Proposed sandhill crane hunt has statewide support

The statewide voting results won’t be announced until this afternoon, but there appeared to be a lot of support at last night’s conservation hearings for a sandhill crane hunt.

In Outagamie County, about 200 people showed up to have their say on the crane hunt proposal and many other outdoor matters. Mike Kohl, head of the Outagamie Conservation Club, says he tries each year to bag a sandhill crane in North Dakota – and he’d like the same opportunity here. He says he trusts the state DNR to manage the state’s estimated 25,000 sandhill cranes. Don Ebelt said the cranes are pretty, but there are too many of them. Farmers have expressed growing concerns about cranes eating their corn crops.

But bird lovers argue that the cranes should be protected. And the International Crane Foundation, which is based in Baraboo, says a hunt would not solve the farmers’ problems with the birds.

Also, ice fishing enthusiasts attended the Outagamie County hearing to weigh in on a proposed 25-mile-an-hour speed limit for cars, trucks, snowmobiles, and ATV’s on frozen waters. Some said it’s not needed, because speed limits already exist close to people and ice shanties on the lakes. Monday night’s votes were advisory to the DNR.

Tags: outdoors