Seven hunters in Kansas are under investigation after shooting endangered
whooping cranes currently migrating from Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada to
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the Texas coast.
One of the whooping cranes has already died, while another is still hoped to recover.
The hunters claim they thought the birds were sandhill cranes. I call "B.S.!" -- part of the duty of anyone holding a hunting license is to be able to identify the species they're licensed to hunt when viewed on the ground and in the air. And if there's any doubt --
DON'T FIRE. It's just part of being a responsible hunter, period.
Needless hunter-on-hunter deaths would be reduced if people followed this simple logic, too, by the way.
Per the article, each of the hunters could face 1 year of jail time and a fine of up to $100,000. I'd rather see their hunting licenses suspended for a year and each of the shooters sentenced to hunter education classes and animal rehabilitation work with endangered bird species. Jail time won't do anything except make them bitter, and a hefty fine while reasonable is unlikely to be paid in full -- needlessly tying up the judicial system.
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