Wildlife

A committee studying management of the state’s growing sandhill crane population is recommending a bill that would allow hunting the birds and provide aid for corn growers experiencing damage from them.

State environmental regulators are proposing permit changes to reduce or avoid killing rare cave bats that may be affected by wind energy projects.

Wisconsin hunters bagged 5 percent more deer during the nine-day gun deer season compared to last year, capping off the safest hunt in 40 years.

Wisconsin hunters are seeing a slow start to the state’s nine-day gun deer season compared to last year.

As of Friday morning, hunters had purchased 302,988 gun licenses out of 661,333 licenses sold so far this year, according to the Wisconsin DNR.

A waterfowl hunter won’t face charges after killing a wolf in northern Wisconsin this fall, following an investigation by the state Department of Natural Resources.

Wisconsin’s hunters killed almost 4,300 bears this year, exceeding the state’s quota and rebounding after their lowest harvest in 15 years last season.

Accusations of bias surround a legislative committee studying ways to manage Wisconsin’s growing sandhill crane as it considers a package of bills Wednesday, including a proposal for a sandhill crane hunt.

State wildlife regulators say a warm winter and dry weather this fall could improve hunters’ chances during the nine-day gun deer season, but they’re expecting a similar harvest to last year due to a late start.

DNR conservation biologist Jennifer Redell is encouraged after years of concern about White Nose Syndrome in Wisconsin bats. At two of the state’s largest hibernation sites, they’ve seen population growth each of the last three years.