MOURNING DOVES ARE GAME BIRDS

(Lansing, Michigan) Michigan state lawmakers today successfully angered vegetarians, gun control advocates, and animal rights activists in one piece of legislation. By a vote of 64 to 44, a bill was approved by the House to change the designation of the mourning dove from song bird to game bird. Hunters and the National Rifle Association applauded the action. The bill will require approval of the Michigan Senate.

Opponents stated that:

. . . the bill would hurt Michigan's mourning dove population.

I would tend to agree with the opponents. However, putting lead shot at high velocity into any group would have a tendency to affect the population.

But hunting advocate and rock guitarist Ted Nugent, who lives near Jackson [Michigan] and co-authored the cookbook, "Kill It & Grill It," criticized those who oppose dove hunting.

"I eat turkeys. I eat doves. ... To think that any of that is not food is retarded," he told those at the rally.

As a point of reference, there are 400 million mourning doves in the United States.