By Bruce Ross, Executive Director – bross@wisducks.org
This article appeared in the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s April 2025 Newsletter edition.
Sandhill Cranes were the topic when representatives from WWA, WI Wildlife Federation, Safari Club International, and Delta Waterfowl spoke to legislative members of the Sporting Heritage committees. Our efforts with each legislator are to educate them on this topic better—here are some of the materials we draw from. Although logic and science support a crane hunt, there continues to be substantial emotion-driven opposition to the concept. This opposition disregards that sandhills are currently hunted in one-third of states. Even more perplexing in this opposition is that crane overabundance has led to the killing of over 10,000 cranes already in farmer fields. And millions of dollars in agricultural costs are lost every year.
WWA is leading the charge to protect hunters’ constitutional rights on this issue. WWA has hired Contract lobbyist Joel Kleefisch to help advance this topic through Senate and Assembly committees to a floor vote. We will be continuing legislator education in the months ahead. We will look to you for help in convincing your legislators that a responsible sandhill crane hunt is common sense, as it helps limit agricultural damage while respecting the state’s constitutional right to hunt.
Want to understand the issue better? Renowned outdoor writer Tom Bahti picked up a pen to capture the logic—and emotion—surrounding this topic.
