There is no need or credible reason to transfer direct legislative authority from the legislature to an appointed commission - a panel that often acts as an extension of special interest groups who presume first rights over the "use" of wildlife resources.

The DNR/NRC has proven it cannot be trusted with this much authority. In the mid-1980s, the NRC bypassed the Michigan Legislature, ignored the opposition by the majority of citizens, and illegally established a mourning dove hunting season in Michigan. The Michigan Humane Society, a non-profit organization, was forced to file suit to right this wrong. Subsequently, the courts [1985] issued a permanent injunction that the DNR/NRC cannot promote the hunting of doves in Michigan. The DNR and NRC has since violated this injunction several times.

Proposed transfer of authority is simply a "backdoor" approach to establish open seasons on protected non-game species ie: mourning doves, sandhill cranes, etc. Historically, efforts to create a dove season have always failed in Michigan due to overwhelming opposition by constituents--dove-shooting proponents would like to remove that effective barrier and silence the people’s representation.

Dove hunting is not, nor ever has been, a tradition in Michigan and mourning doves have been a protected songbird in Michigan since 1905.

Dove hunting is "target practice" and serves no useful wildlife management purpose. Doves are ground feeding birds that provide a valuable natural control of pest weeds, they are not over-populated, they do not threaten or harm other species or crops, and they do not provide a viable human food source.

There are plenty of other species available to hunters in the state. Pheasants, geese, ducks, woodcock, and dozens of other bird species give recreational hunters more than ample shooting opportunities.

Hunting doves negatively impacts the breeding population of mourning doves. "Dove populations from groups of non-hunting states (including Michigan) in the Northeast and Upper Mid-east have much higher annual survival rates" [2002 Mourning Dove Breeding Population Status Report]. In 2002, the population increased stability in Michigan, while downward trends were specifically noted in both hunting states to our south - Indiana and Ohio (and others). Significant and/or accumulative population declines are typical for all dove-hunting states.

The mourning dove is more valuable to Michigan alive than dead. As a backyard bird, it is the second most-frequently reported bird at feeders in the United States [Barker and Tessaglia-Hymes 1999]. Millions of Michigan residents spend billions on feeding songbirds in Michigan [2001 Hunting, Fishing, and Wildlife Associated Recreation].

The mourning dove is the only known species hunted during part of their nesting season. Over 10 percent of nesting and fledging occurs during hunting season [Lincoln 1945, Geissler 1987, and others]. In addition to the orphaning of young, a 30 percent hunter loss rate (unretrieved and wounded) is typically reported in studies by biologists [Haas 1977, and others]. Many "non-target" avian species (including protected, threatened, and endangered) are often unavoidably and mistakenly shot by mourning dove hunters, who target "silhouettes" on the wing.

Lead shot contamination is a known environmental problem cause by hunting doves. A large amount of lead is required to bring down a fast flying target - 5 to 8 shot shells for each dove is average [USFWS, and others], and cumulative lead deposits pose a harmful risk to all wildlife feeding in the surrounding areas.

Doves are perching birds that often use utility lines (power and phone). Hunters cannot control the full spread pattern of shot - and they often use the lines as favorite shooting sites. Repair costs, safety, loss of service, and increased liability are facts of dove season.