Vote on Michigan coyote season tabled as lawsuit plays out
Victor Skinner
April 19, 2025
Commentary: No season needed on sandhill cranes in Wisconsin
The proposal for a hunting season on sandhill cranes, like all hunting seasons, should be made based on biological information and sociological concerns.
To paint people who oppose a hunting season as anti-hunters or as those without an interest in hunting, is dead wrong. I hunt, am from a family with a history of hunting, and I oppose opening a season on sandhill cranes in Wisconsin.
I don’t believe a season on sandhill cranes is right for Wisconsin. I realize other states with big populations of sandhill cranes, such as Nebraska, also have declined to have a season on sandhills. So not opening a hunting season on this unique bird is not unusual.
If the reason for a hunting season is solely based on crop damage, there is a seed additive, called Avipel, that farmers can use to treat their corn and help deter cranes from eating tender young shoots.
RELATED COVERAGE FROM OUTDOOR NEWS:
Commentary: It’s time to establish a hunting season for Wisconsin’s sandhill cranes
Wisconsin’s sandhill crane hunting season bill takes another step
Crane hunt in Wisconsin? Committee gives green light as process takes another step forward
To further help farmers, Gov. Tony Evers has proposed adding $3.7 million each year to the new state budget for an abatement assistance program for corn producers. It will help to reimburse producers for the purchase of the seed treatment that discourages sandhill cranes from eating the seed.
This is just a start. Hopefully, in the future research will come up with additional ways to deter sandhill cranes from damaging other crops, such as potatoes.
The Wisconsin Legislative Council Study Committee on Sandhill Cranes should have recommended updating the agricultural damage law to allow farmers to get reimbursed for damage caused by sandhill cranes.
Currently the law requires a species to be hunted in order to pay crop damage to farmers. By adding cranes, without requiring that a species be hunted, would have helped farmers throughout the state much more than a limited hunting season in the fall when damage takes place in the spring.
Even that law has an inconsistency because it allows damage from mountain lions to be paid out, yet mountain lions are not legally hunted in Wisconsin. This was another opportunity for the legislative study committee to REALLY study the problem and come up with alternate solutions.
There are other alternatives to help farmers – one that is on this spring’s Conservation Congress April 14 agenda, that of issuing a conservation stamp to help pay for ag damage caused by cranes.
This would allow all citizens to contribute to help pay farmers for crop damages. And, indeed, wildlife belongs to ALL citizens, as noted in the North American Model of Wildlife Management. Everyone should be involved in funding damage to crops that everyone consumes.
Wisconsin is not ready for a sandhill crane hunting season.
Why not? Because sandhill cranes are special. They have long been considered a non-game bird. They have not been hunted for decades. To many citizens, they are a harbinger, just as are robins, of the arrival of spring.
Just because the federal government allows states in the Mississippi Flyway to hold a season on sandhill cranes, does that mean that Wisconsin has to participate?
Would such a season pass the smell test?
Precedent shows that years ago other states in the Mississippi Flyway held an early season on teal, but Wisconsin held off because it was considered an important breeding ground for blue-winged and green-winged teal. What is hunted in one state is not always appropriate for every other state.
Human attitude surveys show that citizens have legitimate concerns. A study conducted by the UW Survey Center in 2024 found only 17% of state residents would support a sandhill crane season, while 48% opposed it.
To say that all hunters support a crane season is misleading. In 2017, the Conservation Congress asked a question about beginning a crane season and it won, but just barely by 300 votes: 2,349 voting yes and 2,049 voting no. It was rejected in 18 counties.
Although open to the public, anyone who has attended the spring Conservation Congress meetings realizes that most of the people who attend are hunters, trappers, and anglers.
What is not needed is a season on sandhill cranes.
What is needed is to bring hunters and non-hunters together so that both carry their fair share of funding for natural resources management, not further divide them.
In Wisconsin, natural resources management is funded by license sales. If you don’t have a hunting, fishing, or trapping license in your pocket or purse, you are not the major funder for wildlife management, fisheries management, and conservation law enforcement.
