WI sandhill crane hunt on the agenda, again

You may remember that GOP WI State Rep. and inveterate hunter Joel Kleefisch, spouse of GOP Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, tried several years ago to launch a sandhill crane hunting season and get some

"ribeye of the sky," as he called it - - but withdrew the proposal when his argument, shall we say, fell through.

Well - - the possibility is being considered anew, this time at upcoming statewide meetings of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress, to which input on many issues is provided to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and ultimately to the Legislature.

Among a long list of proposals that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is asking the public to consider at the annual meeting is one to create a quota and management plan for the bird species. The agency reports there are 700,000 sandhill cranes in North America and 17 states have hunting seasons, including Kentucky and Tennessee.

While the state Legislature would have the final decision on establishing a hunting season, a vote in support of the proposal among attendees would likely be an important first step.

Local WCC meetings are open to the public, as is the process of becoming a delegate with a vote on the sandhill crane possibility, and many other matters.

Details here.

The annual sandhill crane spring migration is underway, so just fyi - - motels are sold out long in advance anywhere near the birds' Nebraska resting and feeding areas:

Each spring, something magical happens in the heart of the Great Plains. More than 80 percent of the world’s population of sandhill cranes converge on Nebraska’s Platte River valley—a critical sliver of threatened habitat in North America’s Central Flyway. Along with them come millions of migrating ducks and geese in the neighboring rainwater basins.

It was noted when Wisconsin was considering a woodchuck hunting season that the state already offered a wide variety of hunting opportunities: 

Hunters already can kill a wide range of animals in Wisconsin, including deer, bears, wolves, mourning doves, coyotes, squirrels, rabbits and wild pigs. 

Not to mention a host of other migratory birds, fur bearers, wild turkeys, small mammals and other game, says the DNR - - and in some cases, it's unlimited:

Opossum, skunk, weasel and snowshoe hare

No season limits, bag limits, size limits or possession limits, but a license is required.

Note: The Wisconsin grey wolf season, highly-controversial in part because it was the only state that permitted the use of dogs - - even off-leash, and in packs - - in the hunt has been suspended by a federal court, though legislation may move through Congress that would remove the court's jurisdiction and allow states to reopen grey wolf hunting. 

More about that issue and related matters, here.