The mourning dove - the brownish and gray bird designated during the Vietnam era as Wisconsin's symbol of peace - can be hunted like any other wild game, the state Supreme Court ruled Tuesday. The court ruled the state Department of Natural Resources was given broad authority by the Legislature to set hunting seasons for game. It said mourning doves fell within the unambiguous definition of "game" in the statutes.
| Falls within my definition of "tasty". |
Wisconsin Citizens Concerned for Cranes and Doves sued to stop the hunt, arguing lawmakers did not intend the doves to be hunted when they designated them the state's official bird of peace in 1971 and removed doves from the list of game birds included in the statutes. The mourning dove, known for its soft cooing call, is a common visitor at backyard feeders.
| My feeder is full of them and their white wing cousins. |
The DNR released a survey indicating 202,000 of the birds were killed in last fall's mourning dove hunting season, which lasted 60 days. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates 4 million to 5 million mourning doves migrate from Wisconsin each fall.
|