We need non-hunters to have some skin in the game. I’d point to Minnesota’s 3⁄8 of 1% on the sales tax that helps to continue natural resources funding in that state.
Wisconsin needs hunters and non-hunters to work together to support natural resources. A sandhill crane season will only cause a larger divide between both groups.
Tim Eisele, of Madison, is a freelance outdoor writer/photographer and a third-generation Wisconsin hunter whose love has always been waterfowl hunting.
Share on Social
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email
Hand-Picked For You
Michigan Natural Resources Commission considers deer regulation changes
Bill Parker
April 18, 2025
Michigan’s statewide fishing report on April 18, 2025
Staff Report
April 18, 2025
Endangered sea turtle populations show signs of recovery in more than half the world, survey finds
Associated Press
April 18, 2025
Dan Small Outdoors Radio: Show 2016
Dan Small
April 18, 2025
Pennsylvania Game Commission board expands antlerless seasons
Tom Venesky
April 18, 2025
Iowa’s statewide fishing report on April 18, 2025
Staff Report
April 18, 2025
Related Articles
Wisconsin Wardens at Work: Jason Swaney emphasizes safety education
Jerry Davis
April 20, 2025
Even if a hunter, fisherman, or trapper is in violation of one or more rules and a citation is likely,
Vote on Michigan coyote season tabled as lawsuit plays out
Victor Skinner
April 19, 2025
The Michigan Natural Resources Commission on April 10 voted to table a proposal to reverse last year’s decision to close
Here’s how to respond to those hung-up toms
Outdoor News
April 19, 2025
There are few things more frustrating than a longbeard that just won’t commit. Sometimes you can see him strutting away,
61 thoughts on “Commentary: No season needed on sandhill cranes in Wisconsin”
This is a very short sighted and poor view of wildlife management. Wildlife professionals don’t make management decisions based on feelings, it’s based on science. It’s unfortunate that someone like Mr. Eisele fails to see that.
Clearly there good points to be made on both sides of this issue. On the other hand it seems rather foolish to focus on a sandhill crane hunt when we have a serious wolf problem in Wisconsin. Sandhill cranes are not apex predators. The population of wolves has far exceeded safe levels. They’ve decimated the deer population in northern counties and they continue to move farther south, killing not only deer, but far easier prey like livestock and pets. Their numbers will continue to increase rapidly. It’s only a matter of time before humans are added to their victim list.
I agree with you. We have a problem with Wolfves,coyotesbear, and big cats eating not only deer but their fawns.
That is what they are supposed to eat. How is that problematic?
Im for it it should be opened to a limited hunt !!
So taxing people and adding chemicals to crops is your answer?
Exactly! Is there nothing else? No other viable solution? Or should I say, have no other solutions been recommended?
I feel the other reason to support a regulated hunting season is to control the population so it doesn’t get to the point of the snow goose over population and destruction of habitat these birds migrate and you have to consider the winter habitat also
Hunting is an important and necessary tool to manage wildlife when numbers are sustainable. We are at that point on Sandhill Cranes and Wolves. If, as hunters, we start denying huntings role and looking elsewhere for management methods we are opening that door for other game species and playing right into the hands of the anti-hunting group! This writer has lived in Madison too long!
he literally proposed other solutions being done in the article? did you read the whole thing?
“Currently the law requires a species to be hunted in order to pay crop damage to farmers. By adding cranes, without requiring that a species be hunted, would have helped farmers throughout the state much more than a limited hunting season in the fall when damage takes place in the spring.”
this change in policy will open up relief fund to farmers, money that has already been allocated. this will not increase taxes.
the only management practice available to us is not a hunting season. I am not opposed I a potential lottery system, but acting like other solutions aren’t proposed isn’t true.
Ok , so we can’t hunt them up here in Wisconsin. So we breed them for the southern states to hunt. Meanwhile we miss out on the revenue and the delishus ribeye of the sky.
He doesn’t mention the successful morning dove hunt in Wisconsin early teal hunt in wisconsin or states with crane hunts. Would never had guess he is a hunter.
