# Has anyone heard anything more on a sandhill crane hunt in Michigan?



## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

Other than hearing from within MDNR that Russ Mason is in full support, this seems to have died-back well past a simmer...


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

We have a Coalition meeting tomorrow. I’ll ask for updates if I remember. A season would be awesome.


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

I'll supply the decoys, blinds and calling expertise. They can be tough birds to get them to land in the decoys. Excellent eyesight.


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## plugger (Aug 8, 2001)

Cork Dust said:


> I'll supply the decoys, blinds and calling expertise. They can be tough birds to get them to land in the decoys. Excellent eyesight.


I could usually provide the corn field with the sand hills.


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Nothing beats ripe barley fields when cranes are heading south. North bound I would definitely give the nod to standing corn.


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

I know a few places to pass shoot.


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## AaronJohn (Oct 18, 2015)

There are about a dozen behind my house right now just playing reindeer games 


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## Firefighter (Feb 14, 2007)

Decoys? Calls?

How about a machete in my front yard? (no, this picture isn't cropped or zoomed)

Those birds aren't scared of anything!


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## AaronJohn (Oct 18, 2015)

Firefighter said:


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Ha! I was at the gas station the other day on the west side and they were literally looking into the window of my truck I couldn’t drive away there was half a dozen just checking me out 


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

I was under the impression that nothing would happen until they see who the new administration was going to be and how they are towards this. I might be wrong but I believe it was Russ Mason that said that at CWAC.


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## notime (Nov 11, 2011)

might have to go out of state and spend my money elsewhere if they don't get this moving along. that bird is high on my bucket list and if my home state wont accommodate, i know others will


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## Spartan88 (Nov 14, 2008)

HSUS will be all over it, they will demand a public vote and sandy hunting will go by way of the mourning dove hunt.


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## 357Maximum (Nov 1, 2015)

I was hunting doves and sandhills in Michigan this morning, then the alarm went off.


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## Bucman (Jun 29, 2016)

Firefighter said:


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That bird looks like he is “doing or about to do damage”!


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## 101thwacK (Sep 7, 2017)

Ribeye of the sky I have often been told. Also on my bucket list. Has anyone on here eaten them before?


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## jwinks (Mar 20, 2014)

They are good. I think people hype them up a little bit because they are rare and exciting. I think the best comparison would be to a venison backstrap, but with a little more mild flavor. People often say “ribeye”, but that’s unfair because beef ribeyes are loaded with fat and the cranes I have eaten were still lean. A breast comparable in size to a honker. The legs were also delicious, like roast beef, but it was a bit of work to sort through the inedible tendons and junk.


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## Firefighter (Feb 14, 2007)

Bucman said:


> That bird looks like he is “doing or about to do damage”!


He was actually pecking my truck. He also put a hole in my neighbor's screen door, and you'd be amazed how much lawn one can destroy in an hour.

He and his pals weren't making many friends, but they learned quickly not to wreck stuff on my property, or they'd be dodging footballs and the like rifled their direction. 

We've come to an agreement- they no longer wreck stuff, and I don't pay any attention to them


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

jwinks said:


> They are good. I think people hype them up a little bit because they are rare and exciting. I think the best comparison would be to a venison backstrap, but with a little more mild flavor. People often say “ribeye”, but that’s unfair because beef ribeyes are loaded with fat and the cranes I have eaten were still lean. A breast comparable in size to a honker. The legs were also delicious, like roast beef, but it was a bit of work to sort through the inedible tendons and junk.


Pretty spot-on assessment of sandhill crane. DO NOT OVERCOOK them! The guys who loaned us their crane silhouettes years ago to copy, grilled the wrapped in bacon. The only way I have cooked them that I didn't care for was in a hand-made Asian black bean sauce. They just weren't strong enough to stand-out in that sauce base against the asparagus.

The legs make some great sausage: https://honest-food.net/wild-game/d...-salami/toulouse-style-duck-or-goose-sausage/

I just made some with goose and some with sandhill crane from last fall. This is an easy sausage to make, but very flavorful.


