ONTARIO—A research paper by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has established that sustainable harvest levels for Northern America’s eastern population of Sandhill cranes is attainable, something that Ontario and Quebec farmers, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters and farming groups—including those on Manitoulin Island—have long advocated for.
“They did not include the hypothetical harvest from Ontario/Quebec in the paper, but when we take the projected harvest from Ontario/Quebec and add it to the current population levels of Sandhill cranes, it is still below the level which would result in a decreasing population (with a proposed Sandhill crane season),” said Christopher Sharp, biologist with Environment and Canada Climate Change (ECCC), which published a notice of consideration in 2024 for public consultation on their perspective regarding a Sandhill crane hunting season in Ontario (in the Hudson and James Bay lowlands and parts of the Algoma, Nipissing and Temiskaming districts as well as Manitoulin Island and the French River area). This season could take place as early as the fall of 2026 if final approvals are provided.
Ontario Out of Doors (OOD) magazine reported in its Fall 2025 edition on the research paper: “Using a conservative population estimate of 98,230 cranes (around 60 percent higher than the existing population objective of 60,000), researchers modeled the possible outcomes of multiple harvest strategies, from low intensity to high. The authors conclude that the eastern population of Sandhill cranes, which passes through and even breeds in some parts of Ontario, could tolerate a harvest of up to 6,245 cranes per year with no population impact, or 6,870 cranes per year with a slight population decline.”
“Currently, the eastern population of Sandhill cranes is hunted in Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama. Combined with depredation harvesting resulting from agricultural conflict, the present annual harvest rate of this population is 3,065 cranes per year, less than half of what it could tolerate sustainably, according to the study,” reported OOD.
“The authors conclude that eastern Sandhill cranes could sustainably tolerate modest harvest at much lower populations than present, such as 60,000 and even 30,000 birds,” the OOD reports from the study. For more than a decade, the OFAH has advocated for consideration of a Sandhill crane hunting season in Ontario, and these findings reaffirm our long-held convictions. The Canadian Wildlife Service’s official proposal for the establishment of a Sandhill crane hunting season in Ontario is currently under review and could open as early as fall of 2026.”
Mr. Sharp said “in the research study they didn’t include the hypothetical harvest from Ontario/Quebec, but when we take the projected harvest from (the two provinces) and add it to the current level of take, we are still below the level which would result in a decreasing population. A harvest here in Ontario and Quebec would be sustainable.”
The Journal of Wildlife Management article reads in part, “The eastern population of Sandhill cranes has expanded rapidly from near extirpation in the early twentieth century. Rapid population recovery and range expansion have resulted in the increased take of the eastern population through crop depredation permits and hunting. To provide a better biological foundation for managing the eastern population, the management community desired a scientifically informed evaluation of take to maximize the protection and use of this species for three major purposes: wildlife viewing, control of crop depredation and sport hunting. We used a prescribed take approach, which uses data from population, demographic, and management parameter estimates to determine the allowable take.”
“Furthermore, we used two different methods of estimating growth rates to control for demographic uncertainties. We estimated a maximum growth rate of 0.092 to 0.123 for demographically informed and demographically invariant methods, respectively,” the report states. “Depending on management objectives, media take ranged from 3,123 birds at a low take management goal to 6,245 at the maximum sustained yield management goal. We found that this species can sustain current reported take and likely can sustain additional take if needed. Owing to inherent differences in productivity, driven by small clutch size and lower fledgling success, Sandhill cranes need to be more closely monitored for take compared to more fecund species.”
Mr. Sharp explained, “We are continuing to see agriculture conflicts involving Sandhill cranes and farmers. Some farmers are finding things that work for them, including for example the damage/dangerous to crop permits. This continues to be a good alternative.”
Matthew Robbins, a wildlife biologist with OFAH, told The Expositor, “a proposed Sandhill crane hunt is in the works. The first consultation period took place last year. This is something we’ve (OFAH) been advocating on for decades and it looks as if, finally, something is going to take place. The earliest a season could take place is the fall of 2026.”
However, “there is no absolute guarantee a season will be approved,” said Mr. Robbins.
“What we did as ECCC is publish a notice of consideration in 2024 to consult people in Canada on their perspectives regarding a Sandhill crane hunting season in Ontario, which for your area also includes Manitoulin Island and the stretch of highway 17 to North Bay,” said Mr. Sharp. “The feedback received after the publication of the notice of consideration was overwhelmingly in support of moving forward with a season. As a result, ECCC conducted further work to assess the potential impact of the harvest season and is in the process of completing further consultations with stakeholders to finalize advice regarding the establishment of a Sandhill crane hunting season in Ontario in portions of the northern and central districts, as well as the Hudson and James Bay district for the 2026-2027 season.”
“ECCC anticipates proposed amendments for the 2026-2027 hunting season to be published in December 2025. If a Sandhill crane hunting season is established, details will be available at that time,” said Mr. Sharp. However, “Elements of a proposed harvest framework under consideration include: Sandhill crane hunting would be limited to the Hudson-James Bay district and the following wildlife management units (WMU) in the northern and central districts only: WMUs 23, 24, 27-30, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 45, 47 and 48; the proposed hunting season would begin September 1 in the Hudson-James Bay district and the first Saturday after September 11 in the aforementioned WMUs in northern and central districts; the (proposed) season would be 14 days long in all districts; the daily bag limit would be one crane, and the possession limit would also be one crane; harvest would be permitted for residents of Canada only and hunting would be restricted to farmland only in northern and central district WMUs.”
“The proposed hunting districts, WMUs and season dates are being considered because of the high abundance of cranes in agricultural areas during fall migration, offering an attractive harvesting opportunity while ensuring that harvest does not disproportionately impact local breeding cranes,” said Mr. Sharp.
Mr. Sharp noted, “A Sandhill crane season alone will not solve all the problems in agriculture-farming, but it would provide for an additional tool for farmers and those in agriculture to use.”
