Media Coverage - Decision 2006 - Dove hunting push splits hunters and bird lovers
Published September 22, 2006.By Amy Lee, The Detroit News
Ballot issue's foes say there's no good reason to put the species in gun sights; others disagree.
Every year for the past 10 years, avid bird hunter Linda Gallagher has packed her gear and driven four and a half hours to hunt mourning doves -- in Ohio.
"I'd love to stay home and spend my money here, but that's not an option," said Gallagher, 50, an outdoors writer who lives near Traverse City. "I make a point of going out of state every year because dove hunting is such a great outdoor sport."
Gallagher is among Michiganians hunting advocates claim would stay and pump cash into Michigan's economy if voters approve a dove hunting season. The measure is Proposal 3 on the Nov. 7 ballot.
But groups that oppose dove hunting argue Michigan hunters already have approval to kill 40 species of birds, and adding mourning doves to that list is unnecessary. They claim the birds are not overpopulated, and that promises of economic benefit to the state are grossly exaggerated.
"There is no good reason to shoot doves," said Julie Baker, spokeswoman for the Committee to Restore the Dove Shooting Ban. "Doves are a traditional backyard songbird. They're not dangerous and they're not a viable human food source. Shooting doves amounts to nothing more than live target practice."
Conservation and hunting clubs, under the umbrella Citizens for Wildlife Conservation, support dove hunting; birding groups such as the Detroit Audubon Society oppose it.
Forty states, including Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin, allow dove hunting. Hunters say hunting doves is challenging because the birds are quick, and that the meat is delicious.
They also say dove hunting is popular with seniors and disabled hunters, because there's no need to trek miles into the woods to seek them. Most dove hunting is in open areas.
Citizens for Wildlife Conservation got into hot water with Attorney General Mike Cox for staging a lottery with a goal of raising $3.2 million to bankroll its campaign for a dove hunting season. Cox investigated for two months and declared the lottery illegal. However, he is allowing the group to keep the money unless those who purchased tickets ask for a refund by Sept. 30.
Rob Sexton, vice president of government affairs for the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, which is part of Citizens for Wildlife Conservation, suspects the movement against dove hunting is designed to chip away at hunting rights.
"Their beef is not with dove hunting; they just think they can prevail on this because it's been banned so long in Michigan so very few people have gotten to try it," he said.
But Baker denies there's a broader, anti-hunter agenda.
"We have one goal and that's to encourage Michigan citizens to vote no on Proposal 3," she said.
In 2003 the Legislature set a three-year trial period for dove hunting in six southern counties. Opponents collected signatures demanding a public vote.
