[TN-Bird] Sandhill Crane Hunting
- From: "David Aborn" <David-Aborn@xxxxxxx>
- To: "TN-Bird" <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:24:13 -0500
TN-Birders:
I am part of a multi-state/province team that has been examining the =
issue
of crane hunting in the eastern US over the past couple of years. =
Anytime a
hunting season is proposed for a species, ALL of the states/Canadian
provinces that species breeds, migrates through, and winters in must be
included in the management plan. We are currently trying to assess the
population status of the cranes. There are good data from Wisconsin, =
thanks
to the excellent work of the International Crane Foundation, but there =
are
little data right now on the populations in other parts of the breeding
range (e.g. MI, OH, MN, Ontario). We have information on the cranes'
migration and wintering in east TN, but not much from other parts of the
state. We have good data from FL for wintering numbers, but the data are
old; crane surveys have not been conducted in quite a few years (we =
can't
use Christmas Count numbers because they don't take into account whether =
the
cranes people are counting are the Greater Sandhill Crane or whether =
they
are the resident Florida Sandhill Crane). Once we have all the data, we =
can
then determine whether the population can tolerate hunting and whether
hunting is warranted. Hunting is not just for sport and food; it is also =
a
way of regulating population numbers. That is why we need such =
comprehensive
data on reproduction and survivorship. While Mr. Hodge claims the cranes =
are
everywhere, that was not always the case. In the 1930's, there were only =
25
breeding pairs in WI. It was only through wetlands protection, hunting =
bans,
and changes in agricultural practices that numbers have rebounded. The
current estimate for the entire eastern population is ~40,000. The =
bottom
line is that there won't be a hunting season any time soon. We just =
don't
have the necessary information. If/when a hunting season is implemented, =
the
Whooping Crane issue will have to be taken into account. I am confident =
that
the vast majority of crane hunters will be responsible and not shoot a
whooper. Sandhill Crane hunting occurs in a number of other states where
Whooping Cranes are also found, and there has only been one casualty =
that I
am aware of (a hunter in Kansas shot a Whooping Crane a couple of years
ago). Sandhill Cranes are also a valuable economic resource in the form =
of
tourism, and that aspect will be incorporated into the plan as well. =
Crane
hunting is an issue that is definitely important, and I encourage =
everyone
to participate in the process however they can. As I said, however, =
there
won't be any hunting for a while, so let's get too panicked.
David Aborn
Chattanooga, TN
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