“It’s the equivalent of opening a season on the robin,” Wayne Pacelle, vice president of the Humane Society of the United States, said.

Tuesday night in the Gold Room of the Memorial Union, the issue of opening season on the mourning dove in Iowa was addressed.

The mourning dove has been protected in Iowa since 1918.

Lately, a small segment of the hunting community has questioned this protection and began campaigning to have it lifted.

It will be brought up in the Iowa legislature this January.

Pacelle and Michael Markarian, director of campaigns and media for The Fund for Animals, Inc., conducted the presentation.

Pacelle said they are adamantly opposed to the opening of mourning dove season because there is no practical reason for hunting this bird.

“The mourning dove causes trouble to no one; in fact, they are an aid to farmers,” he said.

The mourning dove feeds on weed seeds without damaging the crops, lessening the need for herbicides, he explained.

“They are a natural means of weed control,” he said.

Markarian said mourning dove hunting has been referred to as “wing shooting,” meaning the sport is only valued as a way of warming-up for deer hunting.

“We believe the main goal in this sport is target shooting because they are a very small bird only yielding two ounces of meat,” he said.

Markarian said Iowa is one of a dozen states that doesn’t allow the hunting of this bird.

“The main hunting lobby in this country, which is the upper Midwest, all have bans on hunting the mourning dove,” he said.

Pacelle said this isn’t the first time the protection of the mourning dove has been in question.

Several previous bills have been brought up regarding the issue and all have been defeated.

“Unfortunately this small segment of the hunting community has a lot of national money and can afford to continue the fight,” Pacelle said.

Members of humane societies in Iowa called on Pacelle and Markarian to help in their fight against the legislation.

Ames falls in the middle of a rigorous schedule for the duo, which includes presentations to five cities in three days.

Pacelle said the work is worth it if they can convince people to help. He encourages people to get involved in the political process. “This is a chance to do something good for the wildlife in Iowa,” he said.

To aid in the cause, Pacelle said people need to contact their state representatives and encourage them to oppose any legislation in favor of opening season on the mourning dove.

“Everyone can make a difference,” he said.