Hunting license $28.00, waterfowl license $31.00, whatever fee determined for the Sandhill hunt, and Migratory Bird Permit $2.00 ....life of a Whooper: PRICELESS On Fri, Aug 23, 2013 at 10:40 AM, Aborn, David <David-Aborn@xxxxxxx> wrote: > Knoxville, TN (WTVC-TV) - Tennessee will have the first sandhill crane > in the state's modern-day history beginning Nov. 28, 2013. The historic > step has been down a tumultuous and controversial path however.**** > > > In 2011 the Tennessee Fish & Wildlife Commission deferred the decision for > two years. It was standing room only in a Knoxville conference room > Thursday and Friday as wildlife officials, hunters, wildlife watchers and > conservationists from across the state gathered to consider whether or not > to hunt sandhills during the 3-year experimental season. It was a unanimous > vote in support of a hunting season among the 11 of 13 commissioners > present.**** > > > Numerous speakers argued for and against a hunting season. The opposition > has been lead primarily by members of the Tennessee Ornithological Society > (TOS). Vickie Henderson spoke on behalf of TOS.**** > > > Much of Henderson's presentation to commissioners focused on concerns > about the potential for inadvertent kills of endangered whooping cranes.** > ** > > > "I'm disappointed," said Henderson following the vote. "I've loved and > learned about sandhill cranes for 13 years now. I'm also concerned about > whooping cranes. Hunters are good and well-educated about identifying > different species but we're still very concerned because we've put so many > years into saving [whooping cranes]."**** > > > Henderson said there are a mere 104 whooping cranes in the entire East, > and most migrate through Tennessee. While adult whooping cranes are almost > solid white, she showed several photographs illustrating that juvenile > whooping cranes and sandhills have very similar plumage and are hard to > identify in the field. **** > > > Biologists countered that they reduced legal shooting hours to avoid "low > light" situations and said that before receiving a permit, hunters will be > required to pass a mandatory bird identification class.**** > > > Wildlife Commissioner Jamie Woodson, said, "I feel very confident that > this does not present a serious threat. Hunters have had a long tradition > of distinguishing between different species... they must distinguish > between a gadwall and a hen mallard and there are consequences if they > don't."**** > > > Consequences include potential enforcement under state or federal law. > However since the eastern population of whooping cranes are considered > "experimental," they do not carry the same severe penalties traditionally > applied to other endangered species.**** > > > TOS and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency have partnered on the > annual Sandhill Crane Festival at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in Meigs > County for 22 years. The festival, attended by thousands of locals and > out-of-state tourists, has helped generate a significant "emotional" > attachment to the sandhills among the non-hunting public. Henderson said > that one study showed the festival generated $232,000 in positive economic > impact on the area last year. She said the decision to hunt the cranes will > definitely have a negative impact on the festival.**** > > > "One foundation provides a $10,000 grant for the crane festival in 2013 > and they've already told us they will not make anymore donations if a hunt > hunt takes place," said Henderson. "We've also had a number of volunteers > that said if they hunt sandhill cranes we won't volunteer anymore. So > there's an impact because people are very passionate about this issue."*** > * > > > The contentious meeting was the very first for newly-appointed wildlife > commissioner David Watson from Chattanooga. Even before the vote Watson > said that hunting and watching wildlife do not have to be mutually > exclusive.**** > > > "There are other festivals being held now in these other states that are > hunting sandhill cranes and those festivals are co-existing with hunting," > he said. "There might be an initial emotional backlash [to a hunting > season], but I think it would recover."**** > > > Woodson said, "I think we have an opportunity to accomodate all users. To > say we've got to do one or the other -- that is a false choice."**** > > > During the official public comment period wildlife officials said they > received 1,073 comments, including letters from former President Jimmy > Carter and wildlife researcher Dr. Jane Goodall. Both were among the 888 > comments opposed to sandhill crane hunt. Many speakers argued that wildlife > commissioners should represent all Tennesseans, not just hunters.**** > > > Others however argued that commissioners should make the decision based > upon science and biology, not based on emotion.**** > > > Dr. Gray Anderson, TWRA's Asst. Chief of Wildlife said that sandhill > cranes are considered a "native" species in Tennessee. he said in the early > part of the century sandhill cranes numbers did fall to extremely low > levels, although no one knows exactly how low. The birds in the > mid-continent region rebounded first and states there have been hunting > sandhills since the 1960's. Some hunters refer to the birds "rib eyes in > the sky" due to their tasty flesh.**** > > > The eastern population of sandhill cranes began to rebound in significant > numbers about 25 years ago. Anderson said the eastern population now > numbers around 87,000 birds. A significant number of those birds do pass > through southeast Tennessee with tens of thousands remaining in and around > the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge for most of the winter.**** > > > The Sandhill Hunt Details**** > > > Wildlife officials passed a season, bag limit and other regualtions > significantly lower than what could have been allowed under federal > guidelines.**** > > > The season will be open from Nov. 28 thru Jan. 1 (ending 17 days before > the 2014 Sandhill Crane Festival). Hunting will only be allowed east of > Hwy. 56 and south of I-40. There will be 400 packets issued in a public > drawing held on October 19th at Birchwood Elementary School. Each packet > will include 3 permits. Hunters will be required to have a regular hunting > license and a waterfowl license to participate in the drawing. Sandhill > hunters will also be required to possess a federal migratory bird stamp. > Each hunter will also have to show proof that they've successfully passed > an online bird identification course before their permits are valid.**** > > > Legal shooting hours will be from Sunrise to 3 pm each day (to avoid > "low-light" conditions and easier bird identification). Hunters will be > required to tag each downed bird, just like tagging a deer. They will also > be required to "check in" their harvests by mail and fill out a mandatory > "end-of-season" diary.**** > > ** ** > > ** ** >