Now is not the time for a Sandhill Crane Hunt

UPDATE: In an odd move, the Assembly combined two very different, concerning bills into one bill that sets regulations for wake boats and authorizes a sandhill crane hunt. Ask your Senator to oppose the bill and ask the Governor to veto the bill should it come to his desk.

The wake boat provisions are insufficient. The setback is too short, it lacks a minimum depth requirement, and doesn’t include protections from invasive species.

Now is not a good time to pursue a sandhill crane hunt. The highly pathogenic avian influenza is having a profound impact on wild bird populations in Wisconsin. The DNR has confirmed 71 Sandhill Cranes dead in Adams County in March 2025 and unfortunately, the first confirmed Whooping Crane death in the world from the avian flu was reported in Dodge County in September 2025. Pursuing a hunt without knowing what could happen to these populations is a risky approach that could cause unintended and irreversible impacts.

This is also a bad time for DNR to be forced to create the hunt. The creation and administering of a new Sandhill Crane hunt would only further burden the Fish & Wildlife account of the WDNR, which is facing a $16 million deficit by 2026.

The bill also creates concerns around other important birds for the state. Juvenile Whooping Cranes, an endangered species in Wisconsin, are very similar in size and coloration to Sandhill Cranes. This increases the risk of their being misidentified and accidentally shot. There are also no protections in the bill to prevent overharvesting.

The hunt purports to help farmers who are dealing with crop loss as a result of sandhill cranes. However, retired Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) Migratory Game Bird Specialist Kent Van Horn said that creating a fall Sandhill Crane hunting season is NOT a solution for population control to reduce crop damage that occurs in the spring.

If crop loss is the concern, there are solutions, like Governor Evers’ proposal to subsidize seed treatment that would deter the sandhill cranes from eating farmer seeds.

In summary, the proposed fall hunt will not solve the problem of spring crop damage for farmers, but could cause irreversible damage.

Write to your legislators and ask them to oppose this bill.

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Please Oppose AB1033

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I’m writing to state my opposition to AB1033, the Sandhill Crane and Wake Boat Bill. I’m hoping you will oppose the bill.

In an odd move, the Assembly combined two very different, concerning bills into one bill that sets regulations for wake boats and authorizes a sandhill crane hunt. I have concerns about both aspects of the bill and am asking you to oppose them.

First, the wake boat provisions are insufficient.  I appreciate the legislature working to address the big impact wake boats have on our lakes and ecosystems, but the proposal misses some key protections. The 200-foot setback is too short. Boat waves can carry well beyond that distance, continuing to erode shorelines and stir up sediments long after the boat has passed.  The bill also lacks a minimum depth requirement. Wake surfing in shallow water can churn up lakebeds, resuspend nutrients, damage aquatic plants, and degrade water quality. Finally, there should be protections in place to protect from invasive species.

Additionally, I’m concerned about how this bill now rushes a sandhill crane hunt. I don’t believe there should be a sandhill crane hunt, with so much uncertainty around the population and funding within the Department of Natural Resources: the avian flu already impacts sandhill cranes and even caused a whooping crane death, and the cost of the hunt, and the additional financial burden on the Wildlife Damage Abatement and Claims Program. ,Most importantly, the bill does not actually support farmers who are having conflicts with sandhill cranes, like seed-treatment that would limit cranes from eating the crops.

Given that both elements of the bill have the opportunity to create a lot of environmental harm, and don’t offer protections for the elements they seek to (protecting lakes and shorelines from wake boats and helping farmers experiencing crop damage), I hope you will oppose this bill.

Thank you for your time on this important issue,

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