Still Petitioning for dove hunting in NY!

[Mike Rossi]

Dove hunting is allowed in 41 states but not NY. Nationwide there are roughly 1 million dove hunters and 12 million deer hunters. There is an interest in dove hunting among some NY hunters.

According to the DEC our hunter recruitment rate is among the lowest in the nation (55 new hunters for every 100 who stop). The last three states which instated dove hunting all experienced an increase in small game hunting license sales coinciding with the first dove season. Some states require a dove stamp which generates additional revenue.

Doves are found in every county in NY. There has been a steady increase in mourning dove numbers in New York over the last 50 years and they are hunted sustainably in adjacent states which have comparable abundance indices. Most mourning doves migrate; most states hunt doves, and for decades doves hatched in NY have been subjected to hunting in other states during fall migration.

The DEC cannot simply instate a dove season; legislation must pass first. Several dove bills have been introduced in NY over the years, but for one reason or another none of them advanced, which is not uncommon, even for bills unrelated to hunting.

If you live in NY to help compel the Legislature to allow dove hunting please sign our online petition at this link: http://nydovehunting.weebly.com/petition.html

If you do not live in NY you can still help by sending us letters through the contact page of our website. NY has many non-resident hunters and many hunters from bordering states that also do not allow dove and/or Sunday hunting who do not ordinarily hunt in NY have indicated to us in letters that a NY dove season would be an incentive to buy a nonresident license and dove stamp. Some nonresident hunters own land in NY and pay taxes on it, as well as nonresident hunting fees who say they have a right to hunt the doves covering their property. Whatever your situation would be, outline it in your letter. We will forward your letter to policy-decision makers. Some nonresidents included copies of their non- resident hunting licenses and/or tax receipts. Send us as much or as little as you feel comfortable, but please do something!