The Sandhill Crane may be one species that's seeing the impact of dry conditions. Crane numbers in Idaho have continued to decline in the past three years.
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game says that decline means a lower number of those birds can be hunted this season. The Pacific Flyway Council (PFC) is the governing body that monitors migratory bird populations in the West. Every September the group oversees bird counts in 11 states and sets rules about hunting.
The council decided to reduce the allocated harvest of cranes in Idaho to 137 since the birds' population has dwindled in the last three years.
Idaho Fish and Game's Tom Hemker says it’s not clear what’s causing the crane decline in Idaho, but he says a good guess has to do with recent drought conditions. Hemker says the Sandhill Crane needs a secure wetland habitat to care for its chicks. Baby cranes become easy targets for predators when areas start to dry up toward the end of the summer.
PFC counted an average of 17,992 cranes over the last three years in the West. According to the press release, the council is aiming for a bird population between 17,000-21,000 each year.
Hemker says Fish and Game is taking a conservative approach by limiting the number of tags to 250 this year. That's down from 510 last year. He says the agency will sell more tags than the PFC’s allotted 137 because not all the tags result in harvests.
Idaho Fish and Game is taking public comment June 24-July 3 on a proposed September crane hunting season.
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