Sandhill Cranes.

[okrattler]

A buddy of mine got a wild hair I guess and wants to go hunt sandhill cranes. Which is alright by me I'll kill whatever walks,flies,swims or crawls. The problem is I don't know the first thing about huntin them and neither does he. What's the best way to go about it? I don't have any decoys and he don't either so I'm guessing about the only way to do it is sit out on a field they've been feeding on and shoot them when they fly over. I have no idea....

[JayB]

Hire a guide.

.....and God Bless America.

[DRT]

Aren't you only allowed 2?

Gary

[Mexico]

They decoy well into crane decoys. Find a field where they're feeding or want to be and put out about a dozen decoys, hide and get ready. Also I suggest 12 gauge or 10 with 3.5 inch magnums BB or more. They are tough birds..... ribeye in the sky!

[Greenheadless]

If you only shoot at cranes, you can use lead.

I consistently kill cranes with 20ga. 2-3/4” #4 lead.

Plan on using a .410 this year on some hunts.

Lastly, they are more ‘sirloin in the sky’, than, ribeye.

[okrattler]

Aren't you only allowed 2?

Gary

3 I think is what he told me. I'd never even thought about going after them before. I've seen a bunch just haven't shot any.

[Mexico]

If you only shoot at cranes, you can use lead.

I consistently kill cranes with 20ga. 2-3/4” #4 lead.

Plan on using a .410 this year on some hunts.

Lastly, they are more ‘sirloin in the sky’, than, ribeye.

True that, unless you're on a WMA or refuge then its non toxic shot.

3 per day is the limit..

[okrattler]

Hire a guide.

.....and God Bless America.

Shooot......If we didn't have land to do it on we wouldn't be doing it. My buddy wouldn't pay $10 to take a peek up a pretty woman's skirt. He dang sure ain't paying to go hunt.

[Texas Grown]

Silhouette decoys are cheap to make and work well. Sit up wind of your decoys. Or you can hide behind them, if your short like me.


Don't forget to check into what your state requires on Fed migratory for cranes. As well as bag limits, zones if any, and dates. Texas issues a free Federal Sandhill permit to go with your Texas Migratory endorsement and HIP certification. We have a 2-3 bird limit depending on what zone your in. We also have a couple of zones where it is not allowed.




Edit for those that don't know (Texas): Zone "C" is a two bird limit. Zones "A" and "B" are 3 bird limits. Know your zones!

[Mudslinger]

A fun, frustrating hunt all mixed into one! Like others have said, a Ribeye in the Sky. Great eating!

[DapperDan]

I hunted them with 3 1/2” 00 buck shot and had trouble bringing them down. My suggestion is 3 1/2” turkey mags and head shoot them. They are very tough to bring down


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[okrattler]

I've heard they're good eatin. I've never tried it but I've always wanted to.

I have some 3" BB and 3 1/2" of assorted shot sizes. I figured the BB would be ok as long as they're fairly close.

[johnpaul]

A buddy of mine got a wild hair I guess and wants to go hunt sandhill cranes. Which is alright by me I'll kill whatever walks,flies,swims or crawls. The problem is I don't know the first thing about huntin them and neither does he. What's the best way to go about it? I don't have any decoys and he don't either so I'm guessing about the only way to do it is sit out on a field they've been feeding on and shoot them when they fly over. I have no idea....

Where are y'all hunting them? I've got 5 dozen fullbodies in the Texas panhandle ready to go.

[okrattler]

Where are y'all hunting them? I've got 5 dozen fullbodies in the Texas panhandle ready to go.

We'll probably go over in Texas county somewhere I think. I've seen a ton out on cut fields here lately. My deal is they're pretty dadgum smart. I think he's thinkin we'll just go sit out and wait for them to fly over. I'm thinkin if they see anything remotely close to us sitting out there they ain't flying over.Lol.....I could be wrong but they're definitely not dumb from what I've seen.

[talltexasshoote]

Where are y'all hunting them? I've got 5 dozen fullbodies in the Texas panhandle ready to go.

We need to get together. We can put your cranes with my 40 dozen geese and pile up the birds. Shooting should be awesome with all the ground water this year.