Vote on dove hunt shifts

dispute to NRB
SubmittedbyadminonSun,04/23/200020:00
Farfromsettlingtheissue,anoverwhelmingvoteinfavorofanopenseasononmourningdoveshasonly
shiftedattentiontotheNaturalResourcesBoardthenextstepinreclassifyingWisconsin'sofficialbirdof
peaceasfairgameforhunters.
SincetheadvisoryvoteatstatewidehearingsApril10,dovehuntingadvocatesandopponentshavebeen
mailingwrittencommentstotheDepartmentofNaturalResources,forsubmissiontotheboardbeforeits
meetingMay2324inShawano.
Theboardwillhavetoconsiderthestrongvoteforahuntatthehearingsbutalsohasreceived"afloodof
lettersfrompeoplewhodon'twanttohuntthem,"saidHowardPoulson,aNaturalResourcesBoard
memberfromPalmyra.
Thenthereisathirdgroup,hesaid,"thosethataresaying,Hey,I'mahunterbutI'mnotsosureweneed
tohuntmourningdoves."'
DovehuntingopponentJohnWieneki,ofNewLondon,hashunteddeerandothergamebutisdeadset
againstaddinghuntingseasonsforthemourningdoveandsandhillcrane.
MovesbytheDNRtoconsiderhuntsforthosespeciespromptedhimtoformagrouplastJunecalled
WisconsinCitizensConcernedforCranesandDoves.Hesoonwascirculatingpetitionsopposingdoveand
cranehunts,thoughtheDNRhassincebackedoff,fornow,onthecranehuntingidea.
Asofthisweek,Wienekisaidhehadsubmittedpetitionswith20,000signaturestotheDNR,andhe
expectsthenumbertogrowto30,000incomingweeks.
Huntsupporterssaythestatehasanampledovepopulation,estimatedat4millionto5million,andis
missingoutonarecreationalopportunityofferedin38otherstates.TheDNRstaffhasconcludedahunt
couldbeheldwithoutharmingthepopulation.
Opponentscontendthemourningdovepopulationisbeingoverestimatedandcouldbeonthedecline,and
thatthereisnoneedtohuntthedove.Thegrayishbrownbird,knownforitssoft,cooingcall,eatsweed
seedsandisacommonvisitortohomefeeders.
ResultsofthestatewidehearingsheldbytheDNRandtheWisconsinConservationCongress,anadvisory

grouptotheNaturalResourcesBoard,havesomeopponentsquestioningthestate'sprocessforhandling
thedovehuntingproposal.
Wienekisaidhewouldbesatisfiedifadovehuntwasestablishedthroughastatewidereferendumor
legislativeaction.Thatwouldinvolverescindingthe1971lawthatmadethedovethestate'ssymbolof
peaceandremoveditfromthelistofgamebirds.
"Eitherway,we,thegeneralpublic,wouldhaveinput,"hesaid.
Butadovehuntingadvocatesaidthehearingsweresimplyagoodexampleofdemocracyinactionthat
shouldleadtothehunt'sapproval.
"Onepersononevoteit'satruedemocracy,"saidstateRep.DuWayneJohnsrud,REastman,whohelda
tastingsessioninhisCapitolofficeinFebruarytoshowthebird'sattributesastablefare.
"ThehallsoverflowedandIthinkthat'sgreat,"hesaid."Whensomeonedoesn'twin,theystarttocriticize
theprocess."
Totalattendanceatthehearingswasjustunder30,000,shatteringthepreviousrecordof9,600setin
1991.Thevoteinfavorofthedovehuntwasabout21,000to6,000.
Withtheturnoutupasmuchas10timesfromlastyearatsomesites,therewerecomplaintsfrompeople
whocouldn'tgetinorwerepreventedfromparticipatingbecauseoflimitedspaceorballots.
AlPhelan,theDNR'sliaisontotheConservationCongress,saidhespentthedaysafterthehearings
respondingtoangryphonecallsfrompeoplewhoweren'tabletovote,remindingthemtheystillcouldmail
inwrittencommentsuntilApril14.Thatperiodlaterwasextended.
"Ithinkwe'llseeincreasedattendancefromnowonjustbasedonthehuntingantihuntingclimatethat's
outthere,"Phelansaid.
AnnFrisch,auniversityprofessorandpresidentoftheWisconsinAnimalEducationalNetwork,saidthere
areseriousproblemswiththehearingsforthoselikeherwhoopposeallhunting.Shesaidshewouldlike
toseealltheresultsfromthehearingstossedoutbytheboard.
"IknowthatwhenIgotuptogivemyshortspeech,theyjeeredme,"shesaid."Ifyouwantpeopleto
participateintheprocess,youmakeitsafeforthemtobethere."
DNRwildlifeecologistKeithWarnkesaidtheDNRwouldliketohearfromanyonewithcomplaintsabout
behaviorofthoseinattendance.
"IdidnotwitnessanythingthatwouldqualifyasbeingmeanspiritedatthehearingIwentto,"hesaid.

IftheNaturalResourcesBoardapproves,theDNRstaffwillpreparedovehuntrulesandforwardthemtoa
stateAssemblypanelheadedbyJohnsrudandastateSenatecommitteefora30dayreview.
Thecommitteescancallhearingsontheproposedhunt.Iftheytakenoactiontoblockit,theDNRcan
proceedwithplansforthehuntin2001.
OntheNet:
Wis.DoveHunters:http://widovehunt.com
Wis.CitizensAgainst:http://nodovehunt.webjump.com
Wis.SocietyforOrnithology:http://wso.uwgb.edu/wso.htm