The Accurate Reloading Forums
Sandhills
16 July 2019, 23:28
Bill/OregonSandhills
I see New Mexico has fairly liberal seasons for the cranes. Are they really as good eating as folks say? Truly "ribeyes in the sky"?
There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.
– John Green, author
17 July 2019, 09:53
NormanConquestBill, I have never heard or thought about shooting a crane. It never occurred to me. Please keep me updated. I know that damn near all meat can be eaten but a crane never crossed my mind.
Never mistake motion for action.
17 July 2019, 17:54
Bill/OregonRandy, I doubt I will hunt them as I admire the critters so darned much. But they do have a reputation for being very good eating, or so I have heard -- much better than duck or goose. Hoping to hear first-hand from someone who hunts them.
There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.
– John Green, author
17 July 2019, 19:59
butchlocyes they are excellent eating - hunted them several times in Saskatchewan
18 July 2019, 02:23
AnotherAZWriterMy neighbor loves them. This year in AZ it became a draw hunt and I drew a blank.
19 July 2019, 07:07
Beretta682EBeautiful birds.
Have them in my backyard all the time.
Before I built my pool and got my German Shepherd - they would come into the patio.
Have them at my gun range - they walk all over the range oblivious to shooting.
I could never kill one. At my cousin’s place last weekend - from 5-7 ft
https://i.imgur.com/4TpNVlt.jpgMike
19 July 2019, 07:21
DCS MemberI’ve hunted them a few times. The method is very much like geese. They do taste good. You definitely do not want to use a dog to retrieve, as they have very sharp beaks and can be rather aggressive.
I did spend my freshman year at Texas Tech in Lubbock. During the spring, they blanket the sky and are loud as heck.
I meant to be DSC Member...bad typing skills.
Marcus Cady
DRSS
20 July 2019, 18:36
Bill/OregonDCS, I wandered into the Texas Tech campus on my first trip to Lubbock a few weeks ago. Beautiful!
There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.
– John Green, author
23 July 2019, 18:26
Johnny rebCool the breast to around 130* then let them rest covered for about 10 min. They will be good. You do not want to overcook they will be extremely dry.
26 July 2019, 18:28
butchlocone of the tastier ways i've had them was in a crock pot with a bitof bbq sauce
26 July 2019, 19:16
Bill/OregonButch, were they good enough that you would go out of your way to eat them again?
There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.
– John Green, author
26 July 2019, 22:58
squeezenhopeI do not know about "ribeye in the sky". More like beef roast in the sky. Good eating , definitely better than geese and most ducks.
27 July 2019, 18:40
butchlocdefinitely- have eaten them several times - they make cool mounts too
29 July 2019, 16:31
crsheltonMy two bits.
The DWWC had annual crane hunts in the southern Texas Panhandle and I made a few of those hunts.
We used an outfitter from Amarillo and had great times. He was also a taxidermist, so he had stuffed cranes for decoys and those worked very well. On some occasions, the wild birds would actually land in the decoys and were difficult to see until they moved.
Our host shot a 20 gauge and always shot his limit and gave them to the clients with a note for the game warden. Some guys brought 10 gauges and did not do so well as the guide. The trick is to ignore the big body and aim for the head.
Eating? Like most wild game, if properly handled and cooked, they made very good table fare.
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http://www.xplat.net/ Hunted with the same outfitter in Amarillo several times. According to what I have heard he made the same mistake that several Texas Gulf Coast guides made several years ago-he started allowing his clients to shoot his limit and he got "bit" by some federal agents. From what I understand he copped to a felony and is no longer a guide. Real shame, he knew his stuff.
FWIW the last time we hunted with him we brought a lot of cranes home (as well as some ducks and geese). I'm not a dark meat wild bird fan but they were better than a wild goose or duck IMHO.
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30 July 2019, 05:28
crsheltondrj,
Thanks for the update.
That is a shame as he was a nice guy and meant well. I guess there is a difference in giving away your birds and letting others shoot them for you.
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http://www.xplat.net/ 13 August 2019, 20:45
Bill/OregonHere's another reference to the "ribeye in the sky." Kinda cool since there hasn't been a hunt in Alabama since 1916.
https://sportingclassicsdaily....63&mc_eid=ff4d2c8ebd
There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.
– John Green, author
17 August 2019, 00:04
L. David KeithTennessee has a limited season on Sandhill's. You do a in person drawing and if successful, you receive 3 tags. Computer draw if successful gives you 2 tags. We Winter around 70,000 thousand in southeast TN, but hopefully the limits will become more liberal over time. You must tag each Crane and report all harvests. Must pass a Crane ID test prior to getting the final clearance to hunt. I'd rather hunt them in Texas.
