# Hundreds of thousands of Sandhill cranes



## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

I was just looking at SB10's color photos and saw some geese and I remembered while in AK Knapper and I saw thousands and thousands of sandhill cranes....I have seen them but never in those numbers....where do they go ? I am guessing Mexico, south america ?


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

We (AZ) actually have a season for them and so does New Mexico. I don't know if Texas has any or not. There is one area in the southern part of the state where they spend some time. I think G&F plants crops for them. I do believe that a lot of them do end up in Mexico.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Ya there pretty neat to watch, they use the air currents to fly, if you see them bunched up and flying in circles that looks like a big funnel their looking for another air current so they can continue their flight.


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

hassell said:


> Ya there pretty neat to watch, they use the air currents to fly, if you see them bunched up and flying in circles that looks like a big funnel their looking for another air current so they can continue their flight.


Exactly ! Some times one flock would wait for a following flock and as they waited they flew in circles and like you said a funnel, clacking and clacking all the time. Most flocks had somewhere between 100 to 300 birds and we saw one flock after another all day long. Never at night like geese just durring the day. Must be sight animal. Never saw them landing either though ? They were following the tanana river drainage....but that river ends. So I have no idea where they go after that. But it was cool.

Last trip three years ago I only saw maybe 25 % this many .

Wonder what they taste like ?? Loon ?


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## ebbs (Feb 7, 2010)

From what I understand in the Michigan area they're a real pest. Not indigenous and moved in to take over habitat of other animals. Turkey hunters that I've hunted with up there complain about them all the time and shoot them on sight. Guys say they're to turkeys sort of like what hogs are to whitetails.


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

Well being a turkey hunter....I saw some but only a few. What area were you hunting Ebbs ? I never heard of that problem else where but they are increasing in numbers. A farmer I know said they tried to eat one once but there was not much meat on them ? And it he said it tasted alot like loon or eagle.


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## ebbs (Feb 7, 2010)

I was up on the northeast side of the state in Oscoda. Most of the complaints I heard from were more near the southern part of the state in areas outlying the sand dunes and such.


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

The southern part of the state is where I hunt northwest of Jackson, Mich. The area has some sand and gravel. I am not sure what the conflict would be however ? My parents have a house in Florida north of lake Ochicobie ( sp?) on lake Hatchenaha. There they have the sandhill and turkey in thier yard almost daily. They do not seem to sit around and play cards together...but then they are not shooting it out like the Hatfields and McCoyes. If they have a conflict I do not see it....perhaps food ? Both being large birds that is possible ?

Anyhow I am seeing more and more...do you see them flying down through the mountains ?


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

On a call said:


> Well being a turkey hunter....I saw some but only a few. What area were you hunting Ebbs ? I never heard of that problem else where but they are increasing in numbers. A farmer I know said they tried to eat one once but there was not much meat on them ? And it he said it tasted alot like loon or eagle.


Why anyone would want to shoot a loon to start with and to eat one Well!!! they feed on fish so I wouldn't think the meat would taste too good, and as for eagles- I thought they were protected?


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

hassell said:


> Why anyone would want to shoot a loon to start with and to eat one Well!!! they feed on fish so I wouldn't think the meat would taste too good, and as for eagles- I thought they were protected?


Poor joke, I was talking with some farmers one day they kinda just made that statement as a joke. They were trying to make the comparrison that sandhills should not be eaten, just as eagle or loon. I remember once shooting a hooded merganser while duck hunting with dad, he said son, we eat what we shoot. He said that before I shot. The only way I would eat one again is if I was starving and that would be the only way I would shoot one again. Last duck season the same thing happened with a friend of mine...I told him the same and he shot one and ate it...last one.


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## catcapper (Feb 11, 2010)

Eagles are protected under federal law as are Sandhill Cranes. I'll bet U.S. Fish and Wildlife would give those Michigan Turkey hunters a good nutt'in if they caught them blast'in away on the Cranes.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

catcapper said:


> Eagles are protected under federal law as are Sandhill Cranes. I'll bet U.S. Fish and Wildlife would give those Michigan Turkey hunters a good nutt'in if they caught them blast'in away on the Cranes.


 Ya there protected up here also.


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

Hmm ttt...I had heard there was an open season in N.M. and in AZ. on sandhill cranes ? And with the numbers that I witnessed I would have to guess there are seasons somewhere. Personally, I am not advocating hunting sandhill but if there is an explosion in population of them...it may be a concideration ?

Swan numbers here are on the increase also. Their numbers may not take off like Cananda geese did back in the 70's but I am seeing them where I never saw them before. And in more remote areas I am seeing large numbers of them.

Duck is what I am seeing a decline in some species over others and those I avoid shooting.

The joke was ment to be a positive statement.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Eagles are protected for sure, however they just delisted them here making it legal to obtain feathers for the indian tribes for their religious ceremonies. Sandhills are protected by the migratory bird game laws and hunt numbers are set by the feds I believe.


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## bar-d (Feb 3, 2010)

Texas does have a sandhill crane season. In my area this year it is November 6 to February 6 2001. The daily bag limit is 3 with a possession limit of 6. You must have a valid Texas hunting license with a migratory bird stamp, a Federal Sandhill Crane hunting permit and be HIP certified. They show up here in late October in large numbers and will absolutely decimate a wheat field.


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

Yeah...as many as I saw I think you better have a boat load of hunter to keep em outta the fields..ha ha.

I thought there were seasons somewhere.


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## knapper (Feb 5, 2010)

We have a season on them here, the ones we were seeing were on oxygen they were so high. I also saw a white bird flying with one bunch.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

knapper said:


> We have a season on them here, the ones we were seeing were on oxygen they were so high. I also saw a white bird flying with one bunch.


 The White one came from Texas and is the scout for the flocks, he'll be looking for bar-d's place I'm sure!!!!


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

youngdon said:


> Eagles are protected for sure, however they just delisted them here making it legal to obtain feathers for the indian tribes for their religious ceremonies. Sandhills are protected by the migratory bird game laws and hunt numbers are set by the feds I believe.


I wonder if the Feds are going to give back that head dress that was confiscated years ago. If I remember the story they took it because it had eagle feathers in it but it dated back to the 1800's ? Somthing like that...maybe you older guys remember the story ?


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

hassell said:


> The White one came from Texas and is the scout for the flocks, he'll be looking for bar-d's place I'm sure!!!!


Yes they are...but he is ready for them. Smoking guns awaiting


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

I don't remember that story OAC But I would think that that particular headdress would have grandfathered rights, although we are dealing with the feds.


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## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

As I remember it, that was the arguement. But as you said we are dealing with the feds. Not sure how it all ended but this was back in the early 80's maybe even before that ?


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