Is Lack of Interest Credible?
Mourning
doves are the number one gamebird in the USA. More doves are harvested annually than any
other game species.
Mourning doves are hunted in forty one US states, Puerto Rico, Ontario, British Columbia, Mexico, Central America, South America, and on Indian reservations. Alaska is one of the nine states that does not allow dove hunting, however mourning doves only occur in Alaska as an accidental species.
The New York State DEC website contains a page titled “Why We Don't Have a Dove Hunting Season in New York”. The DEC concluded, based on survey data, that the level of interest in dove hunting was low among NY hunters.
However, NY allows a trapping season for about 10,300 licensed trappers. Despite opposition from the public, the DEC pursued expanding trapping opportunities for species such as bobcat and river otter. NY also offers a special license for a very small number of people to train bear hunting dogs; 40 people have one year licenses and 90 people have five year licenses for a total of 130 bear dog training licenses. NY also issues falconry permits, and there are 250 falconers in NY. According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, there are only 4,000 falconers in the entire United States.
The state of New Jersey, also one of the states that does not hunt doves, has not communicated to us lack of interest, but the NJ DEP did indicate that they and the state’s small number of hunters would be overwhelmed by anti-hunters opposed to dove hunting. However, the state of New Jersey does allow trapping for only 759 licensed trappers. NJ also allows falconry with only 55 licensed falconers. NJ also created black bear hunting opportunities but have been unable sell all 10,000 allotted bear permits and after two seasons, permit sales have dwindled to 6,445 bear tags.
Connecticut is currently seeking legislative approval for bear hunting under the same justification as did New Jersey; to remedy bear nuisance complaints at a lower cost to taxpayers. Because of the incentive to reduce nuisance bears and do it at less cost to taxpayers; NY Dove Hunting feels that it was a mistake for NJ sportsmen to back-off on dove hunting initiatives to concentrate on establishing a bear season. Although dove hunting offers co-benefits to non-game and non-hunters; a dove season does not offer the same incentives as does bear hunting to the non-hunting majority residing in NJ. Meaning, the NJ bear season would have been implemented anyway.
Connecticut sportsmen should follow the advice of NY Dove Hunting and demand doves before bears. We expect the success rate and bear harvest in Connecticut to be similar to NJ (130) and Massachusetts (148); which will not generate much recreation and interest in bear permits is likely to dwindle as it did in NJ.
Mourning doves are hunted in forty one US states, Puerto Rico, Ontario, British Columbia, Mexico, Central America, South America, and on Indian reservations. Alaska is one of the nine states that does not allow dove hunting, however mourning doves only occur in Alaska as an accidental species.
The New York State DEC website contains a page titled “Why We Don't Have a Dove Hunting Season in New York”. The DEC concluded, based on survey data, that the level of interest in dove hunting was low among NY hunters.
However, NY allows a trapping season for about 10,300 licensed trappers. Despite opposition from the public, the DEC pursued expanding trapping opportunities for species such as bobcat and river otter. NY also offers a special license for a very small number of people to train bear hunting dogs; 40 people have one year licenses and 90 people have five year licenses for a total of 130 bear dog training licenses. NY also issues falconry permits, and there are 250 falconers in NY. According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, there are only 4,000 falconers in the entire United States.
The state of New Jersey, also one of the states that does not hunt doves, has not communicated to us lack of interest, but the NJ DEP did indicate that they and the state’s small number of hunters would be overwhelmed by anti-hunters opposed to dove hunting. However, the state of New Jersey does allow trapping for only 759 licensed trappers. NJ also allows falconry with only 55 licensed falconers. NJ also created black bear hunting opportunities but have been unable sell all 10,000 allotted bear permits and after two seasons, permit sales have dwindled to 6,445 bear tags.
Connecticut is currently seeking legislative approval for bear hunting under the same justification as did New Jersey; to remedy bear nuisance complaints at a lower cost to taxpayers. Because of the incentive to reduce nuisance bears and do it at less cost to taxpayers; NY Dove Hunting feels that it was a mistake for NJ sportsmen to back-off on dove hunting initiatives to concentrate on establishing a bear season. Although dove hunting offers co-benefits to non-game and non-hunters; a dove season does not offer the same incentives as does bear hunting to the non-hunting majority residing in NJ. Meaning, the NJ bear season would have been implemented anyway.
Connecticut sportsmen should follow the advice of NY Dove Hunting and demand doves before bears. We expect the success rate and bear harvest in Connecticut to be similar to NJ (130) and Massachusetts (148); which will not generate much recreation and interest in bear permits is likely to dwindle as it did in NJ.
Connecticut has 20 falconers. Connecticut became the 49th state to legalize falconry in 1998, but did not set its first season until 2005. During the interim between 1998 and 2005 the state thought the activity was worthy enough to study it for seven years before actually setting its first falconry season. A Connecticut DEP representative was quoted as saying they received 100 inquiries about a falconry season over a five year period, and thought about a dozen of the people inquiring were “serious”. After Connecticut became the 49th state to establish a falconry season in 2005; a proposal to create a bear hunting season surfaced; but to our knowledge, there has not been any initiative to legalize dove hunting.
It is overlooked that mourning dove hunting makes a significant contribution to the Pittman-Robertson fund, distributed via grants to states, including states which do not allow dove hunting. By contrast most of the equipment used by bear dog trainers, trappers, and falconers are not subject to Pittman-Robertson excise taxation.
