Cranes

xj Darrell

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Is there anyone here who has hunted sandhill cranes? We were out hunting goose and sharpies, but there sure were a lot of cranes in the area!
Any opinions on the meat or good recipes?

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I've never hunted them but I may one day. When I was a kid my best friend's father hunted ducks and occasionally took cranes. They served one once when I was a guest for dinner and I liked it. I can't remember any details of the recipe but my friend's mother was a very good cook. I've heard more people say sandhill crane isn't good to eat than say it is. Of course there are joke recipes that end with "...then place the crane in the garbage can and serve the vegetables."
 
They are interesting to hunt and taste OK if you prepare them right. Don't try to roast one! they are better cooked slowly with moisture ( slow cooker ) or done as tenderized cutlets or stew. etc.
 
They are fun to hunt.
They fly low, slow and in small groups. Perfect for pass shooting. Use similar loads as you would for geese.
The little bushes in the fencelines in the background of your picture would be good to set up behind. Get about a half mile from the field they are feeding in, between them and the area they rest for the day/night. As they come over, shoot. If they are not coming over you or they see you and the following flocks take a different path, run over to another bush and hide there.

If you wound one, take your gun with you when you go to get it. They will try to jab you with their long beak. A dog might get punctured a few times until he figures out how to tackle them.

Great fun and good eating.

Cube the breast meat and brown it in a frying pan. Put it in the oven or slow cooker with a package of onion soup mix and a can of mushroom soup. Tastes great.

We had a potluck dinner at work once. I served Sandhill crane. Everyone could smell it cooking in the slowcooker all morning. Everyone thought it smelled great. Everyone liked it until I told them what it was. After that, some didn't like it quite so much. The pot was cleaned out before the meal was over though.
 
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So where do I get some flocked decoys for them? J/K.

How do they compare with honkers? Wouldn't mind heading out west for a hunt.
 
Get behind a Cow decoy and slowly walk up to them when your close enough, drop the decoy and start shooting.
 
The few that hunt them around here use silhouettes or pass shoot them.The word is dont send a dog after a wounded one, the bast___ds will peck at the dogs eyes.
 
Thanks for the replies - The other hunters I have talked to have recommended pass-shooting as well. They are big birds, so they should be fun to bring down! I will be heading back next weekend, and hope to bag a few.
 
Along with the other good recipes, don`t forget to make some jerky, it`s real good. Just be careful about wounding one as they have been known to kill retreivers. There is something about shooting a 4ft tall bird also;). Have at em!

DF:D
 
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