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## rork (Dec 22, 2016)

There are tons near me but I'm willing to wait a few more years, because I don't think they are fully using the available habitat yet. I'm saying there might be "blanks" still - suitable but unused places. The bird lovers will argue that this demonstrates less than full recovery. It seems like the population is still growing without anything like a plateau (but data is very noisy), so I'm hoping they will blanket everywhere soon. I could be wrong on these matters, and maybe am being insensitive to farmer's losses, and need educating. https://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/2017_sandhill_crane_status_554043_7.pdf 
I look forward to the work in the kitchen someday, and think it won't be too long.
PS: Just read David Thompson's "Narrative" and highly recommend it to outdoors types. Exploring mostly the Canadian wilderness, 1790-1812, but also Montana, Idaho, Washington. They eat "white headed eagles" and the "American tiger" - everything except loons actually.


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## ongo (Oct 1, 2017)

Cork Dust said:


> Pretty spot-on assessment of sandhill crane. DO NOT OVERCOOK them! The guys who loaned us their crane silhouettes years ago to copy, grilled the wrapped in bacon. The only way I have cooked them that I didn't care for was in a hand-made Asian black bean sauce. They just weren't strong enough to stand-out in that sauce base against the asparagus.
> 
> The legs make some great sausage: https://honest-food.net/wild-game/d...-salami/toulouse-style-duck-or-goose-sausage/
> 
> I just made some with goose and some with sandhill crane from last fall. This is an easy sausage to make, but very flavorful.


Grilled wrapped in bacon sounds pretty good.
A couple years back I sliced up some grouse,morning dove and sand hill crane breasts, all across grain,none thicker than 
1/4 ". Put a light dusting of flour and a dash of salt with a sprinkle of pepper on each piece. Flash fried in hot bacon grease. The grouse was as expected,Good. Morning dove was also Good. That crane though was Really GOOD! 
Last fall on the PBS station during the "Ask The DNR" program I called in the question. When might we expect a Sand Hill Crane season, if ever? Their response was. They've been looking into it and that Sand Hill's can be found in every county in Michigan. That was the last I'd heard about Sand Hill's till this thread. I know the farmers hate them. A flock will land in a freshly sprouted corn field. Each bird walking down a row pulling up every sprout as they go. I'd expect the DNR to grant block permits just to get rid of them. And I'd gladly do it, just to keep the meat. They are very tasty!


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## piketroller (Oct 24, 2016)

Firefighter said:


> He was actually pecking my truck. He also put a hole in my neighbor's screen door, and you'd be amazed how much lawn one can destroy in an hour.
> 
> He and his pals weren't making many friends, but they learned quickly not to wreck stuff on my property, or they'd be dodging footballs and the like rifled their direction.
> 
> We've come to an agreement- they no longer wreck stuff, and I don't pay any attention to them


Are those regulation footballs or the mini 40 grain varieties?


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## wavie (Feb 2, 2004)

ongo said:


> I'd expect the DNR to grant block permits just to get rid of them. And I'd gladly do it, just to keep the meat. They are very tasty!


Permits are given but currently I believe the meat can not be kept for consumption.


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## lefty421 (Dec 7, 2012)

Ribeye of the sky, LOL.

Tip: wrap the crane breast in bacon, grill until the bacon is crispy. then discard the crane breast and eat the bacon.

We tried eating one out in ND one year, but it was terrible and all the locals gave us the above tip. We've never bothered hunting again. Not to mention the crane permit has gone way up in price since then.


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## Rockybear (Feb 5, 2018)

101thwacK said:


> Ribeye of the sky I have often been told. Also on my bucket list. Has anyone on here eaten them before?


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## Socks (Jan 8, 2007)

This will never happen.


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Terry Minzey came to our Coalition meeting on Tuesday. I asked if there would ever be a sandhill crane season. The chances of having a season is less than slim and none. As the UP supervisor Terry is well aware of the agricultural damage that a flock can do.


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## ongo (Oct 1, 2017)

Before the passage of proposal G, the same thing was said about Wolf hunting in the U.P. So much for "less than slim to none". Proposal G currently covers 38 species of birds and mammals. I guess time will tell.


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

ongo said:


> Before the passage of proposal G, the same thing was said about Wolf hunting in the U.P. So much for "less than slim to none". Proposal G currently covers 38 species of birds and mammals. I guess time will tell.


If you don’t have the DNR on board it will not happen. Good luck on lobbying the NRC to get them to order the DNR to them to go through their procedure required to write a WCO.


