Groups Oppose Proposed Crane Hunt

A proposed fall sandhill crane hunt is drawing the ire of conservation groups.

Conservation groups say that a proposed fall sandhill crane hunt is a poor idea if the intended reason is to prevent damage to crops. Ann Lacy with the Crane Foundation says that hunt will do little to prevent damages to crops in the spring.

“It’s almost like they’re being sold a bill of goods: if we have a hunting season that your problems will be solved. And that is patently false.”

Lacy says that there are already 100 percent effective, not lethal methods of preventing crane and other bird damage to corn using seed treatments. The DNR says cranes caused less than a million dollars worth of damage to 20-20’s 2 point 1 billion dollar corn harvest in Wisconsin.