January 19 Is Deadline for Submitting Comments on Proposed Sandhill Crane Hunting Season

NASHVILLE --- The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will continue to accept comments through Jan. 19 concerning the proposal of a hunting season for sandhill cranes.

 

Comments may be submitted by mail to: Sandhill Crane Comments, TWRA, Wildlife Management Division, P.O. 40747, Nashville, TN 37204 or emailed to TWRA.Comment@tn.gov. Please include “Sandhill Crane Comments” on the subject line of emailed submissions.

 

The breeding, migration and wintering range of the Eastern Population (EP) of sandhill cranes is located within the Mississippi and Atlantic flyways. The Eastern Population has seen significant growth during the past 30-40 years. In Tennessee, wintering sandhill crane numbers have increased substantially in the past two decades. The 2010 mid-winter count documented more than 40,000 sandhill cranes in southeastern Tennessee.

 

At the current Eastern Population levels, the sandhill crane impacts to agriculture are resulting in the annual issuance of 200-300 depredation permits in the Mississippi Flyway states and over 100 additional depredation permits being issued in Canada. The issuance of these permits has already established an annual take of cranes resulting in no notable impact on population growth.

 

With the increased growth of the sandhill crane population, there is also an increased interest among the hunting public to institute a hunting season for sandhill cranes in the Mississippi Flyway. Three populations of sandhill cranes are hunted in 11 states and three Canadian provinces in the Central and Pacific flyways. For more information, check the TWRA website at www.tnwildlife.org and the “Hot Topics” section on the front page.

---TWRA---