Can you eat sandhill cranes? Or are they thrown in the garbage?
They are better tasting than goose. Delicious birds, anyone throwing any game animal away should loose their license.
I agree. We do not need another chemical that will be used on crops. We don’t understand the etiology of autism and many other diseases. We do not need another chemical on our crops. The Wisconsin DNR and the Wisconsin Conservation Congress have successfully managed or wildlife with limited hunts, lottery hunts, and hunts limited to a calendar based on climate and habitat. The same is true with our fishery, which is assisted by many conservation clubs. Our sturgeon population is another great example of this success. Any person can easily see that we have too many sandhill cranes in different areas of Wisconsin
Yes, there is great debate and alterations to all the different animals and fish in Wisconsin on limits, areas of Wisconsin which have seasonal tags, and quotas.
Peole who live in Wisconsin should not have to drive to a different state to hunt sandhill cranes when we have plenty here.
Sandhill cranes are called ribeyes in the sky because they taste great. Start a season in Wisconsin with all the research, regulations that will be determined and debated by our current system of conservation here in Wisconsin.
I agree with Mr. Emmett, enough time and effort has been spent, time for Wisconsin to step up and put a hunting season on sandhill cranes. A simple lottery for cranes will increase revenue for the WDNR and give the sportsperson in WI a chance to harvest sandhill cranes.
It seems wise to me to use a measured and thoughtful approach to this dilemma. Sandhill Cranes are magnificent birds that bring great joy to the residents of Wisconsin.
Why not begin by using Avipel as a deterrent, paired with reimbursement for significant crop damage if necessary? We should not be discussing a crane hunt until these other methods have been tried and proven to be ineffective.
I can remember when the mourning dove hunt was a “hot” topic and the end of the world was in the balance based upon whether we should hunt a bird who typically shows up at bird feeders!
Long story short, we hunt them and the world hasn’t ended and they still show up at our feeders regularly.
So add more toxic pesticides to our foods instead of health game?
Life llong NW Wis resident & hunter ! Focus on more predator
Hunting !!! Leave the Cranes alone !!
So just hunt the ones you don’t like?
They literally help keep the balance in place. This makes no sense.
Clearly there good points to be made on both sides of this issue. On the other hand it seems rather foolish to focus on a sandhill crane hunt when we have a serious wolf problem in Wisconsin. Sandhill cranes are not apex predators. The population of wolves has far exceeded safe levels. They’ve decimated the deer population in northern counties and they continue to move farther south, killing not only deer, but far easier prey like livestock and pets. Their numbers will continue to increase rapidly. It’s only a matter of time before humans are added to their victim list.
I’m sure this poll didn’t reach people outside of a 30 mile radius of Madison. And what type of people do you think stop to do a poll? The current wildlife management system of WI is short sighted. They are focusing on year to year instead of looking 10 to 15 years ahead.
A friend of mine has a farm near a marsh. He said they tried Avipel and the cranes followed the planter, eating the seeds like candy. Good in theory but not in reality. Some sales pitches are good but dupe the customers.
This is extremely disappointing to read.. As a waterfowl hunter and friend to many farmers this article is just silly. I don’t think Tim has any clue how expensive the seed additive is and how over populated this state is with Sandhills. Also making the argument that we need to play nice with the liberal antis makes me laugh.
When it comes to politics and the DNR policy look no further than who’s in control!!
We didn’t get uncased carry of hunting firearms under a democratic administration. Listen then study what is being said.
Fact check this: when the last wolf season was brought into court why did the judge ” swear in” the consul representing the DNR from AG’s office in procedure? BECAUSE THE JUDGE KNEW HE WAS LIEING, YES HE WAS LIEING ABOUT THE LAST TIME DNR CONDUCTED A WOLF POPULATION COUNT!! The AG attorney quickly turned to the DNR people present and then CONFIRMED that the State had just completed an estimate months before. He KNEW IT but tried to make an excuse about needing it before letting another hunt go forward.
