GDG***Sandhill Cranes***GDG

I have been fortunate enough to see 2 Goose migrations into our area here in WI over the years.
Friday morning I witnessed thousands of Sandhill Cranes POURING out of the sky on their apparent migration south.
The first time I have seen that.

I watched the Cranes riding the nor'wester down out of the Dakota's and the Canadian plains.
They poured out of the sky, one wave after another, for hours.
(no ducks, but I stayed and watched the spectacle)
Dozens or more in flight after flight.
The silence of the marsh shattered by their peculiar chattering calls.
30 mph NW winds, snow and cold.

One of the most amazing things I have ever witnessed!!!
Elvis' eyes were locked to the sky.

I tried to take pics, it just didn't work.
But it's in my heart forever.................WOW!!!

What a morning!!!
(no, I didn't fire a shot, one of the best days of the year in the marsh)


Have any of you ever seen this??


stan b & Elvis

PS...24 degrees, we are on our way to the marsh NOW!!!!

We hunted cranes in Western Oklahoma and West Texas for the past 25 years. They are indeed a sight to see. We occasionally have a few Whooping Cranes mixed in with them (if the game rangers find out they will close the season). One of the neatest things is when they are leaving the roost in the morning or returning at dark. Wave after wave, thousands of birds. Another neat thing to see is when they are leaving an area to continue to migrate. They will all lift up off a field and spiral straight up continuing up to what must be 2000 feet before they they form flights and leave.

I'm going to West Texas the day after Christmas to help a friend of mine guide for 4 weeks. I'll try and post pictures.

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Originally Posted by M&K's Retrievers

We hunted cranes in Western Oklahoma and West Texas for the past 25 years. They are indeed a sight to see. We occasionally have a few Whooping Cranes mixed in with them (if the game rangers find out they will close the season). One of the neatest things is when they are leaving the roost in the morning or returning at dark. Wave after wave, thousands of birds. Another neat thing to see is when they are leaving an area to continue to migrate. They will all lift up off a field and spiral straight up continuing up to what must be 2000 feet before they they form flights and leave.

I'm going to West Texas the day after Christmas to help a friend of mine guide for 4 weeks. I'll try and post pictures.

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I can assure you first hand, they are on the way!!

ENJOY!!!

I have hunted Sandhills in NODAK, but never saw this many!

Can't wait to see pictures ! Please and thank you !

We already have a lot of cranes in Matagorda/Jackson counties but I doubt if the WI cranes will come here. They probably are part of the east of the Mississippi flock which stay east. Amazing birds but there are two places to see cranes. Amarillo area and the Platte river valley in the spring. Last March when we returned to MI there were still cranes in SW Michigan in spite of the snow and cold. BTW rib eye of the sky is not a misnomer.

Not a biologist but looking at the family groups the past few years it seems they are coming south with more than the normal one young. When they nest they lay multiple eggs and after hatch the strongest kills the weaker leving only one survivor. That seems to be changing IMHO hence the big increase in numbers in WI/MI and I suspect TX/OK/CO also.

I was deer hunting with my son sevaral years back when he was around 12 or so... We were in the Panhandle of Texas between Wellington and Shamrock for those of you that know the area. The cranes were just pouring into the area we were hunting. One evening, my boy and I were in a tripod stand and the cranes were just spiraling down all around us going into a small creek (the locals called it a river) to get water... many of them came very close to the tripod and they were calling non-stop... there were probably a couple thousand birds in there that evening. Something my boy and I will never forget.

We get a big migration through KS as well. They are a sight to see.

Been hunting them for as long as we've been issued licenses. Great eating. Look forward to gilling a couple each season.

Just a quick heads up for those that aren't aware, don't send your dogs for a wounded crane. Those sharp beaks are lethal and blinding. Far more aggresive than any goose you could encounter.

UB

I know a few people that have ate them they call them rib eye in the sky

Out this morning as well - there is more coming your way!! -- Nebraska is the only state that doesn't hunt them :( about a 100 of them flew 30 yards over us this morning on the Platte River in central Nebraska. Probably saw 1000 in flight this am.