Sandhill crane, worth the time and investment?

[Hunting Wife]

It's a very fun hunt and they are a cool bird for sure. When a big flight comes out at first light, half the time I find myself just sitting back and watching. We haven't had a lot of luck decoying, but pass shooting from a fence line near where they are roosting has been productive. Sometimes they've been tough to pattern if they have a lot of fields to choose from.

The ones I've eaten have been pretty good but the old ones can be tough. Stir fried with ginger and garlic veggies, pulled crane sandwiches and schnitzels have been tasty. Butterflied, marinated in Italian dressing or balsamic vinaigrette and grilled medium rare is good too.

 

[sbhooper]

They eat real good. I have a buddy that hunts them in Az. Texas has some good hunts, also. We get tons of them here, but they are just a tourist attraction.

 

[e300winmag]

Sandhill crane is the filet of the sky. Medium rare steaks on the grill. They are like shooting a 747 and a lot of fun to shoot!! Go for it!!

 

[33AD]

Travelling to hunt is always worth the time and money regardless of the game being pursued. To me it's all an adventure. I shot my Sandhills in SE Arizona, about a 7 hour drive each way.
I've travelled to NZ for waterfowl and Adak Alaska, closer to Siberia than it is to Anchorage. Always worth it. Always DIY

Go for it

AZ resident here - interested in putting in for a tag (sadly, it's a tag draw here, for a single crane, as I am sure you know). Did you hunt public land, or private? I am interested, but knowing what they feed on and not knowing any SE AZ landowners (farmers), I am not sure I would have a chance of having them fly overhead for even pass shooting.

 

[emrah1028]

Coyotes R Us,

I'm kind of in the same situation. We have a season here in MN and I purchased a tag (fed waterfowl, state duck stamp and a crane permit ($3). Of course, I bought it before I understood the regs correctly and saw that you can only hunt them in the very far northwest corner of the state. I'm SW of the Twin Cities, so it'd be a a 4-5 hour drive for me to an area I don't know, with decoys or blinds I don't have, for an animal I have no idea how to hunt. Oh well, I'll eat the $40-some dollars in tags I suppose.

Emrah

 

[whiskeydog]

i've never eaten one, but heard that they didn't taste so good. read once about a guy whose dog went out to retrieve one, sniffed it a few times, then raised his leg over it...

 

[StrutNut]

Fantastic eating bird and would not hesitate at chasing them. They can be decoyed but our best success has been pass shooting. Ribeye in the sky is VERY accurate. Probably the best migrating bird that we have ever ate.

 

[HowaHunter]

Do it. Even if once it will be an experience you will remember. For all those that don't like crane please send yours my way. Just cooked some up Monday night and it was delicious.