Should Wisconsinite’s hunt sandhill cranes? What to know about a bill in the Legislature
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
MADISON – Wisconsin lawmakers are again trying to create a hunting season for sandhill cranes, much to the dismay of crane lovers and the enthusiasm of hunters.
The Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage took up a bill that would allow hunters to apply for a license to shoot the birds.
Here’s what you should know.
What does the bill to establish a hunt look like?
The bill would establish a sandhill crane hunting season and establish different hunting zones across the state. It would also create penalties for the taking of other bird species, especially whooping cranes.
Under the proposed legislation, permits would be $10 for Wisconsin residents and $50 for non-residents. If more people apply for permits than the number of available permits, the Department of Natural Resources would create a cumulative preference system.
The bill comes after a year of Legislative Study Committee hearings on sandhill cranes, though it did not incorporate recommendations to include financial compensation to farmers impacted by crane damage.
Are there concerns about the bill as written?
Yes.
Several people testified at the hearing that by taking away crop damage compensation in the proposed legislation for farmers, the amendment ignores the most important points reached during the study committee hearings.
The lack of funding for additional staffing for the DNR would also have an impact, especially because the agency would have to create and manage a new hunting season in addition to studying trends in population and how the hunt affects breeding pairs.
Has a bill like this been introduced before?
This is not the first time that Republicans have brought forward a proposal for a hunt in recent years.
In 2021, a bill resulted in hours of testimony in Madison, during which environmentalists said they were not consulted in the drafting of the legislation and farmers said the birds were ruining their crops. The bill did not make its way to Gov. Tony Evers’ desk that year.
A similar bill was also introduced in 2011, but did not make it out of committee.
What do advocates for a hunt say?
Those who spoke in favor of a crane hunting season said it would not only add to the sporting heritage of the state, but would help farmers manage the amount of crop damage seen each spring when planting corn, wheat or other crops.
Tim Andryk, with Ducks Unlimited Wisconsin’s policy advisory team, said the birds are fun to hunt and tasty to eat.
“I’ve hunted sandhill cranes in North Dakota for the last 30 years. They are truly a great game bird,” he said. “They’re such good eating that people that are opposed to this hunt, I think they’re primarily opposed because they’ve never eaten one.”
Rick Gehrke, a member of the Wisconsin Corn Growers Association and a farmer near Omro, said crane damage is persistent on his farm each spring, with costs ranging from $8,000 to $10,000 per acre.
“We’re not asking for special treatment, but a science-based tool to prevent loss,” he said. “It will maintain a healthy crane population, while giving farmers a meaningful way to reduce damage.”
While farmers have access to a technology called Avipel, a coating placed on seeds to make them unpleasant for birds to consume, enough damage occurs that farmers are still paying a price from cranes.
“This is one of the most persistent issues on my farm,” he said.
One of the bill’s authors, Rep. Paul Tittl, R-Manitowoc, said he understands that many people find cranes beautiful, but plenty of the animals hunted in Wisconsin are fun to observe.
“I can show you on my phone a beautiful six-point buck that was on my camera this morning at 6:30,” he said. “I’ll tell you that’s beautiful and glorious as well, and we have a hunting season for that.”
More: Goose adopted by crane family adapts to life in Madison. ‘They’re kind to each other.’
Tittl also expressed a love for turkeys, which he also hunts.
“It is a part of the process of Wisconsin, it’s a part of the process of managing our game in the state of Wisconsin,” he said of hunting.
What do opponents have to say?
On the other side of the argument, those opposed to opening a crane hunting season argue it could damage the population growth seen in recent decades and stunt the population of cranes throughout the country.
Anne Lacy, the director of eastern flyway programs, said she has studied the reemergence of cranes in Wisconsin and other states in the migration flyway zone, and just because the population has grown doesn’t mean it’s stable long-term.
“Cranes are long-living and slow to breed,” she said. “They do not have the same biology as ducks or geese. They have unique biological considerations.”
She said that because the birds reproduce slowly, it can take five to 10 years to discern trends.
She also noted that avian influenza could decrease the number of cranes in Wisconsin greatly if there was an outbreak. Pair that with a hunting season, and the population could drop drastically.
“The threat of the virus cannot be overstated,” she said.
Dave Considine, a former Democratic Assembly member from Baraboo, said Wisconsin’s crane population was just a dream when the state started managing the birds. Just because the population has recovered well doesn’t mean that they should be hunted, he said.
“It’s a great conservation story, but that can change very fast,” he said.
How many sandhill cranes are in Wisconsin?
Sandhill cranes were nearly eliminated from Wisconsin a century ago but thanks to state and federal protections and environmental improvements, the birds have increased substantially in number. Wisconsin hosted an average of 51,000 cranes from 2018-22, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
What kind of crops do cranes damage?
The increased population of sandhill cranes in Wisconsin has led to crane-caused crop damage estimated at $1.9 million annually, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Most of the crop damage in Wisconsin occurs in the spring when cranes eat newly planted corn. Other losses occur later in the year, including to pea and potato crops.
What about whooping cranes?
Many of those who testified also expressed concern over the potential that hunters could shoot and kill whooping cranes after mistaking them for sandhill cranes.
Sandhill cranes are generally the smaller bird, and are slate gray in color with a red face. Whooping cranes are larger and are all white.
Whooping cranes are endangered, and have been under management for years, in an effort to increase the population. Shooting a whooping crane, even accidentally, can come at a cost to hunters, in fines or even jail time.
In 2022, the shooting of four whooping cranes in Oklahoma was used to discourage a vote on a sandhill crane hunting bill in Wisconsin.
What comes next for the bill?
After the Nov. 19 hearing in the Senate committee, the bill will need a passing vote before it can be heard by the entire Senate.
The bill also needs a public hearing in the Assembly before it can go to the floor in that chamber.
If the bill makes it through both chambers, it will then go to the governor’s desk, where it could be either signed into law or vetoed.
Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on X @SchulteLaura.
Source: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2025/11/20/wisconsin-lawmakers-debate-hunting-season-for-sandhill-cranes/87319896007/
Author: Laura Schulte
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
