2020 Sandhill Crane

I got selected again this year! Hopefully, I can actually tag one this time.

Good luck! I applied this year (first time) and was not selected but I'll probably keep trying next year

Fillet of the flyway

My group of hunting buddies is 3 out of 4 on the "selected" to hunt side. Gonna be a good year!

I'm glad they reduced the number of "Would you shoot these cranes?" pictures in this year's pre-hunt testing. I thought I'd never get through 'cause idda shot 'em all.

I was selected too, but have no idea where to go or what to do!

I know where piles of em are every year but never put in the hunt em

Selected as well. Anyone know of any reliable guides. I'm down to go scout for them sometime when I get a break from school. Have boat, will travel. Located in B'ham for those that wanna tag along.

I’m lined up and ready. First time I put in and we will see how it goes. Hope to cook some up.

I got drawn, as well. Don't really know where to start but I have a good dog to retrieve them. Anyone that needs a +1 PM me.

I have not hunted sandhill cranes but would be very careful with a dog. They have a sharp beak that could potentially hurt a retriever.

PM to you 7x57

second year in a row i got tags!

I got drawn. Would love to get a few but I have NO idea where to try and hunt them. If anyone has a place that hold these bird and wouldn't mind me getting in on a hunt to see how it's done - shoot
me a PM please.

Do not take your dog anywhere near a Sandhill crane. I’ve shot them in Manitoba and the guy we hunted with gave us a very stern warning about even us picking up cranes. Even almost dead they are very aggressive.

Anybody got any decoys they want to get rid of?

What shot shells have you all used. I ordered some Hevi X #4 thinking they were around 15 in density. Instead they are 12 which is similar to lead.

Found some Black Cloud TSS (BB + 7) on sale right before my hunt last year. Still have them

I got some HeviShot #2 in 3.5". I ain't playing around.

Those cranes will tear hell out of a dog.

Most guys that give a chit about their dogs wont let them retrieve them. Dogs get blinded by that beak in a heartbeat.

Hunting in Nodak about 10 years ago, we knocked down 5 out of a group of 7. My buddy went down to some cattails to get one and grabbed it by the neck and that thing started swinging and fighting and by the time he got it killed, the thing had shredded his bibs. It was funny as hell, but yeah, them things will put up a fight.

cartervj

I think the 4’s will be fine. I did just fine with BOSS #5 last year. The birds were decoying though so they were within 30 yards.

Thanks

I went ahead and ordered a couple boxes of #2 Hevi shot goose loads to be safe. We should be on decoying birds since we’re booked early in the season with a good guide.

Gonna pattern both loads today

Which guide service are you booked with?

Not sure a friend set it up.
I can find out if you need me to. Private grounds somewhere around wheeler refuge I think is what he told me.

If it’s not a problem for you, that’d be great. You can pm details.

I was really hoping that I would get bumped to Hunter status when I saw I'd got drawn as an alternate but no such luck. Good luck to you guys that did get picked

Just be at my house between 6-730 any given morning for a guaranteed hunt. The boys dog chases a trophy outta my pond every morning.

It's a shame they didn't just have a short season and let anyone who wanted to participate in it. But then the state wouldn't have been able to make any money by selling permit chances. So lots of folks with no place to hunt get tags, and many who have a place to hunt don't win the lottery.

It's a great example of how this administration sees our outdoor resources as nothing but a way for the state to make money.

Tags we’re supposed to go out Friday express mail. Anybody got their package yet?

Bingo.

I read this morning where Utah is adding more "special" hunts for 2021-beyond. I haven't seen all the details yet but I'm sure they will have an added fee or permit.

Back when we could buy a license and go hunt, hunting was fun.

I got mine today

Still no tags in my mailbox.

Have not received mine either.

Received my tags in the mail today.

Must’ve quit delivering before they got to my side of Vestavia

Must be the "rich side." I'm slumming it over here on Tyler Rd.

Nah, I’m behind West Elem and up from Marks

Waiting on pics

Hey I’m new and had been searching for a sandhill crane forum. Got drawn this year and need help. I’m in Wetumpka so I know nothing about North Al hunting.
Any suggestions would be appreciated

Sandhill Crane Hunters,

The packages containing the permits and tags were delivered to the state mail service last Friday, October 30. From there they would be transferred to the USPS. Some of the packages have been delivered to hunters, some are still in transit, and some haven't been shipped from the USPS facility yet. I assume that the USPS is somewhat overwhelmed with the election mail, so delays are likely. Please be patient, I am tracking the progress of the packages and if we have any issues we will make sure to get every hunter their permit and tags before the hunting season opens in December.

No need to reply that you haven’t received your package yet. Continue to check your mail for your package to arrive. If we continue to have issues by next Friday, I will investigate further.

Thanks,


Seth Maddox
Migratory Game Bird Coordinator
Alabama Dept. of Conservation & Natural Resources
Division of Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries

PM sent RainCrow

Still looking for a guide. One outfitter booked up. Other can’t get a lease.

Mailbox still empty. Not good optics for the Dept of Conservation

Tags arrived in the mail yesterday. Buddy down the hill is still waiting....

Out fishing today. Lots of them flying over. Love to hear them

Anyone else still waiting on their permit? I moved the 1st of the month so mine will be late.

Contact Seth Maddox directly to report your situation

I am completely ignorant about these birds....I mean to the point I’ve never heard of them
What do you do with them when you kill them ?

Eat them

Ribeye of the sky

Finally got my permit. Sent to my old address. USPS didn’t forward it.

y'all let us know how they tasted

I'd have to get one mounted.

Has some grilled Saturday. Fantastic

You look at the breast meat and think it's gonna be some stringy, gamey meat coming out of that bird that is all legs and wings. And then you taste it and it blows your mind.

There were a bunch of them on the refuge yesterday when I was on my way to Decatur.

They are here in town very thick.

And 99% know the refuge boundaries better than the wardens.

We hunted them on the Kansas/Oklahoma line last week. We were put with another group for a total of 10 guns, with a 3 bird limit. We were all limited out in less than 2 hours. We were in Kansas, with the birds coming off a reserve in Oklahoma to a wheat field behind us. We were in cut soybeans. The guide told us they don't hunt a field with less than 7000 birds. The wheat field looked like it turned from green to gray. It is as close as I will ever come to seeing the number of birds talked about in the glory days of waterfowling. They just kept coming in waves.

We grilled some a couple of nights later that were prepped like we would prep a steak. They looked and tasted like a very good steak.