The critics are largely saying that hunting cranes is generally a bad idea. And we’ll probably be sticking to our guns.

There is no rational argument against squishing kittens under your boots. But people are often against that too. I’m also against crushing the kittens, but for the life of me I can’t explain why.

In the case of the cranes, they really are slow-breeding and slow-moving, and both species have taken it in the neck in the past because of hunting and habitat loss. We’re not going to fix the habitat loss problem, and it is only getting worse. No hunting, please.

It is generally understood that the Kentucky board is not working int he interest of the cranes.

Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources says:
“The plan that would allow hunting of sandhill cranes in Kentucky has been carefully crafted to: 1) have no impact on the eastern population of sandhill cranes as a whole or in Kentucky, 2)….”

I think folks ought to be able to say under what circumstances/conditions it would do more good than harm and strive for those conditions or defeat the proposal if those conditions aren’t met. They critics aren’t doing this.

No it doesn’t. It is perfectly reasonable to hold an opinion subject to revision about one trend while at the same time criticizing the overall quality of the data.

(though I am not sure I’d trust them distinguishing the species)

Well, there you go. If you don’t trust a hunter to tell a sandhill crane from a swan (they look nothing like each other) then you cannot expect them to tell a sandhill from a whooping!

Here’s the thing … several factors including hunting brought crane levels (of both species) dangeriously low. The other factors have either not changed (low repro rate) or have gotten worse (habitat loss). Why would we progress with increasing hunting pressure under the circumstances?

Regarding the secondary value of hunting to the rest of the economy: That is very unlikely to ever count for much. Again, the overall numbers are going to remain low.

(in Michigan), where they are now happily abundant, much better than 30 years ago,

Yes, much better than 30 years ago, but not happily abundant. There are thousands of cranes in michigan, but as is the case elsewhere, they are concentrated in limited geographical areas and there is little flexibility if certain things went wrong.

Yeah, our DNR sucks. Cranes are similarly abundant here as in michigan: Thousands of them, but limited in where they are breeding end even feeding. Plus, we have this overlap with whooping crane flyways. Hunting them here is a bad idea too.

The question is whether we can gain enough by letting a few hunters shoot some. It’s not really addressed there or here. We don’t need folks to catch brook trout either, but we let them, cause we can do good things with the resulting money from licenses, taxes on gear, and tourism. Maybe we can get them to shoot a few mute swans while they are at it (though I am not sure I’d trust them distinguishing the species). Money from hunters supports allot of non-game wildlife work and habitat work, at least where I’m from. Making a serious cost benefit analysis means honestly considering what benefits you can obtain. This has not been done. Julie writes the only benefit is for a few hunters. That’s false, even for cowgirls who have the blues. Her title “Last gasp for sandhill cranes” is a bit over the top too.
I will never hunt cranes near me (in Michigan), where they are now happily abundant, much better than 30 years ago, but if I could get a few people to pay through the nose to do it, with minor impacts, I might consider permitting it. I admit to killing deer and a few species of fish.

Here’s news from Minnesota: http://www.birdchick.com/wp/2010/07/sandhill-crane-hunt-in-minnesota/

I really see no point in randomly shooting cranes. They are not in our way, they are not threatening anything we do or want, and they are wonderful to look at.

I hope that once I get to the USA, I get a chance to see both Whooping and Sandhill cranes myself.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/hunt/season/waterfowl/crane_limits/