By George Ermert, WWA Board Member and Policy Committee Chair
This article appeared in the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s April 2026 Newsletter edition.
Sandhill Crane Hunting Season Efforts End When State Senate Fails to Take Up Legislation
Efforts to bring a responsible sandhill crane hunting season to Wisconsin ended on March 17 when the State Senate failed to bring AB 117 up for a vote. The inaction by the State Senate means that a new bill to allow for a responsible sandhill crane hunting season will need to be brought forward in the next legislative session beginning in January 2027.
While it’s unfortunate that AB 117 did not get a vote in the State Senate, the efforts to bring a responsible sandhill crane hunting season achieved considerable progress in the legislature. WWA and our partners were a part of the “Legislative Council Study Committee on Sandhill Cranes,” which sent a recommendation in favor of introducing bills to establish a sandhill crane hunting season in Wisconsin. Those bills received a public hearing and a vote by committees in both the State Senate and State Assembly. And the State Assembly passed AB 117 on a voice vote. This was the first time a bill to allow a responsible sandhill crane hunting season had passed a legislative house in Wisconsin.
All those efforts will lay important groundwork and set the table for more progress on this issue in the next legislative session.
