News

Dove Hunt Vote Set for Next Month

Published August 13, 2004. By Chad Livengood -- Daily Telegram Staff Writer
Mourning dove hunt vote set for next month

ADRIAN -- Lenawee County's first mourning dove hunting season in nearly a century could begin as early as Sept. 11. The state's Natural Resources Commission received a recommendation outlining the hunt Thursday from state game officials. The commission is expected to vote on the proposal Sept. 9.

The proposal is subject to modification during a public comment period, which state Sen. Cameron Brown, R-Fawn River Twp., said he is recommending the general public take part in."The people on both sides of the issue need to contact the NRC and let their voices be heard," Brown said Thursday.

If the NRC approves the proposal, the hunt would until Oct. 30 in Lenawee and five other southern Michigan counties -- Berrien, Branch, Cass, Hillsdale and St. Joseph. The daily limit, according to draft recommendations, would be 15 mourning doves per hunter. The possession limit would be 30 birds. Hunters would be allowed to shoot mourning doves one-half hour before sunrise to sunset, the recommendation said.

Marc Steinke, 39, of Fairfield, went to Lansing Thursday to testify before the NRC. Steinke, a co-owner of Johnson's Sporting Goods on North Adrian Highway, said he believes the hunt should be statewide and not restricted. "It's just unfortunate we're not going to get it statewide," Steinke said. "Thirty-eight states hunt them ... there's been plenty of trials going on ... there's going to be no big surprises in Michigan."

The recommendation would also allow similarly limited mourning dove hunts in 2005 and 2006, with the season running from Sept. 1 to Oct. 30 both years. Afterwards, the Department of Natural Resources would be required to document the impact of hunting on the dove population before future seasons would be allowed.

The recommendation mirrors a compromise struck with Gov. Jennifer Granholm when she signed a bill allowing the hunts in June. Brown said he voted in favor the bill as well. The final proposal could change depending upon information revealed in the 30-day public comment period, DNR spokesman Brad Wurfel said.

About 40 other states allow mourning dove hunts, including states sharing borders with Michigan -- Ohio and Indiana. Steinke said this year's hunt, if allowed, will also be economically beneficial to the state. "I just know that the benefit for Michigan in general is we're going to keep the dove hunters here this season," Steinke said.

Jack Moss, 73, of Hudson, an avid deer hunter, said he opposes the hunting of mourning doves. "They're a symbol of peace and it would be wrong to kill them," Moss said. "They might as well shoot robins and cardinals and all the other birds."

Rep. Doug Spade, D-Adrian, said he has opposed each legislative attempt to legalize the hunting of mourning doves. He credits constituent's concerns for his decision, in which, he said, 85 percent of all calls and letters to his office were in opposition of the hunt. "It wasn't just bird watchers, there was no particular age group ... even some hunters in our district opposed it," Spade said.

A group that includes the Humane Society of the United States is attempting to stop dove hunting in Michigan, although its effort likely comes too late to affect this September's season.

The Board of State Canvassers approved the form of a petition circulated by the group Wednesday. The coalition, called the Committee to Restore the Dove Shooting Ban, wants to put the dove hunt issue on the November 2006 ballot. The group would need more than 158,000 valid signatures of registered voters to get its proposal on the ballot.

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