referendum to prevent the shooting of mourning doves, while only 30% would vote 'yes' to allow it (10% are undecided).
List of Ballot Initiatives Could Be Longest Since '78 (March 10, 2006)
Abortion. Dove hunts. Minimum wage. Voters may face plenty of decisions Michigan voters will have plenty to chew on when they go to the polls in November. Groups have gathered or are gathering signatures pointing toward the longest list of ballot initiatives since 1978, when voters weighed in on a record 11 proposals.
To Hunt, or Not to Hunt (February 13, 2006)
The right to hunt versus the need to protect wild animals is an argument being debated by some Plymouth Elementary School students. Fourth grade teacher Kelly Krause has led her class in the pros and cons of mourning dove hunting, including a recent visit by two local experts.
Mourning Doves are Not Game Birds (October 19, 2005)
The issue of hunting the mourning dove, which has been protected in Michigan for the last 100 years is being discussed throughout the State.
Huron Daily Tribune - Editorial (October 15, 2005)
Last year, for the first time in a century, hunters in six Lower Michigan counties got the chance to hunt something else a tiny song bird known as the mourning dove. Shotguns in hand about 3,000 people killed about 28,000 birds. What they were able to do with the carcasses afterwards is debatable since the birds don't provide much in the way of "meat."
Editorial - The Daily Mining Gazette (October 15, 2005)
Each fall, hundreds of thousands of hunters take to Michigan's woods in search of "trophy" bucks and other wild game. Families have passed down the tradition of hunting to sons and daughters for decades, often instilling in them a love of the outdoors and an appreciation for wildlife and nature.
Cheap Skeet or Delectable Treat (October 14, 2005)
A nearly century-long ban on hunting mourning doves in Michigan should be restored, say backers of a referendum to end the hunting season adopted in 2004.
Dove Fight is About Right to Hunt (September 16, 2005)
That blockheaded headline was over Eric Sharps Outdoors column in the August 25th Free Press. Sharp, who is the outdoor writer for the paper sees this November's referendum on dove hunting as "us" meaning any kind of hunter vs. "them" meaning people who don't want song birds killed. That's the kind of thinking that is almost certain to keep hunting in the barely tolerated basement of public activity.
Are Mourning Doves Fair Game in Michigan? (September 11, 2005)
Mourning dove hunting in Michigan has turned into a major controversy, one that won't be settled until November of next year. That's when a proposal to reinstate the shooting ban is scheduled to be put to a vote by the citizens of Michigan.
Poll Shows Support for Reinstating Ban (August 12, 2005)
A recent poll indicates about 60 percent of those surveyed would vote or lean toward voting to reinstate a ban on mourning dove hunting in Michigan.
Bay City Times - Editorial (August 5, 2005)
An experiment in dove hunting in Michigan is sidelined until voters have their say. Good...One person's game bird is another's backyard songbird. That's the dove-hunting issue in a nutshell.
South Bend Tribune: Editorial (June 15, 2005)
On June 2, the Michigan Board of State Canvassers certified the vote to place the issue on the ballot in November 2006. The coalition against dove shooting collected 275,000 petition signatures -- 73 percent more than the 159,000 required. The shooting ban will be reinstated pending the referendum and then, we hope, permanently affixed.
Kalamazoo Gazette: Editorial (June 6, 2005)
From 1905 until last year, Michigan banned the hunting of mourning doves, which were then classified as songbirds, not game birds.For some reason, the Michigan Legislature last year felt a need to lift the ban on dove hunting in Michigan, although a slim majority of Michigan residents approve of the ban. We opposed lifting the ban.
Oakland Press: Doves Come Back to Bite (June 6, 2005)
Speaking of Granholm, she must look with foreboding upon the approval by the State Board of Canvassers of a 2006 ballot proposal to ban the shooting of mourning doves.That issue should be a bit of an embarrassment for the governor, who first supported a ban, then let the hunting lobby persuade her she was wrong.
Doves Spared as Referendum Heads to Ballot (June 3, 2005)
Mourning doves are safe from Michigan hunters - at least for the next two years.The state law that cleared the way for hunting in six southern counties last year is on hold until voters settle the issue in the November 2006 election. The Board of State Canvassers certified the referendum petition drive to block the law Thursday.
Petition May Halt Hunts for Doves (May 25, 2005)
Mourning doves may have a new lease on life in Michigan. The Committee to Restore the Dove Shooting Ban collected more than 275,000 signatures for its referendum that would allow voters to decide whether hunters should be allowed to shoot the birds. No challenges were made to the signatures by opponents of the effort, which will likely be decided on the November 2006 election ballot.
Challenge Deadline Passes, No Challenge (May 20, 2005)
A key step in one of the state's most emotional debates passed Thursday without a peep - or in this case, a coo. The 5 p.m. deadline for a challenge to petitions submitted by mourning dove lovers came and went in silence, leaving little obstacle to putting a measure restoring a ban on hunting the birds on the November 2006 election ballot.
