On Centennial of Passenger Pigeon Extinction, Dove Hunting Flourishes
October 14, 2014
Who Remembers This About Mark Sanford
On Centennial of Passenger Pigeon Extinction, Dove Hunting Flourishes
by MARTHA ROSENBERG
Unlike former South Carolina Governor, now Congressman Mark
Sanford, the mourning dove is known for not leaving its mate. While many remember that Sanford left his gubernatorial duties in 2009 to “hike the Appalachian Trail ” in the arms of his Buenos Aires consort, few remember that part of the official delegation was dove hunting in Cordoba, Argentina.
Dove hunting is big in Argentina. “It is normal to shoot between 1,000 to 1,500 shells per hunter per day,” say promoters of the sport. “Hunters regularly use two guns and a reloader to prevent barrel overheating, as they may go through 1,000 (a thousand) rounds in a morning.”
Exultations from volume killers are not hard to find. At daybreak, “the birds started flying, and it was non
stop until we quit shooting at 11:30 or around 5 pm. Notice I said we quit shooting. The doves were still flying when we left as we were completely worn out from shooting,” writes Mike Bland of Houston, TX about the dove killing. “I have never seen so many dove (sic) and have never (sic) a more fulfilling hunt in my life,” wrote William Holliday of New York.
“Both of my boys became members of the Club 1000 for shooting more than 1000 birds in a single day–a proud papa moment,” wrote a beaming John Horton of Austin, TX.
More:
http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/10/14/on-centennial-of-passenger-pigeon-extinction-dove-hunting-flourishes/
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“Both of my boys became members of the Club 1000 for shooting more than 1000 birds in a single day–a proud papa moment,” wrote a beaming John Horton of Austin, TX.
If ya ain't gonna eat it, you shouldn't be able to hunt it. And 1000 birds just for stamina 
I have always refused to date anyone who finds killing a sport
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_collared_dove
They are an invasive species and probably displace our native doves.
If there's anything good about it our native hawks and falcons think they are delicious.
I honestly don't feel bad about people respectfully hunting invasive species like collared doves or hogs for their dinner.
The trouble with hunting is that some people are just assholes who will shoot anything for "fun."
Furthermore lead bullets and shot are toxic which is proving to be a problem with California condor recovery efforts. Condors eat lost game or animals that were simply shot and left and then they die or are disabled by lead poisoning.
Lead ammunition of all types simply ought to be banned.
Killing animals just to prove one's manliness (whatever the hell that is) is simply pathetic. If a kid of mine killed a thousand doves I'd make 'em prepare and eat every one, even if it was the only meat they ate for the next three years.
My dad gave up on dove hunting, most all hunting actually, because he decided he'd rather catch a fish.
I think I was done with hunting, and to some extent fishing, watching my great grandmothers prepare meals. They could turn a freshly killed small mammal, bird, or fish into a meal faster than your eyes could follow. My great grandmas were all wild west. Guns and knives were tools they wielded with great effectiveness, more skillfully than most of the men in our matriarchal family.
While my great grandfathers were dreaming of airplanes, railroads, mines, and radios, their dear wives were putting meat on the dinner table and protecting their children by bloody violence if necessary.