Mourning Dove Milestones

A historical timeline of dove hunting related legislation and other events.

June 2016 - Quebec, Canada  -   Quebec will be hunting doves come the fall September 2016 season. 

July 2014  -  First National Dove Hunter Survey published -read more HERE.

September 2013 - Ontario, Canada  -   Ontario re-instated the first mourning dove hunting season since 1955 in the providence.

January 2012  - New Jersey  -   New Jersey re-classified the mourning dove as a game bird with a closed hunting season. Prior to 2012, the mourning dove was classified as a protected bird in NJ.

2011- Forty Five New York hunting clubs submitted letters of support for dove hunting. For a list of these clubs ....Click HERE.

2011 - Iowa - became the 41st state to legalize dove hunting.

2009  -  State wildlife agencies, including the NY DEC became participants the US Fish and Wildlife Service's mourning dove population monitoring effort and started banding mourning doves.  The DEC banded mourning doves in 2009,2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013. 

2007 & 2009 - Rhode Island- Attempts to ban dove hunting are defeated.

2007  -  The oxford dictionary word of the year is "Locavore"

2006 - Michigan  -  In 2006 the states mourning dove hunting season is repealed.  

2004  - Michigan  & Minnesota -   legalized mourning dove hunting.

2003 - Wisconsin - Became the 39th state to legalize mourning dove hunting.

1998 - Ohio- Ballot proposal to ban mourning dove hunting defeated. 

1994 - Ohio - Became the 38th state to legalize mourning dove hunting.

1984 - Indiana - Classified the mourning dove as a gamebird. 

1960 - Hawaii  -   The mourning dove was introduced to Hawaii.