Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Sand Hill Cranes

"Ribeyes in the sky"

I heard then watched a flight of them crossing Fossil ridge a couple of years back in Co ahead of a snow storm will never forget that sight.

I said that about swans until I drew a tag about 15 years ago. Virginia gave out 660 of them due to species starvation. Not really sure who is smart enough to figure that out but who am I to argue? I named him Chester and he's still with me. He just doesn't honk anymore.

Although, I did feel bad when I learned they mate for life. Had I known that before the hunt not sure I would have shot. In fact, I know I wouldn't.

BTW swans are excellent eating. The breast meat is a blood dark meat.

San Luis Valley in southern Colorado with Sangre De Cristo mountains in the background.

They're delicious!

[quote=willhunt4]They're delicious! [/quote

I wouldn't know. They nest up here and are around until mid September. Can't get within rifle range..... And you guys think pronghorn are tough!

What a great photo!

A nice group flew across the sky in the movie "Jeremiah Johnson" and they called them geese. About the only thing wrong I could find in that whole movie...

Watched a fall migration on the Kenai peninsula years ago while moose hunting. Amazing sight and sound.

Most egregious were the screaming turkey vultures gathered around the buried-up-to-his-neck Del Gue. And then later on, right before Johnson is about to lead the relief column through the Crow burial ground everybody is paused, and a pileated woodpecker calls out of te silence from up the mountain. Very good use of a bird call to set a mood, except that pileateds ain't found in the Rockies.

About cranes, they're a rare treat over the city, but always have me craning my neck when I hear 'em. I love that sound from way up high.

Most unusual one fall was a single adult whooper I need one late fall, flying quietly overhead.

Birdwatcher

Sandhill cranes along the Platte River in Nebraska.

Rowe Sanctuary's Crane Cam (live)

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/scien...hs-greatest-migrations-180949816/?no-ist

Birdy,

Pileated woodpeckers abound here on the place. All the old folks refered to him as the little warrior. Because he was always painted for war! And your right. What a call! I always stop what I'm doing and listen when I hear him!

They should be thick. We're on the west end of the flyway, but they are here in good numbers. I've been running a couple set lines for catfish and am on the river before daylight. When several hundred decide to take flight off the river roost, it's pretty cool. You can feel the sound waves in your chest.

We get to hear them all winter around here, and I admit that I do love the sound. However, when I lived in an old ranch house a couple a hundred yards or so from the Niobrara River up in northern Nebraska, they didn't sound so great.

Just when the weather would turn warm enough to finally be able to have a window open at night for fresh air, thousands of Sand Hill Cranes would alight in the braided stream next to the house each night. They make those cries all night long and they are really loud up close. For about four or five weeks was necessary to close the windows each night and pull the curtains in order to get any sleep.

We don't see em west of here much in Nebraska, but I have seen them in east Colorado along I-76.

number of years ago, a vet. friend of mine and i were hunting on a private ranch for sand hilled crane down near douglas. At daylight when they took off from the sanctuary you could hear them coming a mile away. Wingtip to wingtip, they were flying to the food source. All I could think of was the 8th air force over germany and be being a 88 gunner.
I knocked the first one down okay, but the second i thought was dead, he wasn't. I left my shotgun and went to pick him up. Found out he was just wounded. I grabbed him by the neck and he was beating the crap out of me with those wings and feet. I yelled to my partner, phil, throw me a knife. He was laughing pretty hard, and said "no, Ron, fight him like a man." Sorry to say i had to strangle the s.o.b., the bird, that is, as he was beating the snot out of me. Did i mention they are BIG birds.
Now grilled, they refer to them as a texas flying tbone, cause thats what they look like. Mighty fine eating.
If i ever go again, i am packing a knife.

We don't see a lot of cranes around here, but last spring I did see a couple of whooping cranes in a field by the road, one morning on the way to church.

We (Cookie and I) have about a 9 mile drive to the office. For about 6 of those miles this is what we have to deal with for about 2 1/2 months each spring.
Tons, literally, of snows



Hundreds of cranes


These greater sandhills are about 6 ft tall.

And any number of other fowl.





Note the band below
[img]http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e344/2minutes/Pintail1.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e344/2minutes/BuffleH.jpg[/img]

Pretty hard to not stop and look at everything on the way out, and this is about what things are like today. In the fall we get nothing but honkers.

There is love/hate relationship with them here. The state wildlife agency set up a refuge near the Tennessee River and the flock has grown tremendously. There is a festival in their honor during February. However, the folks that live near the refuge have to listen to the noise twenty-four hours a day for a couple of months. I used to rabbit hunt a property near there and the noise would get to me after a couple of hours.

many times I've caught myself staring strait up with mouth hanging open...
Then suddenly it occures to me.