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Took the wife the Eastern Cape for her first hunt:
http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6881000262Hunting in the Stormberg, Winterberg and Hankey Mountains of the Eastern Cape 2018
http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4801073142Hunting the Eastern Cape, RSA May 22nd - June 15th 2007
http://forums.accuratereloadin...=810104007#810104007 16 Days in Zimbabwe: Leopard, plains game, fowl and more:
http://forums.accuratereloadin...=212108409#212108409Natal: Rhino, Croc, Nyala, Bushbuck and more
http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6341092311 Recent hunt in the Eastern Cape, August 2010: Pics added
http://forums.accuratereloadin...261039941#926103994110 days in the Stormberg Mountains
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http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6001078232"Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading" - Thomas Jefferson
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20 August 2019, 20:20
Bill/OregonWell, I got my sandhill permit for the eastern zone here in New Mexico, just in case. I would have to hunt with my 11-bore flintlock Marshfield Fowler, though, as my only other shotgun is a .410 double.
There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.
– John Green, author
20 August 2019, 23:10
AnotherAZWriterquote:
Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
Well, I got my sandhill permit for the eastern zone here in New Mexico, just in case. I would have to hunt with my 11-bore flintlock Marshfield Fowler, though, as my only other shotgun is a .410 double.
All the guns you have bought and sold and don't have any shotguns??
A man has to have at least one good shotgun...
21 August 2019, 02:04
BuglemintodaySandhill Crane tastes pretty good! This fall will be my 3rd year hunting them. The Sandhill Crane call from Academy Sports will get them to turn and " come " to you. I don't use decoys.
3.5" 12ga wasn't really knocking them down well. We all switched to Browning Gold 10ga and the T-shot really knocks em out of the sky. Easy limits even when the birds are 50+ yards up.
"Let me start off with two words: Made in America"
23 August 2019, 00:28
Bill/OregonGood to hear your experience, Buglemin.
There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.
– John Green, author
23 August 2019, 03:22
sandyhunterThey're good eating. Not like ribeye--more like tenderloin, as there's no fat. I've chicken fried medallions like backstrap and really enjoyed it.
At least in Texas, lead shot is allowed, so long as you aren't shooting at any passing ducks. I would recommend it, too, as I ended up taking some long shots when I hunted them and found steel shot to be pretty worthless at extended range. In contrast, I had some high brass lead BB and #2 shot loads that really hammered them. Those shells are hard to find, though, so it's best to order them online ahead of time.
24 August 2019, 02:50
AnotherAZWriterquote:
Originally posted by sandyhunter:
They're good eating. Not like ribeye--more like tenderloin, as there's no fat. I've chicken fried medallions like backstrap and really enjoyed it.
At least in Texas, lead shot is allowed, so long as you aren't shooting at any passing ducks. I would recommend it, too, as I ended up taking some long shots when I hunted them and found steel shot to be pretty worthless at extended range. In contrast, I had some high brass lead BB and #2 shot loads that really hammered them. Those shells are hard to find, though, so it's best to order them online ahead of time.
Federal makes a BB load for coyotes; I am sure that would work as well...it hammers coyotes in close.
27 August 2019, 05:40
drewhenrytntI have been hunting Sandhills for probably 6 or 7 years now. I use an outfitter from Edna, Texas who at one time won the world championship crane calling contest. I use a Rem SP10. I like the old Remington WingmasterHD BB or #2. I have also swatted them with Hevi-Shot #4. They are tough birds. Damn fine table fare.
Your 410 will work if you use TSS and keep the range to 25yds. Get good decoys. Small spread is often better than a giant spread. If you're not good at calling, STAY ABSOLUTELY QUIET AND STILL AS POSSIBLE ! Can't emphasize the still and quiet part enough. When they come into the deeks shoot them in the head !
Good Luck
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16 October 2019, 05:47
KenscoI'll be hunting cranes in the Amarillo area in early December. I'll be using my Franchi Instinct L in 12 Ga. I will probably use 3" Winchester or Federal BB, 1 1/8 Oz., 1550 fps. I will probably go with Modified & IC chokes. I think I read somewhere that BBB shot doesn't pattern well through a 12, but does through a 10. Can't prove anything by me. I've never hunted cranes before.
16 October 2019, 16:14
KenscoFound an interesting alternative for crane / geese; Federal Speed*Shok, 3", BB, Steel, 1450 MV, 1 1/4 Oz payload, 90 pellet payload.
22 October 2019, 03:43
KenscoGot my sandhill crane "endorsement" today. They do it a strange way. Cabela's, or anywhere else, can sell you a hunting license, but they can't provide your free sandhill crane endorsement. You have to call the Fish & Game office in Austin, they confirm some information, then they mail you what looks exactly like another Texas hunting license, except it isn't. All it has of any validity on it is the phrase, "Endorsements: Sandhill Crane".
25 November 2019, 21:18
MARK H. YOUNGShot them in AK. Cooked them just like turkey. Delicious!
Mark
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