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## Shlwego (Sep 13, 2006)

Sandhill Crane hunting has been discussed quite a bit here. This thread from last fall is about a petition to start hunting them: https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/...rt-sandhills-crane-season-in-michigan.579369/

As I stated in that thread: I have hunted cranes in Manitoba. They are by far my favorite gamebird to eat. Better than turkey, better than grouse, better than anything else that flies. It's red meat, treat it like a steak and you can't go wrong. Those who have tried Crane and don't like it are probably over cooking it. Why wrap it in bacon when you can just grill it like a steak? Keep it med-rare at most and it will be fantastic. I have a friend who over-cooks ducks, too, and because of that he doesn't like them at all and I can't blame him - I've tried ducks he's cooked and I don't like them either. But he can't get his head around eating a "bird" unless it's well done. To each their own, but I would take Crane over any other gamebird I've had in a heartbeat. I have been known to belly crawl a field to get close enough for a shot at a crane and I'd do it again given the opportunity.

The state legislature did pass HR154 which proposed allowing the NRC to consider Crane Hunting, but I have not heard if the Natural Resources Committee has done anything about final approval. After that it would have to be cleared by the Feds, and that would not be a sure thing either. If it did/or does get approved it will be strongly opposed by the anti-hunting groups who are better organized, better funded, and have less in-fighting than pro-hunting groups. Perhaps the way that HR154 was worded prevents a ballot referendum, but even so I think the antis would send this one to the court system - where we might have a slim chance - but only after lengthy challenges and years of litigation. If it can and does go to a referendum, we lose. We as hunters do not have a good record of supporting each other (remember the dove hunt?); and as sad as it makes me, I think that would happen again, as we would face overwhelming advertising against hunting.

Hate to be pessimistic, but that's the way I see it.

By the way, any cranes in Michigan taken by farmers with a depredation permit must be destroyed. You may not legally eat them if taken under a depredation permit. Talk about your Wanton Waste.... What a total shame!


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## ongo (Oct 1, 2017)

Yes what a waste of most excellent meat! According to the "Sand Hill Crane Status in Michigan report" page 5 https://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/2017_sandhill_crane_status_554043_7.pdf

Just in the last 5 years through depredation permits alone more than 4,000 sand hills have been wasted. You never know,but if this trend continues,maybe the DNR will open their eyes to the possibilities of the thing they love the most. MORE REVENUE!!


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

ongo said:


> Yes what a waste of most excellent meat! According to the "Sand Hill Crane Status in Michigan report" page 5 https://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/2017_sandhill_crane_status_554043_7.pdf
> 
> Just in the last 5 years through depredation permits alone more than 4,000 sand hills have been wasted. You never know,but if this trend continues,maybe the DNR will open their eyes to the possibilities of the thing they love the most. MORE REVENUE!!


I think you make a good point, however, different agencies handle the depredation kills, so the MDNR does not see a carcass ever, just the eventual number on a piece of paper...far less impactful.


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## ongo (Oct 1, 2017)

Currently their are 15 other states that allow hunting of sand hill cranes. You need a state and federal license in those states.Some permits have been issued in Michigan to hunt,kill,and eat sand hill cranes, in one year.
Keith Matheny of the Detroit Free Press says:
“There is a federal program where hunters that are experiencing a nuisance from these birds can get a permit now to shoot them,” Matheny said. “You actually can eat them after you shoot them when you kill them with this permit, but that permit use in Michigan has been pretty limited. It’s under 80 permits as of last count, have been used in a year.”
Link for this article;
http://michiganradio.org/post/sandhill-crane-hunt-coming-soon-michigan
I'm just hoping the DNR keeps looking at the numbers till a $ sign lights up. Who knows, maybe even in my life time?


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

ongo said:


> Currently their are 15 other states that allow hunting of sand hill cranes. You need a state and federal license in those states.Some permits have been issued in Michigan to hunt,kill,and eat sand hill cranes, in one year.
> Keith Matheny of the Detroit Free Press says:
> “There is a federal program where hunters that are experiencing a nuisance from these birds can get a permit now to shoot them,” Matheny said. “You actually can eat them after you shoot them when you kill them with this permit, but that permit use in Michigan has been pretty limited. It’s under 80 permits as of last count, have been used in a year.”
> Link for this article;
> ...


