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Sandhill crane season comes up short in Wisconsin
Madison — The bill that would have created a sandhill crane hunting season in Wisconsin died quietly March 17 when the State Senate adjourned its last regular session without voting on the proposal.
Past votes in meetings, hearings, and a vote on the Assembly floor on bills that would have created a season (Senate Bill SB 112 and the Assembly Bill AB 117) passed on a partisan basis with Republicans in favor and Democrats against. With 33 senators, the bill needed 17 votes to pass. There are 18 senate seats held by Republicans, but members in favor did not get enough support from fellow Republican senators, so they did not bring the bill to the Senate floor for a vote.
It was a long, arduous process to get the bills as far as they progressed. It started Aug. 1, 2024, with a meeting of the 2024 Legislative Council Study Committee on Sandhill Cranes. On Dec. 10, 2024, after five meetings, the committee sent a recommendation to the legislature in favor of introducing bills to establish a sandhill crane hunting season in the state.
This year, on Jan. 7, the Senate version of the bill advanced out of the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage for a possible vote on the Senate floor. On Feb. 19, the full Assembly passed its version of the bill with a voice vote. If the Senate had passed its version of the bill, it would have gone to Gov. Tony Evers for a signature or veto. Evers has not said publicly what his stance was on the bills.
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Rep. Paul Tittl (R-Manitowoc) chaired the study committee. He said some opponents of the bill have misconceptions on wildlife.
“I’m disappointed,” he said. “Some people think because something is of such great beauty (sandhill cranes) that they don’t want to manage the population of it.”
He said if that is the case hunting would not be allowed for wood ducks or pheasants. Tittl added that for every hunted game species, the population has grown when managed.
“Some are denying the crane’s comeback story,” Tittl said. “There is no denying the crane population count now.”
Sen. Rob Stafsholt (R-New Richmond) chairs the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage, the committee that voted to advance the bill to the Senate floor. He is disappointed, but optimistic.
“I’m disappointed and happy at the same time,” Stafsholt said. “It’s farther than we have ever gotten before. I’m happy that we get closer to having a sandhill crane hunting season in the state of Wisconsin. I’m disappointed because we were so close this time to getting it through the Legislature. I don’t know what the governor would have done if we had sent it to his desk. A lot of folks spent a lot of time and energy and worked really hard. It shows because we got it so close.”
Stafsholt believes biology was not a reason the bill failed.
“We were two votes short to pass it in the Senate,” he said. “I think that from the conversations I’ve had those two folks had concerns on what the public’s perception was on hunting sandhill cranes. I disagree with that. We only needed one of those two no votes to be a yes.”
One area of disagreement – the bill was stripped of extra funding to farmers for crop depredation from sandhill cranes. Stafsholt said that was not a good reason to oppose the bill.
“This wasn’t a farm bill,” Stafsholt said. “This was a hunting bill on whether or not we should have hunting in the state of Wisconsin for sandhill cranes. Keeping those two things separate made sense to me.”
Brad Heidel, executive director of Wisconsin Waterfowl Association (WWA), reflected on why the bill failed.
“There were two main factors, partisan politics and a choice to follow the science only when it aligns with a particular agenda,” Heidel said. “This should not be a political issue. Decisions like this should be based on sound science and what is best for our crane population, farmers and our constitutional right to hunt, fish, and trap, not on politics or emotion.”
Stafsholt said there is no need for another study committee to be formed for a future bill to be introduced that could create a sandhill crane hunting season.
“I think the study committee served its place, gathered information, got insight from all the different stakeholders involved, pro and con,” he said. “I think to have another study committee you would get the same results. I think next time around you can get a senator and an Assembly person who would author that bill and put it out for co-sponsorship like any other bill and we start where we left off.”
Tittl agreed there will not be another study committee convened. He will support a future bill to create a sandhill crane season.
“My plan for the next session would be to get together as many as possible and introduce a separate bill,” Tittl said. “I will be the lead author in the Assembly.”
Stafsholt said he would support another bill to create a sandhill crane season. He said a good thing that came from the study committee was the fact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service set 30,000 as a minimum sandhill crane population for a hunt to be allowed. The population is four times that.
Paul Wait, senior manager of communications for Delta Waterfowl, was on the study committee. He was heartened by support the bill generated.
“I’m encouraged that so many conservation groups came together to strongly support a crane hunt in Wisconsin,” Wait said. “We live in a right-to-hunt-and-fish state. Wisconsinites absolutely should be afforded a sandhill crane hunting season.”
