I was tempted to put this in the "other big game section"

[D4570]

I received my two sandhill crane tags in the snail mail today very exciting.
The way fun to hunt and great eating.
Still waiting on the swan tag, I got the draw just not the "Tag" yet.
Their fun to hunt, can't say the same about the eating part.
If you smoke them and you can eat them.
Crane is NOTHING like eating waterfowl.
Both are gigantic birds. The boy got a trumpeter one year with an 81" wingspan.
And yes we can shoot both types of swan with the permit.

 

[MThuntr]

6 years of applying in SW MT still haven't gotten drawn

 

[D4570]

Swan or Crane?
I have gotten several of each over the past 10 years.
I think in the central flyway there over the counter but can't shoot a Trumpeter.

 

[MThuntr]

Crane
an old coworker has drawn three times since I started putting in

 

[Sask hunter]

I have shot a few cranes in my life some year I should head a bit further south in sask with deciys target them. Be fun to shoot a swan too

 

[VikingsGuy]

Taste like chicken???

 

[Wally Dog]

They look like lawn chairs when the are falling!

 

[seeth07]

Taste like chicken???

Nope, they are a red meat. A very delicious red meat, comparable to a deer loin.

 

[VikingsGuy]

Nope, they are a red meat. A very delicious red meat, comparable to a deer loin.

Weird.

I remember the first time I ordered an ostrich steak and was expecting something like turkey, instead it was the reddest colored meat I had ever seen.

 

[mtmuley]

Taste like chicken???

Ribeye of the sky so they say. mtmuley

 

[Jc2020]

I’ve been wanting to try crane it looks good

 

[D4570]

Is good.
I like it BBQed with chokecherry BBQ sauce

 

[brockel]

Always wanted to try one

 

[elkantlers]

Ribeye of the sky so they say. mtmuley

It's true. Crane is delicious.

 

[sethkuhl]

I have drawn once in 10 years. Started taking my dad with me and he has drawn three of four years! ot some three generation time in!

 

[Panda Bear]

first time crane hunters need to be aware that a wounded crane can injure or even kill a dog.

Crane is very good table fare, right up there with Stone sheep. Swan not as good in my opinion, but others might disagree.

I noticed several on this thread who had hunted Crane. . Was curious what shotgun each of you used ?

 

[Salmonchaser]

Never hunted them but we saw 100s of the Sandhills on the Peninsula yesterday, a few Tundra Swans as well. Everyone I’ve talked to up here would agree with the excellent table fare.

 

[D4570]

I just use my 870 12 gauge, 1 1/2 oz of #6's
Swan, I use 1 1/2 oz os steel # 2xBB

 

[RUT JUNKEY]

We have tons of Cranes fly through here in the Spring and Fall...just North of me a touch they have a place they fly into by the thousands!! We cant hunt them here though, I've heard they are great eating though. Good luck.

 

[NMGuy]

first time crane hunters need to be aware that a wounded crane can injure or even kill a dog.

Can confirm, saw a wounded crane whoop up on my cousin's lab one time. Luckily he got the dog away and finished the crane off before it could do any damage.

As far as taste, I haven't tried crane personally but I've been told by others that it tastes like dove. Are cranes like other waterfowl in that their diet affects the flavor/smell? In my limited waterfowl experience I've noticed some birds smell fishy while others don't.