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Originally Posted by Iowanian
Brian, I'd heard that, but didn't pay much attention as I've never hunted doves. I do like shooting pidgeons flying out of hay mows though
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Here is just part of the story;
Iowa, has surfaced as an unlikely battleground for hunters and the anti-hunting movement.
When sportsmen and pro-hunting groups pushed for an initiative that would legalize dove hunting in the state, anti-hunters pushed back -- and showed just how much might they have.
In 2000, the debate became so heated that national anti-hunting groups such as Fund for Animals and pro-hunting forces such as the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance became involved.
Each side made highly emotional pleas to the public.
The pro-hunters pointed out that the dove was a challenging gamebird that was legal game in 39 other states. They pointed out that though the dove was small, it is tasty game. And they maintained that because Iowa has one of the largest populations of doves in the nation, hunting would not endanger bird numbers.
The anti-hunters asserted that the dove is a songbird that should not be hunted. They pointed to the fact that the dove was known as the "bird of peace," and wasn't a bird of the hunting fields. It had been protected since 1918, they said, and it should remain that way.
The campaign got ugly. At one point, members of a five-man committee supporting dove hunting claimed to have gotten what they thought was a death threat from an anonymous letter writer.
No animal-rights group accepted responsibility for writing the letter. In fact, the anti-hunting movement accused pro-hunting groups of fabricating the letter to get sympathy for their cause.
Whatever the case, the pro-hunting bill passed in both chambers of the Iowa Legislature. But the anti-hunters weren't done. They mounted a furious last-minute campaign, urging Iowans opposed to dove hunting to contact Gov. Tom Vilsack.
In January 2001, Vilsack vetoed the bill, saying, "The majority of Iowans do not support changing the current law to legalize dove hunting. My office has received contact from thousands of concerned Iowans regarding this issue and my conclusion is that this policy is not right for our state at this time."
Here is the link for the full story:
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...rs/7040329.htm
These nuts want to stop all hunting.