Wait is optimistic despite the bill’s failure to pass.
“I believe another sandhill crane hunting bill will be introduced next session,” he said. “It has the support of conservation groups and farmers. We can’t keep ignoring the fact that crane populations and crop damage continue to increase every year. Eventually, we’ll have a sandhill crane season in Wisconsin. All of the science points to allowing a hunt and to giving our DNR the tools to manage game bird populations in Wisconsin.”
WWA will not stop working for a sandhill crane hunt.
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35 thoughts on “Sandhill crane season comes up short in Wisconsin”
You need to post everyone’s name, email address and phone number that voted no. That way people can contact them and let them know that the people in their district support a crane hunting season.
No sandhill crane hunting
I am in favor of hunting Sandhill Cranes in Wisconsin. Even our liberal neighbors in Minnesota allow hunting Sandhill Cranes.
Daniel Cook
511 Taft St
Fond Du Lac, WI 54935
These hunters need to know the difference between Sandhill and Hooping cranes. we loose too many hoopers ,which, coexist in our neighborhoods to poor identification.
As well as south on the migration routes.
Non toxic shot required as well.these are wetland birds.
Do we really need another species to hunt? Don’t we have enough already? Doves were added not too long ago. Just let the cranes live. Republicans do more harm to farners with tariffs and the iran war (fuel prices going up and lack of fertilizer) than any bird or animal can do.
Hey Bill. How did you end up here? This is a website for Sportsmen, not men who used to be women…..I guess taking all those hormones does mess with ones thought process…..
Every accusation is a confession.
Take your bloodlust out on some chickens.
Great well thought out comment, if your goal is to insult people who disagree with your opinion. Your comment certainly sparks a lot of intellectual discussion and is very educational. Keep up the great work!
Absolutely correct! I am tired of Wisconsin hunting anything that moves. Its ridiculous. Have a little respect for God’s creatures!!
They want to kill off more wolves because they can’t even find non lethal ways of dealing with them. A boy in Africa invented a device to scare off lions yet our 1st world farmers can’t even think straight when they hear about wolves in their area. How pathetic.
I didn’t like the though but I’m not a hunter. The Canada goose used to be protected correct? But now they are in overabundance and become nuisance in great numbers so we’re taken off endangered and are hunted now. So I have kept my eyes open. I have seen migrating flocks in the farm fields reaching numbers of 100 or so. Maybe the population has recovered enough to have a need for it is all I can say. I have a pair every year nest nearby and they spend a lot of time I think eating grubs out of my lawn so I do not mind the free grub removal and aeration. So pros and cons just do a headcount when they are established to their territories they nest in not count a migrating flock. Can’t tell how spread out they are when all in a group together.
Your very ignorant as to the damage these birds do. They literally follow behind the farmers as they are planting seed and stick their beaks down into the soil and eat every seed the farmers are planting, This is a perfect example of a person letting their hatred for one person rule over common sense, you just read that farmers are all in favor of this and yet you get political and bring up all these other issues that you say republicans are doing. Its your Democrat party that is deliberately trying to destroy our country, 80% of the american people stand behind voter ID and that illegal aliens should not vote and yet its your side that wants this and keeps holds our national security hostage so they can cheat in elections, its your side that has fraudulently taken billions of dollars from tax paying americans and allowed foreigners to steal it. So spare me your weak arguments about repulicans.
Gotta love how these idiots complain about the farmers and then complain about the hunters…. No wonder they all need Ozempic, they clearly have no desire to eat anything natural…..
Quit being a damn libtard and know that they get hunted anyway. We should have a season for them here in Wisconsin!!
That’s called poaching and it’s illegal
Have you ever driven in the country during the 1st parts of planting season those cranes will walk down corn rows pulling every sprout coming up devastating farmers harvest
Added not long ago? 23 years it has been. Sandhill cranes are in abundance and they are absolutely delicious. Ribeye in the sky. Are you opposed just because you hate republicans?
We need to have hunter season. At least the wives or husbands will remate
Hi AS. What a great idea, come on out to the woods and wetlands and pursue the men and women who spend hours practicing the perfect shot…. We even will wear orange for you… 🙂 Bet it doesn’t go how you expect…
I think this was tacked on to the bill the boat manufacturers endorsed for lake destroying wakeboats. Disgustingly assembly republicans caved for contributions vs. Doing the right thing for Wi. Lakes. Thank God the repub senate didnt follow them.
Shame on assembly repubs!
