While most of us understand that certain species are legally hunted to control their population, protect crops and prevent damage to natural ecosystems, I did not appreciate the extent of sandhill crane hunting until yesterday. Pulling into a gas station in Kansas, I noticed a pickup truck with crane decoys filling its bed. This prompted research on my part.
As I found out, with a little help from Google, permit-based sandhill crane hunting in the Central Flyway has been occurring since 1961. As of today, most States across the Great Plains and Great Basin allow crane hunting in the fall or winter. Apparently, these regal birds are quite tasty.
Of course, few hunters are dependent on crane meat for their family's survival and the overpopulation of cranes, like many other species, reflects the fact that we have eliminated some of their natural predators. In addition, their damage to crops and fragile ecosystems is due to the fact that we have greatly reduced the natural habitat on which the cranes depend. The modern solution? Kill more cranes.
