The Humane Society of the United States Urges Rhode Island Lawmakers to Protect Doves from Target Shooting

March 2, 2007

WASHINGTON – The Humane Society of the United States, the nation's largest animal protection group, is urging Rhode Island lawmakers to protect mourning doves, a beloved backyard songbird, from being shot for target practice.

House Bill 5668, introduced by Rep. Charlene Lima (D-14th), bans the sport shooting of mourning doves.

"The hunting of mourning doves is inhumane, cruel and a danger to the environment.  Rhode Island is the only New England state that allows this practice," said Rep. Lima. "Weighing less than half a pound, mourning doves can hardly be said to be killed for their meat."

"Rhode Island sportsmen are permitted to hunt at least 50 other avian species," said Michael Markarian, HSUS executive vice president. "There is no good reason to shoot doves. They are not overpopulated, don't cause nuisance problems and are so small they don't make a meal. Shooting them amounts to nothing more than target practice."

Facts 

• Rhode Island stands alone as the only New England state to allow the shooting of mourning doves. Most northern states have long traditions, dating back nearly a century, of protecting mourning doves.
• In the 2006 election, Michigan voters were asked whether to open a new dove hunting season. They overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to allow dove shooting by a statewide vote of 69 percent to 31 percent. Michigan is one of the biggest hunting states in the country, and voters in all 83 counties -- from the most urban to the most rural -- said no to dove hunting.
• Dove shooting is unnecessary and serves no wildlife management purpose. Doves are not overpopulated and do not damage property or crops, and have even earned the name "farmer's friend" because they eat the seeds of weeds, benefiting Rhode Island agriculture.
• Rhode Island hunters have at least 50 other game species to hunt, including turkeys, pheasants, geese, ducks, woodcocks, rails, snipes and dozens of other birds species. Doves are often shot and never recovered and are sometimes referred to as "cheap skeet."
• Doves are shot at their lightest weight during the year, yielding so little meat that few people eat them. This is also the time of year when their young are still in the nest and are orphaned when one or both of their parents are shot.
• Dove shooting is responsible for the discharge of an enormous amount of toxic lead shot. Densities of greater than 340,000 pellets per acre have been reported in dove fields, which are usually used for crop-growing.

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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization – backed by 10 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- On the web at www.humanesociety.org.