I’m thinking now of a room bathed in morning sunlight and of lace curtains floating on a breeze. The coo of a Mourning Dove reaches my ear. The sound gently nudges me into awareness. The dove is somewhere in a garden, perched boldly on a fence top or peering shyly through a screen of leaves in the pear tree, the oak or perhaps the maple. The thought of a dove nearby cheers me.
Mourning Doves have come to symbolize peace. We associate them with romance, longing, and perhaps sorrow. Their call soothes the soul; their soft colouring and marblelike façade pleases the eye. No wonder they are a common muse for artists and poets.
When the phrase “Mourning Dove hunting season” appeared on my computer screen during a research session, I blinked and read again. Surely I must be mistaken.
Last year, for the first time since 1955, Environment Canada announced a Mourning Dove hunting season in Ontario, from early September to mid November. Licensed hunters in specified rural areas, were permitted to take 15 doves per day with a maximum possession limit of 45 birds.
A startled outcry erupted from bird lovers, animal activist groups and the romantics among us. Officials quickly pointed out that British Columbia has held open season on Mourning Doves since 1960. The practice is common throughout the United States.
The Canadian government defended their decision on two fronts. First, The Mourning Dove has been recognized as a game bird since 1916. Secondly, their numbers were abundant enough to sustain a harvest; experts projected that 1% of the mourning dove population would be affected.
Prior to this week, I didn’t know doves could wind up on a plate. I’d heard of squab, but never realized that it was a discrete term for — pigeon or dove. This is not a meal for me, a thirteen year vegetarian.
Perhaps visions of Mourning Dove domesticity will cleanse my mental palette of the afore mentioned imagery. The Mourning doves’ ability to produce six broods per year, in warm climates, accounts for their abundant numbers across North America. When it’s time to nest, the male collects materials and passes them to the female. She takes charge of building. After the eggs are laid, the nest is never unattended. The male dove sits on the eggs from morning until afternoon, when the female resumes her place on the nest. The pairs lean toward monogamy, reuniting the following year or remaining together through the cold winter months.
Gwen Tuinman 
March 18, 2014 at 7:25 am
So sad to think about the beautiful mourning doves being hunted and shot. I loved the part about male doves attending the eggs. He’s watching out for his ‘children’, and how the mates stay together. How they symbolize peace, romance and longing and their call soothes the soul. Hmm…perhaps that’s why Sully chose that as his bird call ‘signal’, and why Michaela’s heart skipped a beat when she heard it nearby. I have one nearby, too, and no matter what I’m doing, I always stop and smile when I hear it’s soft call. Thanks for a lovely post.
March 19, 2014 at 7:26 am
I think you’re onto something, Linda, with the connection between the mourning dove and Sully’s call. During my research, I found this clip of a nesting dove that you might like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsZJuo3A9A4. Hope you have a lovely day:)
March 19, 2014 at 7:37 am
Thanks Gwen, that was sweet. 🙂
March 18, 2014 at 11:05 am
these tender harmless birds can are plentiful around here. the thought of an “open season” on them would put me in a tail spin.
sad story, good reading Gwen
March 19, 2014 at 7:48 am
Thanks Eddie. The mortality rate of mourning doves is very high, around 58% for adults and 69% in the young. With those odds, it is quite remarkable that they are so plentiful.
March 18, 2014 at 7:41 pm
Very interesting. In practise I’m a vegetarian (I only rarely eat meat, and almost never when I’m in Canada), but I can’t say I am entirely against the hunt. Time spent in Europe where there is a season and a seasonal/deeply traditional plate for everything has probably done that for me. Still, sad to think of these lovely birds being hunted!
March 19, 2014 at 7:40 am
It is interesting to hear the perspective of someone whose spent time in Europe. Reading on the topic left me with the impression that squab may be a dish more common there than here. I did read that pigeons are farmed there but I’m not sure about doves. Your comment is reminding me of the relationship between tradition, culture and food. Hmm, I’ll be pondering that today:)
March 19, 2014 at 7:29 pm
I get a little nervous when hunting announcements are made. At our lake house, we heard the community received permission to cull the geese population. As much as the geese are a nuisance, I don’t want to see mass killings of wildlife.
March 24, 2014 at 7:44 am
I can completely appreciate your unease. The lake house must be a beautiful retreat for writing and enjoying family. I should imagine there are some nice biking routes there too.
March 22, 2014 at 5:19 pm
There was some lovely writing here about mourning doves Gwen, which I don’t think we get in the UK and such a shame about the hunt.
March 24, 2014 at 7:47 am
Thanks for writing, Andrea. I think they are also known as “turtle doves”. Does that sound familiar?
April 4, 2014 at 12:41 pm
I’m appalled that these are considered “game birds”. For me, they’re the birds that wake me up and put me to sleep each day. They are on my property constantly and I love putting food out for them during the winter, when food is scarce. I love them. This makes me so sad.
April 9, 2014 at 4:48 pm
I was also very surprised. They are such a symbol peace and serenity, its difficult to picture them as anything else. I actually heard one the other morning. Nice to have them return to the neighbourhood after the dramatically cold winter we’ve had.