The wake boat situation is a slippery slope imo. I am a long time slalom and barefoot skier and don’t like them myself. However in have had property owners attempt to shut down some tributaries that I ski on. I am very concerned where things can progress if this bill ever passes.
I AM OPPOSED TO SAND HILL CRANE HUNTING!
THEY MATE FOR LIFE, FOR LIFE!!!!
STOP THIS INSANITY BEFORE YOU WRECK THE ENTIRE WORLD!
NO SAND HILL CRANE HUNT!
Wtf are you yelling? Turn the upper case off. Ridiculous. Btw. Apparently you have never eaten “ribeye in the sky”. Fantastic
Sw629classic,
There we are then. Learn to formulate an argument without slinging insults and threats. As a sportsman and a biologists I can see you have some valid points. Let those speak for themselves and leave it at that. Your insults and threats only detract from your argument, make you seem ignorant, or that you may be trying compensate for something inadequate in yourself or life.
Sandhill Cranes have 1and rarely 2 colts a year. They are dedicated to raising their young meaning BOTH feed the colt and remain in Wisconsin until the young are strong enough to fly south. They remain together until they return north. Dedication describes this breed, besides intelligence and social. Cranes are monogamous and stay together throughout life. Shooting a crane is cruel when it take two to raise its young. Leaving a colt unattended when its parent looks for food opens the young up to predators.
I saw a pair lose its mate. They never found a partner the rest of the season, I’m guessing the colt died and it took two seasons before he found another mate. Unlike Geese who mate like rats, rats in the sky that shouldn’t have a bag limit.
Question! Have you ever seen a pair of Sandhill Cranes doing a mating dance? One will toss a stick in the air to impress the other…they lower their head, wing up in the air as the circle each other. This goes on for days and maybe weeks. When she lays an egg they BOTH incubate it and if a raccoon takes it. The mating ritual continues. But with every failed brood the longer they remain in Wisconsin which means less opportunities when they reach their winter homes.
Farmers get way too many federal and state subsidies already. They make treated seed that unpleasant to taste and consume they can plant. Stop whining! If you can afford $500k tractors and combines loosing a few bushels of grain is part of farming. No different than when they claim a down field when their wheat field I blown over in a wind storm or the same field that is flooded out year after year because the planted the low ground or peat fields they submit under crop insurance. Poor farmers “my patootie”! If they don’t farm a 1000 acres today it’s a hobby farm!
Conservationist! Canadian Geese! They have huge broods, they invade our parks, pollute our waterways, destroy farm fields, crap on sidewalks, spread bird flu. Yes they are smaller than a crane and more difficult to shoot than a huge crane but hunting isn’t about opportunity but SKILL!
If you can’t shoot a 10lb goose and have to resort to a 30lb crane – please don’t consider yourself a hunter.
Conservation! To conserve!
Geese are probably the easiest game to shoot, I imagine you have no clue though, do you? Also, you sound like you really hate the geese, so maybe give hunting them a try and help make a difference…..
So sorry that every wild animal you see is a walking steak. What a bleak existence.
I would imagine spending your time creeping on a sportsmans website as an anti hunter is an amazing existence…. Getting yourself all riled up to justify getting out of bed today must be an amazing way to live. Isn’t there a no kings or free Palestine protest you should be at today instead of reading a sportmens article?
Absolutely 100% agree with you Joanna! My wife and I look forward to the Sandhill’s return to our yard every Spring! Beautiful, majestic creatures.
There a crane in our parking/exit road the other day. I swear it was taller than my car
Conservation. Wise use of resources.
Shooting cranes and leaving them to lay and rot in the fields is not Conservation. It is what is happening now under the age damage permits.
Cranes are some of the most delicious meat one can harvest. No one is letting them lay and rot. Ridiculous comment
It is a true statement. Cranes killed with ag damage permits must be left in the field. They cannot be utilized.
Yes, Sandhill cranes are beautiful birds, yes, they mate for life. I think most of us can agree that is true. I happen to believe that all God’s creatures are unique, and many are beautiful. I don’t understand how that fact is more important than the fact that the management of populations of any animal is important. It used to be done by natural predators, most of which have disappeared in populated areas. Is it not more humane to cull the flock, some of will be elderly or ill, than to allow nature to do it by starvation? And as for the farmers, whom without you could not survive, why should they be less important than a bird? And a bird which is not endangered, at that. Have you thought ahead, about what will occur when food prices continue to rise, and food disappears, because all wildlife is deemed more important than any farmer? Please employ some common sense. If this were a Disney movie, we would not even be here, and the animals would all live in harmony, kumbaya. But that is NOT reality.