Dove season ?

[nastygunz]

This is correspondence between myself and NH F&G...I would be curious too know if any of you guys would be interested in a NH dove season...and if so would contact your legislators or do some type of petition?
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Dear Mr,
Thank you for your email. I hear what you are saying and I agree, I also agree with what Brian Swift wrote for NY. NH did have a dove season at one time for 1 day in 1983 but it was repealed because of an outcry of pubic opinion. The outcry caused the legislators to then reclassify the dove as a song bird. Now that the dove is a song bird it is no longer a considered a game bird and can not be hunted. My suggestion to you would be to rally your dove hunting counterparts and have them contact their legislators asking them to reclassify the dove as a game bird, then and only then can we look at having a season. Thank you. Feel free to contact me if you have other questions.
Julie Robinson
Julie Robinson
Wildlife Biologist
Small Game Project Leader
NH Fish and Game Region 3, 225 Main St., Durham NH 03824
work:603-868-1095/Cell: 603-419-0198/Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]



Sent: Friday, January 01, 2010 9:48 PM
To: Director
Subject: Dove Hunting season thoughts.
Good Day,
I was reading the below article and again, it made me wish NH had a dove season. I wonder if this would ever be considered again.

NHFG is very active in promoting hunting and especially small game hunting to introduce new or young hunters to the sport with a good chance of success.

The gray squirrel is often touted as the optimal small game to take a youngster after; I would suggest the dove would be even better for this purpose.

As the following article indicates I would be very interested in the response to a dove season if NH specifically questioned people who purchase hunting licenses.

I think a dove season would be great in NH and I personally would utilize the season, thank you for your consideration in this matter, sincerely,

------------------------------------------------------------
Dove Hunting Interest Survey from DEC
Establishing a Mourning Dove Hunting Season in New York - Hunter Perspectives --by Bryan Swift, DEC Game Bird Unit Leader, October 2009


Mourning doves are one of the most popular game birds in North America, with close to one million hunters taking approximately 20 million birds annually in the U.S. They are one of the most widespread and abundant birds on the continent, and various survey data from New York show a significant increase in abundance of mourning doves over the last 40 years. Thirty-nine of the lower 48 states have mourning dove hunting seasons, and federal regulations allow states in the eastern U.S. to select seasons up to 70 days in length, between September 1 and January 15, with a daily bag limit of 15 doves.

However, New York does not currently have a mourning dove hunting season, and many hunters have wondered why. The simple reason is
that State law does not classify mourning doves as either a migratory game bird or an upland game bird (ECL 11-0103); therefore, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) does not have the authority to establish hunting regulations for doves under the current law. From time to time, hunters and organizations such as the New York State Conservation Council (NYSCC) have advocated or voiced support for legislative action to allow dove hunting in New York. Several bills were introduced in the early 1980s but none were ever voted on by the State Assembly or Senate, and no significant legislative action has occurred on the issue since that time. Nonetheless, limited hunter interest and inquiries continue and NYSCC passed a resolution in 2008 requesting that DEC survey small game hunters to determine the level of support for a law change to allow dove hunting in New York.

In response to the NYSCC request, we included the following question in our 2009 small game hunter survey: “Would you support a law change to designate mourning doves as a game bird in New York State?” Potential responses were: “Strongly Oppose”, “Oppose”, “Don’t Care”, “Support”, and “Strongly Support”. Surveys were mailed to approximately 5,000 randomly selected small game hunting license holders, and responses were received from about 2,400 people. About 23% indicated that they would support such a law change (see chart). Most respondents (64%) said they “don’t care” or they did not answer the question at all. About 12% indicated that they were opposed to a law change to designate mourning doves as a game bird in New York. We did not ask or attempt to identify reasons why hunters would support or oppose a law change; however, a related question that we included in the 2006 small game hunter survey was “Have you ever hunted mourning doves in any state other than New York?” Only about 11% of respondents indicated that they had hunted doves somewhere else, which suggests that few hunters in New York have any experience or tradition to foster support for a dove season.

There is no biological reason why doves could not be hunted in New York. However, until political support increases to the point that a bill to amend the Environmental Conservation Law is introduced, passes both the Senate and Assembly, and is signed into law by the Governor, we
encourage small game hunting enthusiasts to continue to enjoy New York’s other game bird hunting opportunities for turkey, grouse, woodcock and waterfowl, available in a variety of habitats across the state.


Prepared by: Bryan Swift, DEC Game Bird Unit Leader, October 2009

[MK-M-GOBL]

Oh God....I'd be all over it Bacon wrapped dove is AWESOME.

