The Michigan state Senate Appropriations Committee was scheduled to hold a hearing On Feb. 5 concerning establishing the first dove hunting season in the state’s history.

The bill passed the Michigan House of Representatives last November. It is sponsored by Rep. Sue Tabor who believes that Michigan citizens deserve the opportunity to hunt migratory doves, just as hunters in 39 other states currently have.

The National Rifle Association and other pro-hunting organizations are urging interested individuals to contact their lawmakers and remind them that state wildlife biologists, as well as the US Fish and Wildlife Service, support dove hunting.