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Wisconsin legislators press DNR board appointees on hunting wolves, cranes

cheeser

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republican legislators pressed three of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ appointees to the Department of Natural Resources board Wednesday on wolf management, a sandhill crane hunt and PFAS pollution costs ahead of possible confirmation votes.


The state Senate’s GOP-controlled sporting heritage committee didn’t get a lot of hard answers from Sharon Adams, Dylan Jennings or Paul Buhr during a 90-minute hearing, however. The trio revealed little about their personal stances, keeping their answers vague.

Such hearings are typically the precursor to a committee vote on whether to recommend Senate confirmation. Gubernatorial appointees don’t need confirmation to serve as long as their predecessor vacates the position. But a Senate vote to reject them would result in them losing their jobs.

All seven members of the DNR board are Evers appointees, giving the governor complete control over state environmental and wildlife policy. The Senate has only confirmed two of them so far — Bill Smith, confirmed in 2019, and Marcy West, confirmed in 2020.

Evers appointed Adams to the board in 2021 and Jennings this past May. Jennings, a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, is the first Native American to serve on the board. Evers re-appointed Buhr in May. He appointed Sandra Dee Naas in 2021 and Jim VandenBrook in May.


Naas and VandenBrook were invited to Wednesday’s hearing but could not attend. According to the governor’s office, Naas had a teaching commitment with the Drummond Area School District, where she serves as a natural resources and agriculture instructor, and VandenBrook was out of the country. That left Adams, Jennings and Buhr to face the committee.

The panel’s chairperson, Sen. Rob Stafsholt, asked each appointee if they believed the DNR’s wolf management plan should set a hard population limit and whether they believe people should hunt wolves.

The DNR plans to submit to the board in October a new wolf management plan that erases its current 350-wolf goal and replaces it with a recommendation to reduce the population if it reaches 1,200 wolves.

State law mandates an annual wolf hunt. But a federal judge placed wolves back on the endangered species list last year, prohibiting hunting. The new plan would go into effect if wolves are delisted, but the lack of a specific population goal has left hunters and farmers dealing with wolves preying on livestock fuming. Stafsholt, who hails from New Richmond in rural northwestern Wisconsin, has authored a bill that would require the DNR to set a population limit in the plan.

Adams said she needs more information before deciding whether a hard population goal should be part of the plan. Jennings called it a “fantastic question,” and he’s going back and forth on it. Buhr said that farmers he has spoken with want fewer than 350 wolves in the state, but the DNR will have to work out a number that’s sustainable. He didn’t elaborate.

Stafsholt grumbled that scientists have studied wolves for 40 years and questioned when people will have enough data to make decisions. Jennings countered that science isn’t perfect and is always changing.

Stafsholt questioned Jennings on his beliefs about preserving wolves. Chippewa tribes see the wolf as a spiritual brother and oppose hunting it, going so far as to file a lawsuit in 2021 to try to stop the Wisconsin season.

Jennings responded that he doesn’t think the tribes are wrong to defend their beliefs. But he has never let his personal feelings get in the way of working with a broad range of constituents, Jennings said.

Sen. Mary Felzkowski asked the appointees if the state should allow hunting of sandhill cranes to prevent them from eating crops. Adams said she didn’t have an answer and studies should be done on whether the population could sustain hunting. Jennings said a hunt could be feasible if the population could sustain it, but because sandhill cranes are migratory other states should be consulted. Buhr said that it appears the cranes’ numbers have grown so much that a future hunt could be likely.

Felzkowski also questioned Adams and Buhr on who should pay for cleaning up PFAS contamination.

Adams said cleanup should be a collective effort combining government assistance and money from the polluter. Buhr echoed her, saying it should be a joint effort. If it’s determined that industrial companies that produce PFAS have concealed the health risks, they should be on the hook, he said.

PFAS, short for per- and polyfluorinated substances, are a broad class of chemicals used in nonstick, water- and grease-resistant products such as clothing and cookware, as well as some firefighting foams. The compounds have been linked to a variety of health problems, including liver and immune-system damage and some cancers.

