Another State Adding Sandhill Cranes

[Ben Sellers]

https://www.npr.org/2019/08/09/7497...dhill-crane-hunting-after-more-than-100-years

Alabama is adding a sandhill crane season. We are the third state east of the Mississippi to do so. The population is a little over 15k with an annual increase of 16%. I view this as a success story. This is the second species we’ve added in 10 years (alligator).

 

[Alabama]

It has some anti-hunters out of their minds, some of the comments on FB are crazy. I wouldn't want to be David Rainer right now, lol.

 

[406LIFE]

Awesome!

 

[Ben Sellers]

It has some anti-hunters out of their minds, some of the comments on FB are crazy. I wouldn't want to be David Rainer right now, lol.

Yep, I’ve seen that. I think there needs to be a little education about what a sustained 16% population growth means in a state with no real population limiting factors like hard winters. Many people don’t seem to understand that the ribeye in the sky is edible or really good food. I thought about putting a link to the Newberg/Odell video on cooking crane but didn’t want to get them inundated with hate mail.

 

[TheGrayRider]

What are the other two Eastern states that currently allow sandhill crane hunting? I think Texas does but its west of the Mississippi River. Thanks.

 

[Hatchie Dawg]

We have a season in TN.

 

[Ben Sellers]

What are the other two Eastern states that currently allow sandhill crane hunting? I think Texas does but its west of the Mississippi River. Thanks.

Tennessee and Kentucky

 

[shootbrownelk]

Wisconsin needs a sandhill crane season. We see lots and lots of them in newly planted corn fields when we go there to visit family.
I suppose the fern fondlers are putting the kibosh on that though. Just like the fuss they put up about a mourning dove season. You just can't reason with some people.

 

[TheBenHoyle]

I thought I read somewhere that Wisconsin is in the process of adding a season.

 

[Ben Sellers]

For reference, the Eastern population was estimated to be 14,300 in 1979 and 95,000 in 2017. The question about Wisconsin adding a season got me worried about if too many states could jump on the bandwagon at one time. Considering Alabama is only targeting 400 hunters with 1200 total tags, that’s probably not a big deal. I don’t think the success rates in Kentucky and Tennessee have been extremely high so it’s unlikely all the tags will be filled.

 

[Fisherkid1]

I thought I read somewhere that Wisconsin is in the process of adding a season.

Its been up for debate and vote a few times but gets shot down.
The national crane association is in Madison if i remember right and they highly oppose a season. No matter the population density of Sandhills. I get em on trail cam walking in the woods there are so many around lol

 

[icebreaker12]

For reference, the Eastern population was estimated to be 14,300 in 1979 and 95,000 in 2017. The question about Wisconsin adding a season got me worried about if too many states could jump on the bandwagon at one time. Considering Alabama is only targeting 400 hunters with 1200 total tags, that’s probably not a big deal. I don’t think the success rates in Kentucky and Tennessee have been extremely high so it’s unlikely all the tags will be filled.

Keep in mind the RMP population is ~20k birds. And 6 separate states hunt them. We know how to manage cranes.

 

[icebreaker12]

Its been up for debate and vote a few times but gets shot down.
The national crane association is in Madison if i remember right and they highly oppose a season. No matter the population density of Sandhills. I get em on trail cam walking in the woods there are so many around lol

ICF is in Baraboo and they will rally the troops every time it comes up. At this point it is out of the DNRs hands as it requires legislative action before cranes can be a game species in Wisconsin.

 

[thusby]

We had a hard enough time getting a dove season in Wisconsin. It seems like it would be almost impossible to get a swan or sandhill season here.

 

[icebreaker12]

We had a hard enough time getting a dove season in Wisconsin. It seems like it would be almost impossible to get a swan or sandhill season here.

Swan can actually be done now as they are classified as a game bird. It certainly appears that WI and MI are up against giant fights to get crane seasons, especially with ICF spreading their propaganda.

 

[TexanSam]

Y'all get excited, there's a reason they call them the Ribeye of the sky.

 

[Bluffgruff]

Eastern population is kind of a novelty item. Glad I got mine when I did, great adventure.
When I tell people I shot some cranes and they were delicious, they all asked if they tasted fishy. Apparently most non-birders/non-hunters think cranes are great blue herons or similar species.

 

[lr123]

We have a wintering population of around 15k-20k birds in south central Indiana. I'm hoping that they will open the season up here eventually.

 

[schmalts]

I goose hunt a tiny march in central WI. Most mornings 4-5 hundred cranes come out of that thing! All at shooting distance.....

 

[Ben Sellers]

The draw opens tomorrow. I’m putting in blindly. So far as I know there are no GMUs or regions so I figure I figure out where and when if I get drawn. I figure it’s worth it to hunt the inaugural hunt.