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ORIGINAL: petasux

HCH, Im no dove hunter, never tried it and really dont have any urge to.The first time the bill failed I did write letters and email them.The second time around I was under the impression it was going to get passed and didnt get involved.Never in my wildest dreams did I see the veto coming.On the bright side I think in that artical it mentioned Culvers in favor of a dove season, there could still be a chance for those that wish to hunt them to do so if they make another push for it.

I watch them at my feeders and like having them around but then I enjoy watching deer in the off season as well, come Oct 1st though Im hunting them.Not having much experience with dove hunting I have no idea the $$ amount it could generate.Without a seperate fee for it Im not sure it would be all that much, most people that would hunt them are already buying a hunting license for one season or another.I dont see it drawing a lot of out of staters since most other states have a dove season in place.

Deer and pheasants are a billion dollar a year businuess in this state, I cant see any immediate threat to those seasons.They play a big role in many small Iowa towns economies.Im not PC, hell, I hang deer in the tree in my backyard and butcher them there right in the middle of town.But Im not willing to totally discount the power the antis have either.Hunters are to divided to combat them effectively.If they attack a season that doesnt directly affect an individual hunter odds are they wont get involved and will leave thier fellow hunters out to dry.Thats why they have so much luck picking out less popular sports and having them outlawed.Trapping, mountain lion hunting, spring bear seasons, different forms of hound hunting etc...Not a lotta guys do them and the ones that do dont get much backing.But every time they convince a population to outlaw something it makes it easier to justify voting against the next thing that comes to the ballot.If hunters would pull together a little better and support each other more, and become involved, antis could very well become a non issue, but I cant see it happening anytime soon.

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