“Wisconsin Mourning Dove” Photo Credit: c. Judy Mayer, September, 2015 USED WITH PERMISSION

the plaintive silence–

the mourning dove’s anguished cry

as the hunter stooped

to pick its prey from the dirt–

for two were dismissed that day

http://www.wisconsinbirdsounds.com/mourning_dove.php

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Related Information on the MOURNING DOVE:

http://www.wisconsinbirdsounds.com/mourning_dove.php

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLaO2rZzWlQ Mourning Dove Something to Coo About 4 23 2014

http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/WildlifeHabitat/documents/dove.pdf    Another irony–In this article, the DNR writes: “…The mourning dove population in Wisconsin can sustain hunting without limiting the population”, and then further on in the same article writes: “…MORTALITY: “…The natural mortality rate for mourning doves is high; approximately 6 out of 10 birds do not survive from one year to the next. Research indicates that mourning dove mortality is caused by a variety of factors including predators, disease, accidents, hunting, and weather extremes. ”

http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2003/09/02_tundeln_dovehunt/

St. Paul, Minn. — Wisconsin finally opened its mourning dove hunting season Monday, for the first time since 1918.The season was first approved two years ago by the state Natural Resources Board., But animal protection groups successfully sued to stop the hunt, and ended up delaying it for two years.  An appeals court overturned that ruling earlier this year, allowing the hunting season to begin. That decision has also been appealed, but neither the Wisconsin Supreme Court nor Gov. Jim Doyle stepped in to delay the start of the 60-day hunt this fall.     The Wisconsin Legislature took the mourning dove off the list of game species when it named the bird the state symbol of peace in 1971. That designation was made at the urging of animal rights activists.

MY REACTION:

I find it so ironic that we would hunt our state Symbol of Peace, as the Mourning Dove was so named in 1971. I have lived in this particular countryside subdivision since 1986 and it is now 2015. The change in law permitting the shooting of this bird took place in 2003. Prior to the hunting permission, I could hear the cooing of the doves each morning, from one end of the subdivision to the other–now–their song has disappeared! I feared the worst when the law was changed, and, unfortunately, the hunt has killed their song. Even though we have people in this subdivision, the gun’s voice could be heard …only the pop not the coo! Now we have a countryside devoid of the mourning dove and its song!