The idea of shooting one of these delicate, refined little birds is senseless to me. Doves are not loud or dirty or offensive in any way that I can see. A dozen of them would not make a filling meal. Yet, acting in opposition to public opinion, the Iowa legislature passed a bill making it legal to hunt doves in our state.
Let it be said I'm not opposed to hunting in general. We have a herd of deer that is way too fond of our garden, for instance, that I wouldn't mind the DNR taking a moment to thin. But these doves? There's no point in it.
The task of cleaning the tiny carcasses to eat, seems more trouble than one bite of dove flesh would be worth, no matter how much bacon you wrap it in. I wonder just how many hunters will take the time? Not just to clean them but even to pick them up and dispose of the carcasses they down. How many shot-riddled carcasses will be left on the ground to rot, the lead in their bodies poisoning any bird or animal that eats the carrion?
Well, the doves on my deck need not worry. We offer a safe haven. A water dish my husband keeps fresh. Seed the gold finches, woodpeckers, and flickers drop. Life is pretty good here and we hope more doves visit our deck, free from worry.
*Photo courtesy of We For Animals.
I wish Iowa would create a "season" for those huge black birds, here in Iowa. They aren't crows . . . some other species. They'll fill a 70' walnut tree at roosting time. Just pretty awful. Are they called "Starlings"????
ReplyDelete