When I asked about, I was told that once a bird is on the song bird list it was near impossible to get them off. I forget who I spoke with at F&G but he said if he could do something about he would to save him having to travel out of state to hunt them

[danf]

Having just moved up here from Indiana, it's a bit strange to me NOT to have a dove season.

Let me know how/when/were to sign a petition!

[nastygunz]

"My suggestion to you would be to rally your dove hunting counterparts and have them contact their legislators asking them to reclassify the dove as a game bird, then and only then can we look at having a season. "

Hey if they can make stupid laws like texting while driving that are pretty much unenforceable and ban guns in the Capitol they may get bored and give us a dove season...come on fellas hit up your legislatures and id also cc a copy to the fish n game commisioner too !

www.gencourt.state.nh.us/

[nastygunz]

I have been sending this out to everyone I know asking them to do the same.

[nastygunz]

Here is what I sent:
------------------------

Good Day ,
I am contacting you regarding establishing a hunting season for dove in NH. NH did have a dove season at one time for 1 day in 1983 but it was repealed because of an outcry of public opinion. The outcry caused the legislators to then reclassify the dove as a song bird. Now that the dove is a song bird it is no longer a considered a game bird and can not be hunted.

I would ask that the Legislature re-consider this decision and re-classify the Dove as a game bird and consider allowing a dove hunting season.

NH Fish & Game is very active in promoting hunting and especially small game hunting to introduce new or young hunters to the sport with a good chance of success.

The gray squirrel is often touted as the optimal small game to take a youngster after; I would suggest the dove would be even better for this purpose.

As the following article indicates I would be very interested in the response to a dove season if NH specifically questioned people who purchase hunting licenses.

I feel as a long time hunter and fishermen that my voice as one whose significant expenditure in dollars to hunt and fish supports conservation and wildlife in NH, should be listened to equally by the Legislature,as a "public outcry".

I think a dove season would be great in NH and I personally would utilize the season, thank you for your consideration in this matter, sincerely,


JCT
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dove Hunting Interest Survey from DEC
Establishing a Mourning Dove Hunting Season in New York - Hunter Perspectives --by Bryan Swift, DEC Game Bird Unit Leader, October 2009


Mourning doves are one of the most popular game birds in North America, with close to one million hunters taking approximately 20 million birds annually in the U.S. They are one of the most widespread and abundant birds on the continent, and various survey data from New York show a significant increase in abundance of mourning doves over the last 40 years. Thirty-nine of the lower 48 states have mourning dove hunting seasons, and federal regulations allow states in the eastern U.S. to select seasons up to 70 days in length, between September 1 and January 15, with a daily bag limit of 15 doves.

However, New York does not currently have a mourning dove hunting season, and many hunters have wondered why. The simple reason is
that State law does not classify mourning doves as either a migratory game bird or an upland game bird (ECL 11-0103); therefore, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) does not have the authority to establish hunting regulations for doves under the current law. From time to time, hunters and organizations such as the New York State Conservation Council (NYSCC) have advocated or voiced support for legislative action to allow dove hunting in New York. Several bills were introduced in the early 1980s but none were ever voted on by the State Assembly or Senate, and no significant legislative action has occurred on the issue since that time. Nonetheless, limited hunter interest and inquiries continue and NYSCC passed a resolution in 2008 requesting that DEC survey small game hunters to determine the level of support for a law change to allow dove hunting in New York.

In response to the NYSCC request, we included the following question in our 2009 small game hunter survey: “Would you support a law change to designate mourning doves as a game bird in New York State?” Potential responses were: “Strongly Oppose”, “Oppose”, “Don’t Care”, “Support”, and “Strongly Support”. Surveys were mailed to approximately 5,000 randomly selected small game hunting license holders, and responses were received from about 2,400 people. About 23% indicated that they would support such a law change (see chart). Most respondents (64%) said they “don’t care” or they did not answer the question at all. About 12% indicated that they were opposed to a law change to designate mourning doves as a game bird in New York. We did not ask or attempt to identify reasons why hunters would support or oppose a law change; however, a related question that we included in the 2006 small game hunter survey was “Have you ever hunted mourning doves in any state other than New York?” Only about 11% of respondents indicated that they had hunted doves somewhere else, which suggests that few hunters in New York have any experience or tradition to foster support for a dove season.

There is no biological reason why doves could not be hunted in New York. However, until political support increases to the point that a bill to amend the Environmental Conservation Law is introduced, passes both the Senate and Assembly, and is signed into law by the Governor, we
encourage small game hunting enthusiasts to continue to enjoy New York’s other game bird hunting opportunities for turkey, grouse, woodcock and waterfowl, available in a variety of habitats across the state.


Prepared by: Bryan Swift, DEC Game Bird Unit Leader, October 2009
------------------------------
AND THIS IS WHO I SENT IT TOO!
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