Sandhill Crane Decline Means Fewer Tags This Year

The Pacific Flyway Council has allocated Idaho a harvest of 137 cranes for the 2013 season. The allocation is a significant reduction from 2012, and is the lowest since 1996. Idaho Fish and Game will be soliciting public comments from June 24 through July 3 on a proposed season that would run September 1 - 15 with a daily bag limit of two birds. The Upper Snake Region plans a public open house from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, June 24. The Southeast Region plans an open house from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 26, at the Southeast Region office, 1345 Barton Rd., Pocatello. Details of the proposal and a short survey will be available online beginning June 24. A summary of public comments will be presented to the Idaho Fish and Game Commission at the July 11 meeting in Pocatello, when the commission will consider the proposed 2013 season. Annual harvest allocations for cranes are set by the Pacific Flyway Council. They are based on the most recent three-year average number of cranes in the Rocky Mountain sandhill population, counted just before the fall migration starts. In the Pacific Flyway, 15,417 cranes were counted in September 2012, and the most recent three-year average was 17,992 cranes. The population objective is a range of 17,000 to 21,000 cranes. As a result, the council reduced Idaho's harvest allocation to 137 cranes. To meet that allocation, Fish and Game proposes to reduce the number of tags available in each of the six hunt areas, set the season in all six hunt areas at 15 days, and reduce the daily limit to two birds and the season limit to four. Since 2009, when sandhill crane tags were made available on a first-come first-served basis, the harvest per tag purchased has averaged 48 percent. To stay at or below the Pacific Flyway harvest allocation of 137 cranes, Fish and Game proposes to reduce tags to a maximum of 275. Last year 510 tags were sold and 275 adult cranes were taken - slightly higher than the predicted harvest. A season and rules brochure will be available by the end of July. For information contact Jeff Knetter at 208-334-2920.