Delta Waterfowl Testifies in Support of Wisconsin Sandhill Crane Hunting Bill
Wildlife populations thrive when they’re managed by sound science, which includes sustainable harvest
BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA — A Delta-backed bill that would authorize and help establish a regulated sandhill crane hunting season in Wisconsin moved a step closer on Wednesday to becoming law.
Cyrus Baird, Delta’s vice president of government affairs, testified in favor of Wisconsin Senate Bill 112 during a formal hearing of the five-member Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Sporting Heritage. Baird laid out Delta’s position during the four-hour public hearing, emphasizing that wildlife populations should be managed by science. The Eastern population of sandhill cranes is three to four times above management plan population goals, and a tightly controlled hunt in Wisconsin should be established to help manage cranes.
“For more than 60 years, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has managed migratory gamebirds — cranes, ducks, geese — using some of the most robust wildlife science in the world. And it works. Populations of migratory gamebirds that are actively monitored and managed, like sandhill cranes, have increased 40 to 56 percent over the past half-century,” Baird testified. “Meanwhile, the birds most people feed in their backyards — non-managed, non-hunted species — have declined by nearly 3 billion individuals. This isn’t a coincidence. The contrast shows the power of science-based management. When state fish and wildlife agencies have the ability to manage wildlife proactively and sustainably, species thrive.”
Baird pointed out the population of sandhill cranes continues to grow in Wisconsin, and a hunting season could help mitigate an estimated $1.9 million in crop losses while also providing an important opportunity for the state’s hunters.
“Senate Bill 112 gives the Wisconsin DNR a far more effective and responsible tool,” Baird said. “A regulated hunting season, designed within strict federal frameworks, is the proven way to manage overabundant wildlife populations. Seventeen states and four Canadian provinces already have Sandhill crane seasons. In the eastern population specifically — which Wisconsin is part of — Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama have operated safe, sustainable seasons for years without any negative population impacts.”
Backed by science, Delta has strongly advocated for a sustainable sandhill crane hunt in Wisconsin.
In 2024, Paul Wait, a Wisconsin native and resident who works as Delta’s communication director, served on a special Joint Legislative Study Committee on Sandhill Cranes to study solutions to aid the state’s farmers and manage populations. After five monthly meetings, the committee formulated and recommended a bill to establish a crane hunting season in Wisconsin.
In addition to Baird’s oral testimony on Senate Bill 112, Delta Waterfowl and coalition of partners sent a letter to members of the Senate Committee. Partners backing the bill include Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Delta Waterfowl Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Safari Club International, Sportsmen’s Alliance, and Wisconsin Waterfowl Association.
The coalition letter concludes, “Supporting Senate Bill 112 is an investment in Wisconsin’s proud conservation legacy. A regulated sandhill crane season will strengthen science-based wildlife management, help mitigate agricultural losses, and ensure that the state’s natural resources are cared for through the proven funding model of hunters and conservationists. Together, we can sustain healthy crane populations while preserving the traditions and stewardship ethic that make Wisconsin a national leader in conservation.”
Delta is hoping for a favorable Senate Committee vote before the end of the year, and for Wisconsin Assembly Sporting Heritage Committee to hold a hearing soon on Assembly Bill 117, a companion bill that would establish a crane hunt.
Delta Waterfowl is The Duck Hunters OrganizationTM, a leading conservation group working to produce ducks and secure the future of waterfowl hunting in North America. Visit deltawaterfowl.org.
For more information, contact Cyrus Baird at cbaird@deltawaterfowl.org.