Dove Season May Be Suspended (April 6, 2005)
The Committee to Restore the Dove Shooting Ban filed more than 275,000 signatures with the Secretary of State on March 28 requesting a referendum on the bill. Once the signatures are certified, the season will be suspended until after the Nov. 2006 vote. A total of 158,879 signatures from registered Michigan voters are required to allow for a referendum.
Skubick's Off the Record - Good Numbers on Doves, Not on Gov (April 1, 2005)
This week in Michigan politics, the dove petition drive appears to be successful...
Scientists Say Politics Trumps Research within the U.S.F.W.S. (April 1, 2005)
Among respondents to the Union of Concerned Scientists and PEER survey whose work involves determining if species are in jeopardy, 44% reported that they "have been directed, for non-scientific reasons, to refrain from making findings that are protective of species."
Grassroots Group Calls for Dove Referendum (March 31, 2005)
Mourning doves will likely fly onto the ballot next year. More than 275,000 signatures of petitioners were presented to the state this past Monday by the Committee to Restore the Dove Shooting Ban.
Midland Daily News Editorial: Let Voters Decide on Mourning Dove Hunt (March 30, 2005)
In a state that already allows the hunting of duck, geese, pheasants, quail, woodcock, snipe, coots, rails and grouse, we've often wondered why state sharpshooters need another, albeit tiny, airborne target to shoot at.
Lansing State Journal: Dove hunt opponents submit petitions (March 29, 2005)
Michigan voters might get the next say in whether the state should allow open season on mourning doves. A group aiming to stop the hunt gave state election officials 275,363 signatures of Michigan voters Monday - about 73 percent more than needed to get the issue on the November 2006 ballot.
Detroit Free Press: EYE ON POLITICS: New move to ban dove-hunting squeezes governor and lawmakers (March 28, 2005)
Let's assume that bird lovers unload enough petition signatures on the Secretary of State today to force a statewide referendum to repeal the 2004 law that allows dove hunting. Look for two things to happen: First, it'll probably pass, although hunting interests might spend a few million bucks trying to defeat it. Secondly, it could become a real nuisance to those running for office next year. Like the governor.
Lansing State Journal: Going dovish: Lawmakers fueled petition drive (March 27, 2005)
The hunting of mourning doves hardly qualifies as important enough to earn a spot on a future statewide ballot. Nevertheless, hunt opponents plan to submit on Monday enough petitions to force a referendum on that very issue.
The Mining Journal: Dove hunting petition drive beats goal (March 25, 2005)
Proponents of a drive to put Michigan mourning dove hunting on a statewide election ballot say they've beat a deadline to gather enough required petition signatures.
Lansing State Journal: Dove hunt opponents confident on petitions (March 25, 2005)
A group that wants to stop mourning dove hunts in Michigan says it expects to beat next week's deadline for a critical step in its campaign.
Oakland Daily Press: Mourning dove debate not over (Feb. 19, 2005)
Michigan hunters killed 28,139 mourning doves legally last year. That's less than 1 percent of the approximately eight million mourning doves killed legally east of the Mississippi annually. But for Julie Baker, the legal harvest of any mourning dove in Michigan is wrong. She's leading an effort to ban hunting of the small gamebirds.
Battle Creek Enquirer: MUCC off mark on dove issue (Jan. 12, 2005)
In the recent article (Dec. 31), Sam Washington (executive director of the Michigan United Conservation Clubs) was quoted as saying it was "ridiculous" for registered Michigan voters to organize and collect signatures from other registered Michigan voters - to allow the people of Michigan the final say on the highly controversial policy change of allowing the target shooting of mourning doves. Washington also claimed that the petition drive "has nothing to do with doves."
The Macomb Daily: In Our Opinion: Battle to ban dove hunting (Jan. 7, 2005)
Our view: There is plenty of game to hunt. Using birds for target practice is unjustifiable.
Daily Oakland Press: If you're against dove hunting in state, the time to act is now (Jan. 5, 2005)
The battle against dove hunting is not over. Although it was lost in the Michigan Legislature and although Gov. Jennifer Granholm broke a promise and didn't veto it, the fight goes on.
Daily Oakland Press: Wolves, cranes may be next on game list (Nov. 5, 2004)
Front page of The Daily Oakland Press.
Detroit Free Press: Gun nuts blow reason, loved birds out of the sky (Sept. 15, 2004)
The reference is to the cascade of self-serving and mostly sophomoric rationales coming forth from the gun-nut lobby to justify the recently approved dove slaughter in Michigan.
Oakland Press Editorial: Go-ahead on dove hunting isn't a done deal, after all (Aug. 26, 2004)
You may have thought the battle was lost when the state Legislature passed and the governor signed a bill legalizing a hunt in some portions of Michigan.
The News-Herald: Groups vow to fight dove hunting law (Aug. 11, 2004)
They might have lost the battle, but they aren't giving up the fight. As Michigan's first mourning dove season since 1905 approaches, the many groups that spoke out earlier this year against the bird hunt have banded together for a petition drive.
Detroit Free Press: Dove-lovers petition to repeal hunting law (Aug. 6, 2004)
A lot of mourning doves will die first, but animal lovers hope to save more later with a statewide ballot to call off dove hunting next year.