For years now, the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association along with our conservation partners in Wisconsin, have been working with lawmakers to support a regulated, sustainable hunting season for Sandhill cranes in the state…and we are closer than we have ever been to making that a reality.
Following the 2024 Legislative Council Study Committee on Sandhill Cranes that examined population trends and determined whether any changes to state law would effectively address the incidence and consequences of crop damage caused by Sandhill cranes in this state, two bills were introduced in the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate – Assembly Bill 117 and Senate Bill 112.
Brad Heidel, your Executive Director, testified in support of both of these bills in the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage and the Assembly Sporting Heritage Committee.
Both of those bills have passed their respective committees and are ready for consideration by the floor of both the Assembly and Senate before the legislature wraps up in mid-February.
Yes, we have asked you for your voice on this in the recent past, However, now lawmakers across Wisconsin need to hear directly from sportsmen and women on this issue to ensure it receives floor time and a possible vote.
Wisconsin represents the largest breeding state for Sandhill cranes in the eastern part of the country, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) should have the best available data and full suite of options available to properly manage this iconic species – including a sustainable, regulated hunting season.
