MANITOULIN—News that the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) is considering a new Sandhill crane hunt season in portions of the Hudson-James Bay, Northern and Central Waterfowl District of Ontario, including Manitoulin Island, is being praised by both farmers and hunters.
The 14-day Sandhill crane hunt season would occur in the Hudson-James Bay district and wildlife management units 23, 24, 27-30, 36, 37, 40, 41, 42, 43, 45, 47 and 48. The proposed season would open September 1 in the Hudson-James Bay district and the first Saturday after September 11 in Northern (including Manitoulin WMUs and central districts) with a daily bag and possession limit of one crane. If a season is implemented it would be in the fall of 2026.
“It’s a proposal. And at this point there is no guarantee it is going to happen,” said Mike Johnston of the Manitoulin-North Shore Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA). “They are looking for stakeholders’ input on whether they should or shouldn’t go ahead.”
“If it goes ahead, that would be great,” stated Mr. Johnston. “We have been lobbying for this for at least five years. And I know they are getting the population numbers: the Sandhill crane population seems to be stable and there is a large migratory flock that takes in Manitoulin Island on its way south every year.”
“Most farm groups have been pushing for this season due to the crop damage Sandhills do as they migrate south and search for food sources,” said Mr. Johnston.
“We have been lobbying for this type of season for a long time, and I think the reason this is now getting more attention is that in the Bruce-Grey areas they are landing in the farmers’ fields there and are destroying crops there as well,” said Mr. Johnston. “And through the studies that have been carried out the last few years (by CWS), it shows they can quantify that the populations have increased enough. We have all seen the damage they can do to crops, especially a large group of birds in a small area.”
Birgit Martin of the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association said she agrees with the proposal. “The damage they do to crops in the fall is significant.”
“There are enough of them around they have become a part of the landscape,” said Jordan Miller, Northern director with Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO). “There are certainly a lot of birds around and their population continues to rise exponentially. They go after certain crops and it is no surprise to see at least 50 of them in a field at any time.”
“It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out,” said Mr. Miller. “To have a hunt, there needs to be enough interest shown for this. Hopefully, enough farmers groups and all stakeholders show enough interest in a hunt.”
Matthew Robbins, fish and wildlife biologist for the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) said, “For quite some time we’ve been talking about this with Canada Climate Change, CWS and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry concerning the need for a hunt season for Sandhill cranes. It has been a question of having enough data to show the population is sustainable,” which he said CWS has now demonstrated is the case. “The reason for this is that the birds’ nesting and habitat area is wildlands, and they (CWS) don’t want to see these areas disrupted.”
Mr. Robbins explained the Sandhill crane populations in Canada include two different populations, eastern and mid-continent. With the eastern population, tracking data in agricultural areas of Central and Eastern Ontario shows a population of three-year average of 97,385 cranes, which is 62 percent above the populations target of 60,000 set in a Sandhill crane management plan. “The data shows there is a very substantial population,” he said, noting the original management plan population threshold was for between 30,000-60,000 birds.
Mr. Robbins pointed out the populations have rebounded since the cranes were near extinction less than a century ago. “It is great to see their recovery.”
An OFAH background information sheet states, “Ontario is an important breeding and staging ground for Canada’s eastern population of Sandhill cranes. As one of three populations in Canada, eastern cranes migrate from the Hudson-James Bay region of Ontario and central Quebec, down through the Great Lakes and into the US each fall and winter. The eastern population has been growing steadily since the late 1970s, with an estimated six percent annual growth in Ontario since 2011. With this population of cranes now well beyond historic recovery objectives, managers are looking to create a season with an approximate 0.5-1 percent yearly population harvest rate.”
“Overall, the population is doing well, and we have heard concerns from the agricultural sector for years as to the damage they are causing,” said Chris Sharp, CWS Ontario region population management biologist. “But because this would be a new season for a Sandhill crane hunt the first step is to undergo a consultation period and to get members of the public to submit emails on whether they would be in favour of hunting season for them, or not.”
Mr. Sharp said, “The eastern Sandhill population is doing well, which is good to see, but in Ontario and Quebec they have been involved in conflicts with farmers due to the damage they are causing. So, the hunting season proposal is up for consideration.”
Roy Polsky, chair of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) Zone D, which includes Manitoulin Island, shared the news with members at their annual meeting January 27.
“We’ve been pushing for this a long time,” Mr. Polsky said. “About 10 years. And last year they (CWS) were talking that they would not be looking at a Sandhill crane hunt season for 5-6 years. So, this is good news.”
“Right now, we are going through the end of the 30-day consultation period (which closes February 14) to see where people are in terms of what they think about this proposal,” said Mr. Sharp. “Our justification for why we are considering this season is overall the population is doing well, and we have heard concerns from the agriculture sector. We would like to hear from everyone on the proposal.”
The comment period on the proposal is February 14. Any comments on the proposal can be sent to the following email address: MbregsReports-Rapports-Omregs@ec.gc.ca.
