Collective Signatures Help The Mourning Dove

Restoring Mourning Dove Protection

In late March 2005, the Committee to Restore the Dove Shooting Ban turned in 275,000 signatures to the State of Michigan. On June 2nd, the Michigan Board of Canvassers officially certified that enough valid signatures were gathered to place the No Shooting Doves Referendum on the November 2006 ballot. This cancels the 2005 and 2006 mourning dove hunts prior to that election, saving thousands of doves.

Through the volunteer-led signature gathering effort, the Committee submitted 73% more signatures than the 159,000 required by law for certification, illustrating the overwhelming support of Michigan voters.

Mourning doves are peaceful backyard songbirds which pose no threat to agricultural crops, are not overpopulated and are not a viable food source. According to scientific research studies, more than 30% of the doves that are shot are not killed immediately - they are wounded and left to die. Shooting them is not a sport - it's "target practice."

With your help, the committee will launch a successful campaign to persuade voters to vote "NO" on the legislature's dove shooting law.

How You Can Help:

Encourage everyone you know to vote in the November 2006 elections! Michigan voters will have the power to restore protection for our mourning doves. If dove supporters don't go to the polls, our efforts to protect these gentle birds can't succeed.

For more information, contact The Committee to Restore the Dove Shooting Ban at (517) 321-DOVE or visit www.StopShootingDoves.org.

Please note: The Michigan Humane Society is unable to accept Committee support donations directly.

Committee Charter Members:

Along with the Michigan Humane Society, other charter members include the Michigan Songbird Protection Coalition, the Michigan Audubon Society, the Detroit Audubon Society, the Humane Society of the United States, the Fund for Animals, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Animal Protection Institute, the Doris Day Animal League and the Society for Animal Protective Legislation. Other local, state, and national organizations continued to be added.

About the Dove Hunt:

Dove hunting began on September 10, 2004, the day after the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) voted unanimously to open the first season. The Michigan Humane Society presented the NRC with several reliable scientific research studies at their July meeting which prove that the voluminous amounts of lead shot used in dove hunting severely pollutes the land and water-table, and poisons scores of non-target wildlife species who eat the wounded and dead doves.

Dove hunt supporters claim that the Committee's real agenda is to stop all hunting. However, the Committee is comprised of organizations which have varying positions on hunting.

Repeated, scientific surveys of public opinion throughout our state have shown that the majority of Michigan hunters oppose dove hunting. Ethical hunters worry that something as indefensible as turning doves into live targets will only do more long term harm to the reputation of hunters.

MichiganHumane.org