Comments on: Whooping cranes aren’t on menu

By: Heather Ray

Heather Ray — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 13:55:38 +0000

Well said Mark Chenowith! As one who knows first-hand the blood, sweat, and yes, even tears that go into raising, and reintroducing these endangered birds; I am furious that these hunters got off as easy as they did.

Here’s a thought: In an attempt to right a wrong – why doesn’t the State of Kansas (and others) increase the fines and contribute the dollars collected to the Whooping crane reintrodution project. That is IF they ever collect the $$ …

By: Mark Chenoweth

Mark Chenoweth — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 22:34:05 +0000

Considering that it costs somewhere near $80,000 in donations and sponsor support and grants to hatch, raise and train a young Whooping crane to be a part of the new Eastern Introduced flock that Operation Migration has been doing for the last 6 years, and that the state of Texas values a Whooper at around $5200, these guys DID get off easy! Both birds were found alive, but died in spite of the efforts of nearby university vet med staff to save them. Both birds were males.

Indeed, if you are a hunter and DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE SHOOTING AT, simply DON’T SHOOT! It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know this!

I took the licensing test that the state of Kansas gives to hunters… it is almost impossible to discern a gray bird from a WHITE bird after sunset or near sunrise! The light just doesn’t make it easy! And they know this, but the state makes big $$ from licenses!

They should ban such hunts in the flyway areas where Whooping cranes are known to pass, and give the poor Sandhills a break!

Extinction is FOREVER, and there are still less than 215 wild Whoopers alive in the world today!

Find your sport somewhere else!

If you are a Whooper or crane fan, check out what is happening on Whooper Happenings (podcast) at: http://whitebirds.libsyn.org .

Some of us give too much in support and resources to want this sort of waste to those few rare birds that remain!

Mankind killed off the billions of Passenger Pigeons that once flew all over North America! It was a classic case of man’s greed and stupidity! Support for those birds came way too late, and no one since nearly a century ago has even seen a living Passenger nor ever will again!

Think… extinction is FOREVER!

By: Damoon

Damoon — Thu, 06 Oct 2005 03:15:32 +0000

Why the hell would anyone want to shoot a crane? I’ve never heard of roasted crane or crane stew. They can’t even be a challenge to shoot because they fly so slow.

By: Hammertime

Hammertime — Thu, 06 Oct 2005 02:42:50 +0000

Who in their right mind would want to shoot any kind of crane? It’s insane! Get a camera!

By: NoJoCo

NoJoCo — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 21:30:36 +0000

There’s no excuse for firing at a bird when you’re unsure what species it is.

BTW, I was driving down the road yesterday and a white crane flew in front of me (it did not get hit). What a beautiful bird!

By: james

james — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 20:23:31 +0000

There are “Hunters.” and I use the term loosely, that will shoot nearly anything, on sight, JUST, because they can. Chances of being caught are probably pretty slim.

If you’re gonna hunt, you should know what you’re shooting at. Don’t know for sure?–Don’t shoot!

Make a mistake, YOU pay the price!

These guys got off,—-EASY!!

By: XXX

XXX — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 17:48:57 +0000

No JM, they taste more like goat, but they’re good with a little barbeque sauce.

By: J M Walker

J M Walker — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 16:46:02 +0000

Do they (the birds, not the hunters) taste like chicken?

By: Steven E.

Steven E. — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 14:35:56 +0000

The basic problem is that the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission is being asked to regulate a group upon whom it depends for revenue – i.e. hunters. The situation would be analogous to asking Bush/Cheney to oversee energy companies – not a good mix, or a good idea.

By: Joe Williams

Joe Williams — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 14:08:08 +0000

Hunters got off easy? I bet it was an accident and plus 6 months in jail is pretty long for dead bird.

Now! If they were trying to hunt them, then stuff then, and sell the stuff bird on the black market for the purpose of making the bird extinct as to drive up the cost of the stuff bird, now I can see that being a crime worth putting in jail for.

By: Andy

Andy — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 08:21:57 +0000

All this fuss and bother, and I still haven’t seen anything to help me identify a whooping crane from a sand hill crane.

Beats me why anyone would want to shoot a sandhill crane, anyway. They are gorgeous, especially in flight.