Committee set to discuss sandhill crane management in Wisconsin

Thousands of sandhill cranes breed and migrate across Wisconsin each spring and fall, all the while feeding on crops throughout the state. Many states already have established sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) harvest seasons intended to manage populations. But despite a bill that Wisconsin lawmakers introduced in 2021 to create a hunting season, the measure never received a floor vote. Now, a 12-member committee of legislators, farmers and conservationists will discuss the most appropriate ways to manage the birds’ numbers and reduce the crop damage they cause. Despite opposition by the International Crane Foundation due to the sandhill crane’s inability to reproduce quickly and their similar appearance to federally endangered whooping cranes (Grus americana), the committee will also seek federal approval to establish a hunting season for the birds.

Read more at The Associated Press.