Post by ridge on Apr 16, 2019 17:04:09 GMT -5
NEWS
Michigan lawmakers want hunting season for Sandhill cranes
Posted Apr 15, 12:16 PM
Sandhill cranes fly over Bennett Lake southwest of Fenton, Mich., Friday, Sept. 30, 2005. (AP Photo/The Flint Journal, Stuart Bauer) ** NO SALES **
By Lauren Gibbons | lgibbon2@mlive.com
Michigan hunters should be able to pursue the “ribeye in the sky” - that is, Sandhill cranes - as a game species, resolutions introduced in the state House and Senate proclaim.
House Resolution 61 and Senate Resolution 30, introduced by Rep. Jim Lower of Cedar Lake and Sen. Dale Zorn of Ida, ask the Michigan Natural Resources Commission to add Sandhill cranes to the game species list and to request approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for establishing a hunting season.
Because the Sandhill crane is a migratory species, federal approval is required for a hunt. The decision on whether to pursue a hunting season for the birds lies with the Natural Resources Commission.
A number of states already have a Sandhill crane hunting season, including Minnesota and Colorado.
Zorn said in a statement opening the state’s growing Sandhill crane population to hunting could provide a new and exciting hunting experience in Michigan, adding, “the federal government has indicated they would approve a Michigan hunt if the state requested it.”
Lower, who introduced a similar proposal in 2017, said in a statement the Sandhill crane population in Michigan is rapidly growing and are becoming more of a nuisance to farmers.
“Our state’s crane population continues to grow even as the number of issued nuisance permits increases - which is not an optimal means for managing our wildlife,” Lower said. “Sandhill cranes should be treated like every other type of wildlife in Michigan, with scientific management processes in place to protect both the environment and our farmers from the negative effects of overpopulation."
Both resolutions were referred to the House and Senate’s natural resources committees for further consideration.
Michigan lawmakers want hunting season for Sandhill cranes
Posted Apr 15, 12:16 PM
Sandhill cranes fly over Bennett Lake southwest of Fenton, Mich., Friday, Sept. 30, 2005. (AP Photo/The Flint Journal, Stuart Bauer) ** NO SALES **
By Lauren Gibbons | lgibbon2@mlive.com
Michigan hunters should be able to pursue the “ribeye in the sky” - that is, Sandhill cranes - as a game species, resolutions introduced in the state House and Senate proclaim.
House Resolution 61 and Senate Resolution 30, introduced by Rep. Jim Lower of Cedar Lake and Sen. Dale Zorn of Ida, ask the Michigan Natural Resources Commission to add Sandhill cranes to the game species list and to request approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for establishing a hunting season.
Because the Sandhill crane is a migratory species, federal approval is required for a hunt. The decision on whether to pursue a hunting season for the birds lies with the Natural Resources Commission.
A number of states already have a Sandhill crane hunting season, including Minnesota and Colorado.
Zorn said in a statement opening the state’s growing Sandhill crane population to hunting could provide a new and exciting hunting experience in Michigan, adding, “the federal government has indicated they would approve a Michigan hunt if the state requested it.”
Lower, who introduced a similar proposal in 2017, said in a statement the Sandhill crane population in Michigan is rapidly growing and are becoming more of a nuisance to farmers.
“Our state’s crane population continues to grow even as the number of issued nuisance permits increases - which is not an optimal means for managing our wildlife,” Lower said. “Sandhill cranes should be treated like every other type of wildlife in Michigan, with scientific management processes in place to protect both the environment and our farmers from the negative effects of overpopulation."
Both resolutions were referred to the House and Senate’s natural resources committees for further consideration.