Sandhill Crane Hunt 2012

[rogeti]

I was able to get my 3 cranes yesterday evening! It was a blast!!!

The evening before i left a flock of about 200 in a field planted in winter wheat, I knew they were roosting on the river so i planned to be there around 12, since I had nursing school that morning. I took my sister and her friend along and we went out to find not one crane!! I got on the highest hill around and could not see any of them anywhere. I headed down to the river which was in a different unit and found some ducks and 3 cranes. We left and I took them home. I decided to head back just to see if it was an evening thing. I get out there at 430 and see the farmer. He says he has not seen one crane all day. He is flooding fields and the ducks are circling like crazy so he says just go shoot them. About that time I see a large flock of cranes flying out in the desert. I take off after them. I found those landed in an open part of the desert with no cover for me to get close so i decide to check out the fields. I start into the fields and see cranes in about every field. I move down through the fields and find 50 in a wheat field. I park and get in the irrigation ditch and start moving down the ditch.

 

I get to the field they are in but they are on the other side of the field. I get back in the ditch and move another 50 yards and make the turn. I get in the lower field and crawl on my hands and knees until i have to belly crawl to the edge of the field. They start to talk and it seems as they are trying to see over the edge towards me. I get to the edge. I take a second to prepare. I jump up and all 50 explode into the air. I quickly shoot my 3 shots and have 3 birds on the ground!!

 

It was so awesome and cant wait until next year!!!

[Mossyoak]

That's cool. How do those things taste?

[hntnIwlgo]

Cool! Congrats! What fun!

[Chef]

Spot and stalk on a sandhill crane...AWESOME!

[trophyhnter]

Great story! sound like a lot of fun!

[YoungHuntr]

That's cool. How do those things taste?

 

They've been called the "ribeye of the sky." Very nice red meat. Tastes excellent when prepared properly.

[rogeti]

Its delicious!! I just breasted them out then cut each side of the breast into steaks. I marinated them in steak seasoning and then grilled them!!! With all the pieces of meat that were small or chunks im gonna use them for fajitas! The legs have tendons in them that are hard like bones so I will slow cook the legs and pull the meat off!!!