A new regulated Sandhill crane hunt will take place on Manitoulin Island from September 12 to 25 in Wildlife Management Units 43A and 43B on farmland only, aimed at mitigating crop damage while drawing a mix of support from farmers and opposition from conservation groups.
MANITOULIN鈥擜 new Sandhill crane hunt will be reopened in some areas of Ontario, including Manitoulin Island, from September 12-25 in the hope that the hunt will benefit farmers who have raised concerns for years that the large population of cranes is eating their crops.
Early in the 20th century the species was hunted to near extirpation in the province, to the point they were nearly extinct. However, with increased protection from unregulated hunting and more sources of food from agriculture, they have surpassed population expectations in the last few decades.
鈥淎 season for hunting Sandhill cranes is in place now,鈥 said Christopher Sharp, population management biologist with Environment Climate Change Canada Wildlife Service (ECCCWS). The Sandhill crane hunt season will take place on Manitoulin Island from September 12-25 in Wildlife Management Units 43A and 43B, and on farm land only. We鈥檝e been doing surveys and a transmitter study for the movement of birds for a number of years. Sandhill cranes have been doing well across much of Ontario, including Manitoulin Island.鈥
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