Sandhill crane season has little support
Fewer than one in five Wisconsinites support a sandhill crane hunting season in the state, according to a study conducted by University of Wisconsin researchers.
And approximately half of Badger State residents oppose such a hunt.
The data are part of an effort by the University of Wisconsin Survey Center to scientifically assess attitudes on hunting the large, long-legged birds.
The crane-hunting questionnaire was administered to members of the UWSC's WisconSays survey panel in Dec. 2023; 2,769 respondents participated. The results were released Monday.
The work was funded by the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo and the UW-Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies.
In answer to the top line question – “To what extent do you support or oppose a hunting season on sandhill cranes in Wisconsin?” – 29.6% of the WisconSays panel responded “oppose a lot,” while 12.4% said “oppose somewhat” and 5.6% “oppose a little.” Other responses were 6.6% for “support a lot,” 5.5% for “support somewhat” and 5.5% for “support a little.” The remaining 35% responded “neutral.”
However, even if a sandhill crane hunting season were legalized in the state, 79.6% of respondents said they would be “very unlikely” to hunt the birds. In addition, 2.9% were “somewhat unlikely” and 1.7% were “a little unlikely.” Among those who would pursue cranes, 4.4% were “very likely,” 2.8% were “somewhat likely” and 3.3% were “a little likely.” The balance (5.6%) were “neither likely nor unlikely.”
Sandhill cranes were nearly eliminated from Wisconsin a century ago but thanks to state and federal protections and environmental improvements the birds have increased substantially in number. The 2021 fall count for the Eastern Population of sandhills, which includes birds in Wisconsin, was 90,029 cranes, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The restored population of the native bird provides enjoyment for wildlife watchers but also causes an estimated $1 million or more annually in crop damage, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The species is protected by state law and no program is in place to compensate farmers for crane-caused crop losses. However three other states in the Mississippi Flyway have hunting seasons for the birds and some organizations have lobbied to change state law to allow a crane hunt in Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin Wildlife Federation and Wisconsin Waterfowl Association have advocated for a crane hunt, for example.
The Legislature hasn't demonstrated much support for crane hunting, however. Twice sandhill crane hunting bills have been introduced (in 2011 and 2021) and twice they failed to advance to the governor; one didn't make it out of committee.
Rich Beilfuss, president and CEO of the International Crane Foundation, said it was important to his organization to find out how fellow Wisconsinites felt about crane issues so they could focus on management options.
“The International Crane Foundation has long believed that most Wisconsinites do not support a hunt on (sandhill cranes), and few would participate in a hunt if approved,” said Beilfuss in a statement. “Now we have objective data to prove it. We need to focus on real solutions for farmers who suffer crop damage from cranes.”
The survey is the first science-based assessment of the views of state residents on sandhill crane hunting.
The WisconSays panel is comprised of 3,545 state residents selected to “accurately represent the attitudes and experiences of Wisconsinites from every corner of the state,” according to the UWSC.
WisconSays recruits panel members in an effort to replicate the makeup of the state's population in terms of economic status, education, race, gender, political leanings, party affiliation, place of residence and other factors. It was launched in 2023 and has panelists in all 72 Wisconsin counties.
Mark Kakatsch of Neosho, an avid hunter who also chairs the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation's waterfowl and wildlife committees, acknowledged there were differences of opinion on whether to hunt sandhill cranes in the state but said there was no debate over whether the population was large enough to sustain a limited hunting season.
“I believe down the road, eventually, we will have a crane hunt, because it can be supported by biological science,” Kakatsch said. “If and when that time comes, it will be incumbent on all parties to provide the best hunting season structure possible to do things like protect whooping cranes and migration gathering sites.”
Wisconsin hosts about 60 endangered whooping cranes each year from spring through fall. No state hosts a hunting season for the species.
For the sandhill crane hunting survey, WisconSays respondents were: 52% female, 48% male; 83% identified as white, 17% as non-white; the median age was between 45 and 54 years; 47% identified as Democrat, 37% Republican and 15% as Independent or other; median household income was between $80,000 and $90,000; and 25% indicated they had hunted in the last five years.
With regard to hunting habits, the WisconSays panel had a substantially higher percentage of hunters compared to the state's general population. According to Department of Natural Resources data, in 2023 557,263 Wisconsin residents purchased a state hunting license, equal to 9% of the state population.
The crane hunting survey also asked if a season were allowed, “how much would you be willing to pay for a permit to hunt sandhill cranes?” Thirty-four percent said they would be willing to pay $3, while 32% would pay up to $15, 14% up to $18, 15% up to $24 and the remaining 5% $49 or more.
As such, hunting fees would be inadequate to cover crop losses in the state, Beilfuss said.
Since cranes cause most crop damage in spring just after planting, the ICF advocates for treating corn kernels with a crane deterrent called Avipel. It is also researching other alternatives, Beilfuss said.
“We hope legislators will join us in promoting and supporting real solutions to crop damage that will support Wisconsin's farmers,” Beilfuss said.