Sandhill Crane Hunting in Wisconsin

by

Dylan Lenz 

 

As the sun rose over the tranquil marsh I was duck hunting last October, a thunderous call emanated from all directions. This call was not produced by any game bird I was pursuing however. It was the grumbling moans of thousands of Sandhill Cranes that took refuge in the dense vegetation of the marshland. The cranes soon filled the skies around me. Their deafening calls drowned any of the hail calls or honks I feebly attempted to persuade waterfowl into my decoys with. I left the marsh that morning without any birds in my bag and a new quarry in mind.  As a kid, the large birds had been a novel and uncommon spectacle. In recent years however, it seems that the population of Cranes has swelled exponentially. Few country roads garnished with agriculture can be traveled without a glimpse of the awkward gangly birds these days. This poses both a problem and a possibility for farmers and sportsmen alike. 

                Sandill Cranes use their long slender bills not only to probe the earth for buried wetland vegetation, but also to consume large amounts of cultivated corn, wheat and sorghum. Farmers across the country have accused the birds of damaging significant amounts of their crops. Cranes enjoy the young shoots of corn stalks and wheat grass so farmers do not get a chance to harvest many of their anticipated plants. In 2007, there were 84 complaints of crop damage due to C ranes, the damages from these complaints alone were estimated to be $263,000. Although the state of Wisconsin issues some damage control tags to farmers for the nuisance cranes, the difficult process of applying for and receiving tags is far too complicated and ineffective. A Sandhill Crane season however, would help to manage the booming population and reduce the stress on farmer’s yields while offering a new and unique experience for the hunters of Wisconsin. There are thirteen states that hold a yearly crane hunt in the nation. The 8,600 American Crane hunters harvest over 17,000 birds each year, yet the Mid-continent population has grown to over 500,000 Cranes since the first season was opened in 1961. The Eastern population (Which encompasses Wisconsin) boasts a less impressive yet steadily increasing 60,000 Cranes. This number has doubled since the population was last surveyed in 1996.

 If no further measures are taken to slow the expansion of the Eastern Sandhill Crane population, cultivators will continue to bear the destruction of their hard earned crops. Why not create a new form of recreation while helping farmers to reduce the amount of plants lost each harvest?  Advocates that oppose the suggested season claim that there is no use in killing the animals and that their aesthetic value is too great. I disagree however; I feel that the so called “Rib Eye of the Sky” would look much better on a plate next to mashed potatoes and asparagus, than next to a corn crib eating a farmer’s already struggling yield.

References

http://www.nrahuntersrights.org/article.aspx?id=4701