Sandhill Cranes.

[Humper]

We use a guide near Amarillo. Crane and geese are a blast to shoot. Leaving again in mid November for a three day hunt.

[Huntingfool]

cool

[ultralite09]

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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Might wanna let the birds come in or take some shooting lessons. We smoke them all the time with what we shoot ducks and geese with. 3" #4 will take them down all day

[DapperDan]

Might wanna let the birds come in or take some shooting lessons. We smoke them all the time with what we shoot ducks and geese with. 3" #4 will take them down all day

Group of 7 guys and we all had trouble taking them down at 25 yards. Had two fly over me and two guys and we dumped 9 shells into them. Knocked one down and watched the other fly off with his neck turned crooked and a leg literally dangling off. Some of the cranes we were picking up were 600 yards away when they fell. Not exaggerating at all. I’ll shoot head shots at them and will never aim at the chest cavity again. That breast plate is thick. Lol


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[okrattler]

00 buck could have been a lot of the problem. Like I said I don't know nothin about killing cranes but I do know there ain't very many pellets in 00 buck. We can't use it in Oklahoma but I've used it and seen it used on coyotes in States where I could. I'd rather have BB or #4 buck. There's a lot more pellets in those shells. With 00 you're pretty much just hoping one or two of those big suckers hits something important. I hate to be like this but I'll go so far as to say it pretty much sucks.

And that's on stuff bigger than a crane so I'd imagine it'd be just as hard to get a good hit on one of those skinny suckers.

[mikemorvan]

Be sure they're dead before you or a dog picks them up. Those beaks can do some damage.

[DapperDan]

00 buck could have been a lot of the problem. Like I said I don't know nothin about killing cranes but I do know there ain't very many pellets in 00 buck. We can't use it in Oklahoma but I've used it and seen it used on coyotes in States where I could. I'd rather have BB or #4 buck. There's a lot more pellets in those shells. With 00 you're pretty much just hoping one or two of those big suckers hits something important. I hate to be like this but I'll go so far as to say it pretty much sucks.

And that's on stuff bigger than a crane so I'd imagine it'd be just as hard to get a good hit on one of those skinny suckers.

Was using number 4 buck as well out of a pattern master. Those birds took every shot like a champ. Lol. When you hit them and they make it 600 yards before falling, that’s saying something. Especially with 7 guns blazing at them.


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[DapperDan]

Be sure they're dead before you or a dog picks them up. Those beaks can do some damage.

I’d recommend not using a dog period. They will take a dogs eye out in a hurry.


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[MooseontheLoose]

Decoys where they have been feeding with a good hide will be the ticket.

They're lots of fun to hunt, but sloooow gliding into the decoys. Evolution happens faster than they work sometimes.

They're like a glass needle in my experience. Shoot them with #2s and you can fold 'em up.

[spliffnwesson]

Was using number 4 buck as well out of a pattern master. Those birds took every shot like a champ. Lol. When you hit them and they make it 600 yards before falling, that’s saying something. Especially with 7 guns blazing at them.


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If they are falling 600 yards away they are way too high. They are big birds, and look way closer than they really are. Decoying birds are what yall needed. Not buck shot.

[DapperDan]

If they are falling 600 yards away they are way too high. They are big birds, and look way closer than they really are. Decoding birds are what yall needed. Not buck shot.

These birds were decoyed and 25 yards. We hit them and within seconds and a few flaps of those gigantic wings they climb pretty quick. Then they lock out their wings and catch the Lubbock wind and glide until they die and fall. I’d tell myself it was BS but man it’s true. We were all amazed watching them go across a milo field and fall to the ground just as they were almost too far to see.


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[bk913]

Probably the most fun hunt I’ve ever been on was when a group of about 10 of us got into the cranes. No you don’t need buck shot or turkey shot, 3” bb works fine. Sound like helicopters when they’re still 500 yards up in the sky, pretty neat.

[Raider Power]

I’d recommend not using a dog period. They will take a dogs eye out in a hurry.


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Yep, I wouldn’t use a dog at all, those things turn mean when you wound it.

[CaprockRoamer]

I do a lot of pass shooting for cranes. I've found over the years they're much easier to drop as they've just passed overhead and are moving away. Pellets slip between the feathers not bounce off. I've killed several with my little 28, but they were all birds coming into decoys and head shots.

[DaleGribble]

Killed plenty over decoys with 28 gauge and 410s. No reason for buck shot unless you are trying to shoot them way too far out