North America
News
Press Release
Sandhill Crane

Wisconsin Assembly Passes Sandhill Crane Hunt Bill with Little-to-No Support for Farmers

Agencies say the annual cost to operate the proposed hunt far outweighs revenues by $1.6 million and would completely overwhelm current farmer assistance programs.

Share

February 23, 2026 — Late last week, the Wisconsin Assembly voted to approve AB117, which would require the state Department of Natural Resources to establish a hunting season on Sandhill Cranes. The bill would still require approval by the State Senate and the Governor to become law.

While we respect and honor the hunting traditions of our state, we are concerned that a Sandhill Crane hunting season on their core breeding grounds in Wisconsin will have unintended consequences for the long-term recovery of the species here and across the eastern US.

Science clearly shows that a Sandhill Crane hunting season will not resolve documented crop depredation issues, lacks majority public support, risks highly endangered Whooping Cranes, and will operate at a significant net fiscal loss to the state’s wildlife programs and taxpayers.

According to official fiscal estimates by both the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, the cost of operating a Sandhill Crane hunting season far outweighs any revenue generated by the program. Wisconsin taxpayers will be burdened to subsidize the hunting season to the tune of $1.6 million annually. The proposal will also overwhelm the existing Wildlife Damage Abatement and Claims Program that farmers already rely on for other wildlife damage, according to state agency testimony, rather than create sustainable new pathways to support crop damage losses.

In addition to the approval of AB117, legislators separately maneuvered to attach the Sandhill Crane hunting bill to wake-boating legislation (AB 1033). Combining these two complex, highly unrelated policy proposals in this way limits meaningful debate. It risks undermining careful, science-based decision-making on issues that significantly affect Wisconsin’s wildlife and waters.

The International Crane Foundation remains committed to meaningful solutions for farmers facing crop damage, scientifically grounded conservation, sound legislative process, and the long-term stewardship of cranes and the healthy lands and waters they need. We urge legislators instead to pursue these same ideals.

Photo: Ted Thousand

RELATED PUBLICATIONS

News
Are We There Yet? Differences in Migration Behavior Between Whooping Crane Populations

The two populations of North America’s migrating Whooping Cranes exhibit vastly different behaviors on their journey south. The remnant Aransas-Wood Buffalo Population (AWBP) migrates about 2,500 miles along the Central Flyway to reach their historic wintering grounds in coastal Texas. The Eastern Migratory Population (EMP), a reintroduced population established in 2001, was originally taught to fly to coastal Florida to salt marshes that mimic the conditions of the wintering habitat in Texas.

Read More
News
Whooping Crane Eastern Population Update – February 2026

During January, most of the Whooping Cranes in the Eastern Migratory Population were still on their wintering grounds and doing well.

Read More
News
Going the Distance to Understand the Daily Movement of Whooping Cranes  

For decades, conservationists have worked to combat threats that nearly drove the Whooping Crane to extinction. Their population hit a historic low of only 21 individuals in the wild in the 1940s. As part of the effort to save the species, a population of migratory Whooping Cranes was reintroduced to Wisconsin in 2001, known as the Eastern Migratory Population, or EMP. Today, the EMP consists of around 70 individuals who spend their summers in Wisconsin before migrating further south for the winter, mostly in Alabama and Indiana. Through this reintroduction and countless other conservation measures, there are now about 700 Whooping Cranes in the wild in three populations. Despite this impressive growth, threats continue to emerge that threaten the species’ survival, and these must be met with creative research, dedicated partnerships, and decisive action to safeguard the future of Whooping Cranes.

Read More