Actually, I know that one farmer in this program as a particpant has to turn his birds over. The last dollar figure I heard him state was $100 for each permit.


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

ongo said:


> Currently their are 15 other states that allow hunting of sand hill cranes. You need a state and federal license in those states.Some permits have been issued in Michigan to hunt,kill,and eat sand hill cranes, in one year.
> Keith Matheny of the Detroit Free Press says:
> “There is a federal program where hunters that are experiencing a nuisance from these birds can get a permit now to shoot them,” Matheny said. “You actually can eat them after you shoot them when you kill them with this permit, but that permit use in Michigan has been pretty limited. It’s under 80 permits as of last count, have been used in a year.”
> Link for this article;
> ...


You cannot eat them and the whole program is a PIA according to farmers I’ve talked to. A lot of it is hasndled in their own through SSS.


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

Page 13 has the ten year depredation counts, stratified by county.


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

I hear farmers complain about a few dozen. These cleaned of my standing corn in 4 days.


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

Luv2hunteup said:


> I hear farmers complain about a few dozen. These cleaned of my standing corn in 4 days.
> 
> View attachment 307248


Rudyard area by the coop barn complex along i-75 would be my guess. Southern Marquette potato farms are the same way, along with a farming belt over along the Fence River.


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## ongo (Oct 1, 2017)

Cork dust, was the "farmers" permit for the year? I'm just a messenger providing an article about "hunters" acquiring a permit. Also for some reason I can't get the file you listed to load.

Craigrh13, the article clearly states that with this "hunters permit" you can eat these birds. I'm not sure what-PIA and SSS-means, so please forgive my ignorance to those references.

Because of my interest in this subject, I think I'll dig a little deeper to see what else I can come up with, it may take awhile,but, more to come!

Just not used to this windows 10 yet cork dust. It did load the file you listed, it was down at the bottom of the window. And that's the same file I listed the link to in post #32.


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

ongo said:


> Cork dust, was the "farmers" permit for the year? I'm just a messenger providing an article about "hunters" acquiring a permit. Also for some reason I can't get the file you listed to load.
> 
> Craigrh13, the article clearly states that with this "hunters permit" you can eat these birds. I'm not sure what-PIA and SSS-means, so please forgive my ignorance to those references.
> 
> Because of my interest in this subject, I think I'll dig a little deeper to see what else I can come up with, it may take awhile,but, more to come!


He said they run forward from date of grant. I never thought to ask him is there was a expiry date after he told me he had to turn all birds killed over to the USFWS. He gets "hit" the hardest in spring when the birds walk the rows of corn seedlings pulling them in sequence. He is a dairy farmer.

I tried a variety of search wordings on depredation by sandhill cranes in Michigan, with and without adding USFWS. I never had anything that actually outlined the application process pop-up.


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## ongo (Oct 1, 2017)

Cork Dust said:


> He said they run forward from date of grant. I never thought to ask him is there was a expiry date after he told me he had to turn all birds killed over to the USFWS. He gets "hit" the hardest in spring when the birds walk the rows of corn seedlings pulling them in sequence. He is a dairy farmer.


Yes in my area the dairy farmers also are being hit really hard. Also the soy bean crops are being hit as well


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

MSU Extension Service...

*Permits to control birds*
All birds are protected from lethal control except starlings, house sparrows and feral pigeons. A Project Control Permit issued by the DNR is required when restricted use pesticides are used to control nuisance birds outside of buildings. Most migratory birds are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), including Canada geese, sandhill cranes, gulls, hawks and waterfowl. Under the MBTA, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) has the authority to issue depredation permits to control damage caused by migratory birds. A depredation permit is required before any person may kill, possess or transport migratory birds for depredation control purposes.

No permit is required merely to scare or herd depredating migratory birds other than endangered or threatened species or bald or golden eagles. In addition, no federal permit is needed to control red-winged blackbirds, cowbirds, grackles and crows when found committing or about to commit depredations upon ornamental or shade trees, agricultural crops, livestock or wildlife, or when concentrated in such numbers and manner as to constitute a health hazard or other nuisance.