Multiple Wisconsin municipalities, including Madison and Marinette, have discovered the chemicals in their groundwater. Wisconsin is one of 22 states that have sued 3M Co. over PFAS contamination.
 
The crane numbers are getting extremely beyond out of control. Farmers now in my area have to get soy bean seeds coated with something to prevent cranes specifically from eating the seeds at a nice premium to ensure their fields won't get picked clean. My neighbor didn't buy the special seeds last spring and his 100 acres grew up maybe 50% or even less in the core 60ish acres in the middle away from the two roads. His insurance company wouldn't help him because of the new coated seed being an option now.

It's not uncommon to see 150 to 200 in a field around here. They come back every day and never leave it seems
 
It's not uncommon to see 150 to 200 in a field around here.

Yep, I’ve seen that same thing down in your area. I get the reluctance with the whooping crane thing, but hopefully that population is secure enough to be able to tolerate the risk.
 
Same story on this side of the pond, but with our current powers that be MI won't see a crane season until her term comes to an end.

Good luck!!
 
I don't see WI getting a crane season for quite some time due to our current powers as well. Then again I never thought it would be possible to get a dove season and yet we did. So maybe there is some hope.
 
The crane numbers are getting extremely beyond out of control. Farmers now in my area have to get soy bean seeds coated with something to prevent cranes specifically from eating the seeds at a nice premium to ensure their fields won't get picked clean. My neighbor didn't buy the special seeds last spring and his 100 acres grew up maybe 50% or even less in the core 60ish acres in the middle away from the two roads. His insurance company wouldn't help him because of the new coated seed being an option now.

It's not uncommon to see 150 to 200 in a field around here. They come back every day and never leave it seems
That is interesting because in the Central Flyway during migration, cranes occur in soybean fields, but I can tell you for a fact that it never shows up in their be digestive system. They are feeding on worms and other invertebrates in the soybean fields and can certainly tear up an area. Corn makes up over 85% of their diet while staging in Nebraska and other states/provinces where it occurs in the CF unless there is wheat or barley available. Soybeans have a trypsin inhibitor enzyme that prohibits many animals from utilizing them effectively for food (get little nutritional value) unless they are cooked to break that enzyme down. Mallards in captivity fed a soybean diet will actually starve to death. Not saying they are not an issue, but Avipel (the coating you referred to) helps when applied to corn at planting so if they are eating the soybean seed (which I question), it should help with that also.

The Eastern Population of cranes can definitely support limited harvest (estimated at at least 100,000 birds) and hunting is happening in many states in the Mississippi Flyway, but unlike most other places where crane hunting occurs, in Wisconsin you need to take into account that you are dealing largely with breeding birds until migrants show up and you can greatly impact that breeding population size if harvest is too great. These birds are not ducks and geese and do not breed until 3-4 years of age and typically only raise one colt if the nest is actually successful, so the population only grows at about a rate of 5-10% each year during good years. If you harvest a disproportionate number of breeders you can send the population trajectory tumbling very quickly. Just need to structure a season in WI by either date or location where the WI breeding birds are diluted by those that breed elsewhere. Not rocket science, just basic population biology (N=births+deaths) where you need to think about maintaining breeding distribution and numbers.
 
That is interesting because in the Central Flyway during migration, cranes occur in soybean fields, but I can tell you for a fact that it never shows up in their be digestive system. They are feeding on worms and other invertebrates in the soybean fields and can certainly tear up an area. Corn makes up over 85% of their diet while staging in Nebraska and other states/provinces where it occurs in the CF unless there is wheat or barley available. Soybeans have a trypsin inhibitor enzyme that prohibits many animals from utilizing them effectively for food (get little nutritional value) unless they are cooked to break that enzyme down. Mallards in captivity fed a soybean diet will actually starve to death. Not saying they are not an issue, but Avipel (the coating you referred to) helps when applied to corn at planting so if they are eating the soybean seed (which I question), it should help with that also.

