By By SCOTT NOVAK and ADAM FISHER / Niles Daily Star
Without much fanfare, Michigan opened its Dove Hunting season on Friday.
Cass and Berrien counties are two of six selected by the Michigan Natural Resources Commission for a three-year trial period.
The DNR limited its first dove hunting season, which runs through Oct. 30, to six counties in southern lower Michigan. All of the counties border either Indiana or Ohio, where dove hunting has been legal for years.
Hunters were happy that the season was finally approved, but the fact that it happened the day before the season opened left some with a bitter taste in their mouths.
Still, despite the delays and the fact that many of the stores which can sell the $2 dove stamp didn't even have the proper code to provide interested hunters with a license, the season did get started on Friday.
A survey of area retailers who sell licenses for the state provided mixed details.
While the three-year trial period on dove hunting opened Friday in Berrien County, local retailers who sell the stamps required to shoot the birds say they haven't seen much excitement over the issue.
Eric Rakowski, manager of Niles Feed &Seed located at 2215 S. 11th St. said he had about eight people buy the dove stamps on Friday, which was normal for the first day of a hunting season.
He said he didn't think hunting doves would be that popular with local hunters because not too many people have been talking about the issue.
Aalf's Amoco at 301 River Rd. in Buchanan also sells the licenses, but cashier Amanda Leinonen said she hadn't sold any stamps on Friday.
J.J. Bait &Tackle shop, located at 1103 N. Red Bud Trial, Buchanan, didn't have the dove stamps by Friday because it didn't receive the proper code from the Michigan DNR, worker Tim Lowrance said.
Lowrance, whose father Jeff owns the shop, said, even if J.J. did have the stamps, he doesn't think they would sell many.
Rakowski said he didn't think the sport would be popular because doves are small and offer little meat to eat. He said hunters prefer larger game birds.
Despite the lack of excitement for dove hunting, Rakowski said he's glad the state finally lifted the ban. He said the money raised by sport can benefit the DNR.
Stores in Dowagiac and Sister Lakes did not have much interest in the stamps. Two stores in Edwardsburg, however, did.
Bill's Trading Post in Edwardsburg reported that it had sold approximately seven dove stamps by late afternoon.
Lunker's, also in Edwardsburg, reported that it sold four stamps early Friday morning and another four to six by the afternoon.
Bob McCartney, a former Dowagiac resident who works at Bill's Trading Post, said that he sees a bigger interest in waterfowl and wing shooting in the Edwardsburg area compared to Dowagiac.
At W.B. Hayden &Sons in Cassopolis, there had been no sales of dove stamps on Friday. The same was true at Hale's True Value Hardware in Dowagiac, at Guntle's Outdoor Outfitters in Dowagiac and Graham's Wood's-N-Water in Dowagiac, although one hunter came in to get a stamp.
That person had to be turned away however, because the dealer did not have the proper codes yet from the state to sell the license.
Michigan becomes the 41st state to adopt a dove hunting season.
The Natural Resources Commission approved the season at its regular monthly meeting in Lansing on Thursday.
Biologists will monitor the dove population during this three-year trial period to make future recommendations about additional hunts.
Hunters will have to have a small game license as well as the $2 dove stamp. Revenue from the stamps will be divided equally between the Nongame fish and Wildlife Trust Fund and the Game and Fish Protection Trust Fund.
While the hunt is under way, the Dove Protection Coalition continues to push to stop the hunting.
Not only did the coalition denounce the action by the NRC, it called for the state to put the hunt on hold until after a referendum vote.
The coalition wants a vote on the subject in the 2006 election. It will need more than 158,000 signatures of registered voters in order to force the vote.
Hunters, who continue to push for a state-wide dove hunt, will be allowed to take 15 doves per day, but they may not have more than 30 in their possession.
Michigan has at least 4 million mourning doves which migrate from the state each year.