NY Dove Hunting is of the opinion that the lack of interest excuse does not have merit and far more people would benefit and participate in dove hunting than falconry, trapping, bear dog training, and bear trapping combined (see graphs below). It has been suggested the number of hunters that will participate in a new dove season is approximately the same as the number of waterfowl hunters in that state. According to data from the USFWS and the DEC, there are 35,000 waterfowl hunters in NY. NJ has 10,455 waterfowl hunters.
Another important consideration is the feasibility of dove hunting to the average person and/or disadvantaged person compared to the other activities which are esoteric in nature. Falconry and keeping a pack of bear hounds is both expensive and requires an appropriate housing situation. Hunting bear, other big game, and trapping often present difficulties for a person who lives in an apartment. Trapping, running hounds, and bear hunting may be too physically strenuous for many people. By contrast, dove hunting is a feasible activity to an extremely wide range of people. For many, it is the only form of hunting they can participate in.
Another premise suggested by the DEC is that NY hunters do not have experience with dove hunting and/ or there is not a tradition of dove hunting in New York State. However, there is also no experience or tradition among NY hunters with falconry, bear dog training, crossbow hunting, or air-gun hunting but yet that did not stop the DEC and legislature from implementing those changes. The same argument can also be made about the DEC's 2014 black bear plan, which indicated exploring the option of legalizing the trapping of bears. New York has no tradition or experience with bear trapping.
Lack of interest and lack of tradition are not credible justifications or explanations for not pursing a dove hunting season.
It is overlooked that mourning dove hunting makes a significant contribution to the Pittman-Robertson fund, distributed via grants to states, including states which do not allow dove hunting. By contrast most of the equipment used by bear dog trainers, trappers, and falconers are not subject to Pittman-Robertson excise taxation.
NY Dove Hunting is of the opinion that the lack of interest excuse does not have merit and far more people would benefit and participate in dove hunting than falconry, trapping, bear dog training, and bear trapping combined (see graphs below). It has been suggested the number of hunters that will participate in a new dove season is approximately the same as the number of waterfowl hunters in that state. According to data from the USFWS and the DEC, there are 35,000 waterfowl hunters in NY. NJ has 10,455 waterfowl hunters.
Another important consideration is the feasibility of dove hunting to the average person and/or disadvantaged person compared to the other activities which are esoteric in nature. Falconry and keeping a pack of bear hounds is both expensive and requires an appropriate housing situation. Hunting bear, other big game, and trapping often present difficulties for a person who lives in an apartment. Trapping, running hounds, and bear hunting may be too physically strenuous for many people. By contrast, dove hunting is a feasible activity to an extremely wide range of people. For many, it is the only form of hunting they can participate in.
Another premise suggested by the DEC is that NY hunters do not have experience with dove hunting and/ or there is not a tradition of dove hunting in New York State. However, there is also no experience or tradition among NY hunters with falconry, bear dog training, crossbow hunting, or air-gun hunting but yet that did not stop the DEC and legislature from implementing those changes. The same argument can also be made about the DEC's 2014 black bear plan, which indicated exploring the option of legalizing the trapping of bears. New York has no tradition or experience with bear trapping.
Lack of interest and lack of tradition are not credible justifications or explanations for not pursing a dove hunting season.
* Hawaii
does not issue trapping licenses nor prohibit trapping. Trapping occurs mainly
for nuisance wildlife typically, feral hogs. Responsive Management reported in
their trapping survey that there are 0 trappers in Hawaii.
** Hawaii does not restrict landowners; however there is no authorization for falconry otherwise. *** Puerto Rico does not prohibit trapping; however it does not issue trapping licenses, or enumerate trapping participation. Trapping in Puerto Rico most often is done to control nuisance wildlife. **** There is a new falconry law in Puerto Rico its Law 89 of 2012, this amends the previous falconry law in Puerto Rico, Law 137 of 2000. The Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, is working on a falconry regulation which will eventually be submitted to the FWS office of Migratory Birds. First of course the Law and regulations need to be translated into English, prior to submitting it to Migratory Birds office. Once approved falconry or hawking, will be a legal form of hunting in Puerto Rico. ~USFWS Caribbean Field Office. ^ Legal activity – unable to collect data. ^^ Legal activity –state of Maine does not require permit or otherwise enumerate bear dog trainers. Figures based on recent information using conservative estimates. Sources: State wildlife agencies, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/ U.S. Census Bureau National Survey on Wildlife-Related Recreation, Responsive Management Ownership and Use of Traps by Trappers in the United States, and Cornell University Trapping/ Fur Harvest Survey Why We Don't Have a Dove Hunting Season in New York, deer hunting in NY, crossbow, Safe Act, pistol permit, handgun license, muzzleloader, Turkey hunting in NY, chronic wasting disease, Zenaida macroura, dove hunting, pheasant release sites, pheasant stocking, Reynolds Game Farm, pheasant hunting, hunting license, where to hunt, learn to hunt, where to shoot, learn to shoot, places to hunt and shoot, books about hunting and shooting, duck hunting, goose hunting, hunting geese, waterfowl hunting, grouse hunting, quail hunting, upland bird hunting, game bird, hunting dogs, training hunting dogs, retriever training, hunting dog training areas, National Hunting and Fishing Day, hunting guides and outfitters, hunting gear and equipment, hunting clothing, wild game recipes, cooking wild game, dove recipes, pheasant recipes, wild game dinner, venison, shotguns, rifles, |