The Eastern Population of cranes can definitely support limited harvest (estimated at at least 100,000 birds) and hunting is happening in many states in the Mississippi Flyway, but unlike most other places where crane hunting occurs, in Wisconsin you need to take into account that you are dealing largely with breeding birds until migrants show up and you can greatly impact that breeding population size if harvest is too great. These birds are not ducks and geese and do not breed until 3-4 years of age and typically only raise one colt if the nest is actually successful, so the population only grows at about a rate of 5-10% each year during good years. If you harvest a disproportionate number of breeders you can send the population trajectory tumbling very quickly. Just need to structure a season in WI by either date or location where the WI breeding birds are diluted by those that breed elsewhere. Not rocket science, just basic population biology (N=births+deaths) where you need to think about maintaining breeding distribution and numbers.
They do not eat the soybean seed itself, they eat the young plant when it is only 2-6 inches tall. I have literally watched the cranes at my house walk right down a row and eat every single plant coming up. They do the same with corn but they certainly prefer the planted bean fields. These last two years we have had some pretty extreme drought and so a good majority of the cranes haven't been breeding behind my house in the marsh as there are only about 5 or 6 pairs that breed here this year and I have only seen 3 of those pairs with a young this year. However, typically the group that breeds here in my marsh has grown to 150-200 birds. If water returns, I would imagine it won't take long for cranes to show back up.
 
Ha, I have been cursing cranes camping out and gorging themselves in recently planted food plots enough lately in MN that I can imagine the frustration is much worse when your income is impacted like farmers.

Their numbers in MN have exploded. Hardly ever used to see one and now they are everywhere. A season for more of the state would be great and I'd be fine with tight regs to make sure we dont go too far. They are sure tasty. I'd actually want to shoot one to eat where as I can't drum up much desire to shoot one of the many turkeys around home and our land.
 
They do not eat the soybean seed itself, they eat the young plant when it is only 2-6 inches tall. I have literally watched the cranes at my house walk right down a row and eat every single plant coming up. They do the same with corn but they certainly prefer the planted bean fields. These last two years we have had some pretty extreme drought and so a good majority of the cranes haven't been breeding behind my house in the marsh as there are only about 5 or 6 pairs that breed here this year and I have only seen 3 of those pairs with a young this year. However, typically the group that breeds here in my marsh has grown to 150-200 birds. If water returns, I would imagine it won't take long for cranes to show back up.
That makes more sense as they will do the same to corn plants in NE when they are there in the spring if the farmers pushed the planting envelope and it is starting to sprout. Typically easier to find waste grain in the fields during migration/staging.
 
A Crane season will never happen in WI. Madison will continue to use it's Whooping Crane argument... "but, but, but, somebody could shoot a Whooping Crane!" That, and the foot dragging vagueness will continue from the party-serving turds. ( I don't believe DNR appointees should be appointed by any governor. The real work needing to be done always seems to be clouded by the politics)

As for the wolf plan, they will continue to try and move the goalposts. 350 will become 1200, and 1200 will then become 2500, and so on.

Only a matter of time before trapping and hunting with hounds is put on the chopping block. It just sucks that the loudmouthed minority in Madison gets to dictate how the rest of the rural population lives and pursues it's past time.
 
Saw my first roadkill sandhill today on my way back home.

I've been ID'ing roadkill all my life and that was a first. It joins the ranks of a badger, a river otter, and a tiny black bear cub (12-13" long) in the one and only roadkill bucket.
 
A Crane season will never happen in WI. Madison will continue to use it's Whooping Crane argument... "but, but, but, somebody could shoot a Whooping Crane!" That, and the foot dragging vagueness will continue from the party-serving turds. ( I don't believe DNR appointees should be appointed by any governor. The real work needing to be done always seems to be clouded by the politics)

As for the wolf plan, they will continue to try and move the goalposts. 350 will become 1200, and 1200 will then become 2500, and so on.

Only a matter of time before trapping and hunting with hounds is put on the chopping block. It just sucks that the loudmouthed minority in Madison gets to dictate how the rest of the rural population lives and pursues it's past time.
Seems to be that way in a lot of places on a lot of issues.... not just F&G
 
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