Should mourning doves in Michigan be a protected bird, or fair game for hunters?

The Dove Hunting Referendum asks voters whether a public act passed in 2004 that established a hunting season for mourning doves should be changed. Previously, hunting mourning doves was illegal.

Julie Baker, from the Committee to Restore the Dove Shooting Ban, said the hunting season established for the doves goes against the historical protection of the birds.

"The mourning dove is a big part of Michigan's traditional values, and they have significant economic value as live song birds," Baker said. "There's no reason to shoot them — they're not overpopulated, they're not a viable human food source and they're not dangerous animals."

For people who believe there should be a hunting season for the bird, the question is "why shouldn't they be hunted?" said Rob Sexton, vice president for government affairs at the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance.

"Dove hunting causes no harm to species' health. Their populations are good, and it's a great way to introduce people to hunting," Sexton said.

Sexton said dove hunting had only been kept illegal because groups had worked to keep it that way, and hunters in many other states are allowed to hunt the birds.

Mourning dove hunting is a social activity that can introduce people to other types of hunting, Sexton said.

"It's a hunted species in the United States, and hunting them is enjoyed all the way around the world," Sexton said. "Michigan hunters need to be afforded the same rights as hunters in other states."