Wow the Cranes

[monstermoose78]

I have been seeing so many cranes flying around lately. I heard these birds taste great, so I hope they expand the area we can hunt them. Who else is seeing tons of cranes around?

[MJ1657]

Their numbers are exploding. We definitely need a season. 

They are real tough on our corn crop.

[MJ1657]

If you want to see cranes head across I80 in Nebraska in the spring or fall. You can drive for miles and miles and see fields covered with them. There are 10's of thousands of them. 

[theharvester]

Ribeye in the sky!  Thats the claim

[BLACKJACK]

If you want to see cranes head across I80 in Nebraska in the spring or fall. You can drive for miles and miles and see fields covered with them. There are 10's of thousands of them. 

My wife and I made the trip down to Grand Island last spring, definitely a sight to see!!!  If you do take the time to drive down there rent a blind in the morning or evening, seeing 10's of thousands of them taking off and landing is a awesome!!!  And as MJ said, they're out feeding in the fields by the hundreds.

 

One downside of the trip was seeing all the range land that getting broken up for corn, big steep hills plowed up, with center pivots running over them, I can't imagine what the erosion looks like after a heavy rain.

 

In central MN we're seeing more cranes, groups of 3-4-6, especially now on the harvested wheat fields. Personally I hope we don't have a season on them, they're kind of neat to see, and the noise they make as they fly around is neat, almost prehistoric.

 

 

[DonBo]

A friend hunts them in North Dakota. I've eaten a couple. Very red meat, much like venison. Very good. Yes, we need a season here.

[MJ1657]

Last Sunday I had 26 of them in one hay field. Several other smaller groups in surrounding fields. East Central MN. 

[Neighbor_guy]

There are crazy high numbers in northern anoka, isanti, and sterns counties. Far more cranes than turkeys. 

Keep pushing the DNR for seasons. And get your landowner farmers to push as well. Eventually they will listen

[eyeguy 54]

usually 1000's of them around sherburne refuge in late summer, fall. 

[monstermoose78]

I think I might be able to even hit a crane they are so big. 

[MJ1657]

Has anyone heard why their population has exploded? 

[monstermoose78]

Cause we can not hunt them and with that beak I would not mess with a cranes nest.

[TylerS]

Never got the chance at them in Nodak, but they're definitely around. I think they travel more along the central parts of the state. Don't see them often on the eastern quarter or so that I frequent.

Would love a crack on one, though...

[Black Bear]

Saskatchewan!   We concentrate on them scouting/pass shooting in the evenings.  5 per day-15 in possession.   Easy to hit as they usually fly low back to the roost. 

[MJ1657]

We had 34 of them standing in one spot on Saturday. I can't tell you how many flew over this morning goose hunting.