Federal authorities approve Oconomowoc authorities to kill sandhill crane that was deemed a nuisance

OCONOMOWOC, Wis. (CBS 58) -- There is some concern and frustration in Oconomowoc after a protected sandhill crane was killed because it was deemed a nuisance.

But law enforcement, crane experts, and federal authorities say all the rules were followed.

The homeowner told us they tried everything to get the crane to stop damaging their property.

Sandhill cranes are notoriously territorial, and nothing seemed to work. They said having the crane killed was a last resort.

The homeowner said the crane scratched their truck for weeks, causing about $2,000 in damage. A vehicle trailer was also scratched but cannot be repaired because of the surface material.

The homeowner did not want to go on camera or show their home or damaged vehicle and trailer. They're worried they'll get unfairly blamed for the crane's death.

But even crane experts acknowledge relocating cranes is a nearly impossible task.

Anne Lacy is the International Crane Foundation's director of Eastern Flyaway Programs- North America. She told us, "We can't move them. That doesn't work. They will come back to that area. We could have moved this bird to Minnesota, Iowa. It would have flown back."

Lacy says the best thing people can do is prevention. "We cannot recommend enough: do not feed sandhill cranes," she told us.

Sandhill cranes are omnivores with plenty of food. Lacy said they don't need human help.

The Oconomowoc homeowner thought a neighbor's birdfeed may have been attracting the crane.

Lacy said, "If it was the case that a neighboring landowner was feeding this particular crane, it probably contributed to this problem."

Lacy thinks the crane was probably defending its territory and food source from a perceived rival, which happened to be its reflection in the homeowner's truck.

Blocking the reflection could help if it's a window, she said, so could walking a dog or a motion-activated sprinkler system.

The homeowner told us they spent weeks trying to get the crane to stop. A coyote decoy worked for just a few days; balloons did not distract it, nor did a mirror.

So they looked for another option.

Sandhill cranes are federally protected migratory birds. They're not endangered, but the protections are there to keep them from becoming endangered.

If one is deemed a nuisance, a permit is required to kill it.

Lacy said she's gotten many calls throughout her career about sandhill cranes causing damage. But, "I can think of one single incident that I've thought, 'Well, maybe there might be no other recourse but lethal means.'"

Still, the US Fish and Wildlife Service investigated.

Oconomowoc Police Lieutenant Branden Cedarwall told us people asking for a permit "have to specify specifically what it is that they have done, and for how long they've done it, in order to try to get the animal to move on its own."

After investigating, US Fish and Wildlife Service granted a permit to kill the crane.

In Oconomowoc, only police officers are authorized to shoot firearms within city limits. On Monday, an officer found the crane by railroad tracks near the home. When it was safe, the officer shot the bird.

Lacy said, "This was a legal action, but I really wish it didn't have to come to the point of lethal removal for this bird."

There are more than one million sandhill cranes in the United States. As migratory birds, they return to their breeding areas every year.

Anne Lacy said Wisconsin is the core of this eastern population's breeding area. There are about 100,000 sandhill cranes in this population.