For all the sand hill crane lovers answer me this, are the morning doves hunted in Wisconsin for the last 6 years now extinct in our State?
One more parting shot, how much money is taken out of money collected from hunters, fishermen and state park campers that is placed into DNR accounts only to be stolen by the State for non department use? The DNR isn’t allowed to keep what is made for those reasons and if you want to believe that the DNR will actually get all of that money keep taking your ” stupid” pills as they are going to do it all over again
Why not use propane cannons like they used in the Horicon Marsh to move the Canadian Geese along their way?
Because there are cranes in practically every rural field in Wisconsin. That’s a lot of cannons lol. Even if the seed additive worked (it may not), you’d just be moving birds to another field. Make it a spring hunt, pre-nesting, on farms that sign up for relief. Or if no hunt, at least allow the ones who on depredation permits to be consumed. What a waste with the current system. Feds and DNR need to get their $#&! together!
Had patches of bare ground in hay field
Had yo plant
They pulled it out. Farmers had to replant corm
With a lot of ponds and lakes seeing more every year along with swans in St
Croix County.
The number one reason why I believe there should be a season on sandhill cranes in Wisconsin is that they are delicious and good to eat. Why does there need to be any other reason or justification? It’s freedom. And well-managed hunting has proven to be very beneficial for wild animals and their predators. You want to save a species from extinction? Open a hunting season for them and the hunters will promote/propagate their existence to hunt them.
There already is a Crane season in Wisconsin. Wisconsin citizens kill them every year under a sport hunting season. To be one of those citizens who have hunting privileges you must have dual citizenship, one of which must fall under GLIFWC jurisdiction. This being true, why can’t all Wisconsin citizens have the means to hunt cranes?
A hunting season should be based solely on the population of the species. Definitely not based on public opinion. I think the governor should save the tax payers the 3.7 million he’s going to give farmers to spray more poissons on our nations food supply back to us and just open up a hunting season for the ribeye of the sky
No crane hunting season should be allowed at this time for quite a few reasons. Deregulation of wetlands could easily open up the doors for businesses to wipe out a significant number of critical habitats which support cranes. The bird flu’ impact on cranes may only be in the beginning stages. Climate change may dry up habitats and delete food sources that comprise a large percentage of a Crane’s diet. Best management practices would ideally lean toward exercising caution now and in the near future.
I am absolutely against the use of Avipel. Why use tax dollars to attempt to solve the Sandhill crane problem by poisoning our land and water and lining the pockets of the chemical company??
So the answer is to just add more chemicals to our food sources dont these people think we have enough garbage in our food further more opening spring hunting on cranes will help with crop damage and save the tax payers of wisconsin money.
Farmers have been using Avipel for awhile. If they don’t the cranes walk down the rows and eat every seed and then the farmer has to replant the field again. It’s a no win situation for the farmers they must treat the seeds or have no corn. There are way to many cranes in Wisconsin and need to be managed with a hunt.
Population is irrelevant as an argument for or against a season. They are migratory.
Hoping for research to eventually come up with a way to stop them from deprecating “other” crops is a very pie in the sky idea.
Paying abatement to farmers rather than collecting income from license sales…
I’m gonna bet the author is a Democrat and hunts about as much as Tim Walz.
Maybe they hunt as much as Scott Walker. Freshly creased orange vest with photo opp. Brings in a Texas high fenced biologist named Dr. Kroll. Goes fishing on opener and holds the spinning rod upside down. Walker kept the public from being able to cross railroad tracks to reach Mississippi River. Don’t make it a political thing.
Tim Eisele and the Outdoor News have become a joke on the vast majority of issues such as this and others like the wolf program as well as the severe mismanagement of deer by the DNR for decades.
I ended my subscription years ago to the Outdoor News and so did many of my friends. You are taking the views of a small clueless minority out there including Tim and are totally out of touch with the sportsmen of Wisconsin. You will continue to see subscriptions go down unless you change.
Adding Chemicals to our food and soil is not the answer. Given the population is large enough and harvest is sustainable, there is no reason not to have a season.
