New Hunter Education Strategies to Protect Whooping Cranes in Texas and Kansas

Authors

Lee Ann Johnson Linam, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Helen M. Hands, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
Jay Roberson, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Date of this Version

2008

Document Type

Article

Citation

Johnson Linam, L.A., H.M. Hands, and J. Roberson. New hunter education strategies to protect whooping cranes in Texas and Kansas. In: Folk, MJ and SA Nesbitt, eds. 2008. Proceedings of the Tenth North American Crane Workshop, Feb. 7-10, 2006, Zacatecas City, Zacatecas, Mexico: North American Crane Working Group. pp. 138-140.

Comments

Reproduced by permission of the North American Crane Working Group.

Abstract

The decline of the whooping crane (Grus americana) has often been attributed primarily to loss of habitat and overharvest. Although hunting of whooping cranes is now prohibited, shootings sometimes occur. Recent incidences have prompted the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (Texas) and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (Kansas) to develop new strategies that increase hunter recognition of legal game species and awareness of endangered species concerns. Both agencies have produced or updated publications for goose and sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) hunters. Texas has developed video news releases for the general public and a video/DVD for hunter education classes designed to help goose and crane hunters avoid taking protected nongame species. Kansas has developed an online test that crane hunters must pass annually before they may purchase a crane permit.