Depredation permits cost $100 and are renewed on an annual basis. These permits allow producers to kill a specific number of birds causing damage and are intended to reinforce the ongoing non-lethal harassment. Producers must have attempted non-lethal harassment before a permit will be issued. Information on non-lethal harassment techniques can be obtained from USDA Wildlife Services. Any birds killed are to be disposed of in accordance of the permit and are not to be used for human consumption.

As a former MSU employee, in their Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife, I was too dumb to recall that some of the Extension outreach monies are Federal sourced. Ooops!


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## Lenny K (May 13, 2015)

Hunted Snow geese in the rain water basin south of grand island Nebraska again this February and March . poor guys have to look at hundreds of thousands of sandhill crane’s you can never pull the trigger . And the tree huggers keep buying up land around the Platte River and close it to all hunting And have millions of dollars in the Crane trust. It brings in thousands of people who just want to take pictures and look at them as they block the roads while we look for geese. I’m sure they will use their money to defeat Any attempts to harvest cranes in Michigan.


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

Lenny K said:


> Hunted Snow geese in the rain water basin south of grand island Nebraska again this February and March . poor guys have to look at hundreds of thousands of sandhill crane’s you can never pull the trigger . And the tree huggers keep buying up land around the Platte River and close it to all hunting And have millions of dollars in the Crane trust. It brings in thousands of people who just want to take pictures and look at them as they block the roads while we look for geese. I’m sure they will use their money to defeat Any attempts to harvest cranes in Michigan.


I diverted through there on my way down to pick-up a new dog in Kansas. It is quite a sight, albeit a renewable one...


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## Duck-Hunter (Mar 31, 2005)

If we can’t shoot doves no way they will let us shoot cranes. I would love to be wrong on my statement.

I had a permit in my hands a few years ago. The land owner had to do a lot of paper shuffling. He was pretty motivated especially after they destroyed 66 acres of corn in a 120 acre field. The guidelines in the permit were pretty much shoot on sight, had to bury the birds and only allowed X amount of birds.


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## ongo (Oct 1, 2017)

I too would love for you to be wrong on your statement. But at least the DNR is still having conversations with various groups on having some type of hunt for them.


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## shell waster (Nov 5, 2004)

Never gonna happen. As the baby boomers stop hunting, more and more every year, then so goes hunting. OF Gen x (me) few hunt, and millennials...well uh.?. Call it urbanazation, technology etc, the great outdoors can't compete due to cost, lack of opportunity, etc...just look at European hunting...that's going to be us in 50 years. I myself am going to drink it in as much as possible until that day but for more seasons, non leases, the good old days...yeah right..?


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## Silver Panner (Apr 15, 2009)

Has anyone heard if the DNR is still possibly considering a season? Last I saw, the feds said, if MI asked, then they could open a season.


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

Silver Panner said:


> Has anyone heard if the DNR is still possibly considering a season? Last I saw, the feds said, if MI asked, then they could open a season.


It sounded like the DNR wants it but politics have gotten in the way. Screw cranes, we need doves. I’ve yet to figure out how politics can dictate a science based decision.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

It will never get through.


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## rork (Dec 22, 2016)

craigrh13 said:


> It sounded like the DNR wants it but politics have gotten in the way. Screw cranes, we need doves. I’ve yet to figure out how politics can dictate a science based decision.


Decisions are also about values, which science does not determine. The idea that science can measure what a thing is worth is a myth. It's an argument people use when it's convenient. We can pass laws that say the decision can be made scientifically, but that does not make it true - such laws are made by people who don't understand science. Approximately no politicians are scientists.
A genius from Detroit, Leonard (Jimmy) Savage, proved that under simple axioms, the optimal decision is to maximize the subjective expected utility (around 1954). That word "subjective" is in there for 2 reasons. The first is because there is your prior opinion (before data appears, it affects the expectation). The second is because there is a loss function that says how good or bad the various outcomes are to you, personally (it's about the utility). It's personal.
The idea that the people should not be able to say whether we do or don't hunt ospreys or cerulean warblers, or hunt deer with machine guns, ignores that people have values. 
I expect there to be crane seasons. But first we'll need to be up to our necks in them. Every place where there can be a crane, there needs to be a crane there, maybe 2. Even 5 years ago there were people in Michigan who would see cranes and not know what they were.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

As time passes more and more hunting seasons will become "endangered". The "anti's" are winning. They are already gaining in leadership roles and that will likely continue.


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