I totally agree with the other commenters whom referred to Wisconsin saving the resource for other states South of us to hunt. I remember seeing an ad in a guide brochure from Texas from the late 1970’s showing a successful hunter with his 3 daily limit of cranes . I believe 50 years later, Canada also has a daily limit of 3. Note: this is NOT a season limit, it’s DAILY limit. I agree rather than plant chemically laden corn kernels, finally agree on a hunting season for Wisconsin.
I personally have hunted Sandhills cranes in TN, and their numbers continue to grow. We even have a huge festival for them that happens during a 3 day split in the hunting season. You can view them at the wildlife refuges from November thru February every single day, they are in farmers fields everywhere and you can see them on our main rivers by the thousands. They lost several dozen alone due to the bird flu at one refuge I volunteer at. Why would you waste taxpayers money and force farmers to buy some ridiculous coating on a grain when you could solve the problem and make money too. Hunters are the best conservationists and pay more to conserving the wildlife they hunt than any other group. Or you can let them overpopulate and destroy crops and have a massive die off due to disease and starvation, yeah brilliant, so you can view their piles of dead corpses lying there because you don’t want anyone shooting them so they can die a quick death. Both of the cranes I shot were dead before they hit the water. I personally care greatly about the wildlife I hunt and do enough conservation in building and up keeping duck boxes, license and stamps purchases etc to help produce way more than I ever take from the environment. This is common sense 101, not some emotional and political nonsense without any scientific or practical evidence to it.
This author is really bad at making any decent arguments. “The majority of people wouldn’t like it” is that all you have? It’s a pretty bird and some liberals are going to get upset for a couple days before moving on to the next thing? I don’t know what fairytale land this idiot lives in but hunters and non hunters are not getting any closer and he’s not doing anything to help that… People like the author make me want to stop buying licenses cancel all of my donations and just go take what’s mine. Wildlife management and the conversation surrounding it has become a joke that’s really starting to piss me off.
If the population is large enough to cause damage it’s large enough for limited hunting which should be decided by biologist not political opinion. If you don’t want to hunt them then don’t.
This article showed up in my news feed. As a Missouri resident, we have an 1/8 cent sales tax for conservation and now every tree hugger and environmentalist has a say. Our new conservation director for the state just touted how the department seeks input from all stakeholders when making decisions. They even have sociologists on staff. Aldo Leupold must be rolling over in his grave. Let the wildlife biologists make these decisions based on the science at hand and leave the biodiversity tree hugging antis out of the equation. Good luck!
Hmm… I have no skin in the game whether a crane hunting season is allowed or continued to remain off limits. As an outdoorsman, I’d like to see what the data supports. That’s how management should be. This piece feels written with an opinion that fails to argue the point home, saying the management data supports the continuation of a closed season because of these specific survey numbers of resident adult nesting pairs and brood rearing success or failure, carrying capacity of the specie in the state etc. This is “Fake news” without an unbiased factual based presentation. Disappointing to read. Thanks for your Time- Jay C
Their opinions of non-hunters about whether or not a crane season should be opened to the sportsmen and women of Wisconsin are irrelevant. Some of those non-hunters would like to see all hunting seasons closed permanently. By the author’s logic all hunting should therefore end because some uninformed non-participants think it’s a good idea.
There should be a season in Wisconsin. They breed in Wisconsin and we have hundreds of thousands in Wisconsin and when they migrate south other States slaughter them.
Nobody cares about the millions of dollars of losses Farmers take because of mismanagement of Wildlife
Sick of other states being allowed to harvest game but Wisconsin cant
A two or three bird limit won’t decimate the population in Wisconsin just like it doesn’t in North Dakota. If they are that much of a problem on crops there, it seems obvious that a season is necessary. I’ve never heard of farmers complaining about cranes decimating crops here in ND. The writer seems to be the type of hunter that goes out once a year and uses that to certify that they know what they are talking about and believes nobody should hunt anything else in any way they do not.
Tim,
Do us all a favor and stop writing your idiotic articles. You probably don’t realize but there on many people in the DNR as well as wack job tree huggers that want to see hunting and fishing eliminated period. Your moronic opinions are not helping the cause of sportsmen of Wisconsin. Why don’t you go work for the DNR because you always side with them anyways. Then you can fail with them on wildlife/ fisheries management all the time, continue to get paid, and never be held accountable or worry about getting fired.
Another problem with using Avipel is that the dry formulation that a lot of people use in this area has not been available for the past 2 years, and the liquid formulation is not easy to apply, and comes in too large of a container for small farmers.
Cranes are considered a game bird in many states and countries(Canada). Our population continues to grow, to the point it is starting to affect crop production. There is no data to explain that we can not support a crane hunt in Wi. The data actually supports a crane hunt. Their table fair is incredible. We need to follow suit with the bag limit that is offered in other states. 3 birds.
I sure don’t want to eat ANY corn that has been treated with that poison!
I agree. We do not need another chemical that will be used on crops. We don’t understand the etiology of autism and many other diseases. We do not need another chemical on our crops. The Wisconsin DNR and the Wisconsin Conservation Congress have successfully managed or wildlife with limited hunts, lottery hunts, and hunts limited to a calendar based on climate and habitat. The same is true with our fishery, which is assisted by many conservation clubs. Our sturgeon population is another great example of this success. Any person can easily see that we have too many sandhill cranes in different areas of Wisconsin
Yes, there is great debate and alterations to all the different animals and fish in Wisconsin on limits, areas of Wisconsin which have seasonal tags, and quotas.
Peole who live in Wisconsin should not have to drive to a different state to hunt sandhill cranes when we have plenty here.
Sandhill cranes are called ribeyes in the sky because they taste great. Start a season in Wisconsin with all the research, regulations that will be determined and debated by our current system of conservation here in Wisconsin. Do not add additional chemicals to our crops when hunting could be the solution for too many sandhill cranes!
Hunting seasons aren’t based on how people feel. They’re based on sound scientific studies of if there are enough to sustain hunting pressure or not. If there are, hunting seasons with daily limits and regulations ARE allowed. You would need to show how this HARMS the overall population as to why there shouldn’t be a seaaon. How you FEEL about it has ZERO impact on the needs of the species to either be controlled by hunting or to die by disease from over population. Having a season or not should always be based on science and err to the side of hunters rights not being infringed by PETA , beta males, or women who think they’re pretty. To call yourself a Hunter and NOT understand that is an oxymoron. I can argue the same rationale. Not allowing a season will only further divide people. See how that doesn’t work? That’s why it should fall to science, not feelings. Because who’s feelings matter most? Yours? Mine? Please try to think critically fir yourself. I did not enjoy having to do it for you.
First of all, this person claims to be a hunter. So does Tim Walz, and we all know that’s BS. At one time there were many folks who didn’t want the wild turkey season opened when their numbers rebounded. Many folks confuse Sandhill Cranes with other cranes. The Sandhill Crane population is healthy and even a nuisance in many areas. A regulated hunt is the only way to control their numbers and give some relief to farmers. Also a great source of income and protein in these same farming communities. The idea of spraying crops to deter cranes is as silly an idea as giving whitetails birth control in areas with too many deer. But, it is Wisconsin so not a surprise. Many of us, including us folks in Maine, have to deal with city folks making decisions for those of us that actually have to deal with these issues in our back yards. If you don’t like the idea of a crane season, don’t participate. But don’t keep others from enjoying the hunt and providing for their families.
Why can’t farmers lay a clear plastic over the seeds, basically a humid greenhouse effect, until they are large enough to not be a concern to cranes? We are the smarter species here (I think) certainly there are solutions out there that don’t involve death and chemicals.
Tim Eisele is the most terribly sorry excuse of a self proclaimed outdoor writer and supposedl sportsman. He belongs on a show like ” The View” were he would fit in perfectly with all the other radical talking heads spouting off their off the wall uneducated opinions.