# How do you shoot crane?



## Benelliboy1715 (Feb 22, 2006)

hi there, i have never been sandhill crane hunting before and i am trying to plan a trip to central Sodak. The problem i have i don't know how to hunt them? Do you guys decoy, jump or pass shoot?

Any tips on how i can effectivly get my first sandhill would be great.

Have fun and be safe. :sniper: 
:withstupid:


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## R y a n (Apr 4, 2005)

Hey Eric

I split your post off to create a brand new one. That way we'll keep the topics "On Topic" and relevant.

To answer your question, just like geese there are many ways to try hunting them. Most of the time we pass shoot them as they come off their morning roost. Crane have a tendency to roll off the alkali flats in small family groups providing consistent patternable action. We just sit down the road a mile, watch where they are coming through at and then move into position.

I know some guys here like the challenge of decoying them. That is extremely difficult to do consistently, but I'll let the other's expand on their techniques....

Good Luck!

Ryan


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

No matter how you hunt them you MUST pay close attention to your concealment. They WILL pick you out if you have any loose ends. Look for natural cover to work off of for decoying or pass shooting if possible.


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## adog (Aug 14, 2006)

I haven't been able to get close to any since early Sept. They can have excellent vision. Pass shooting is all we do. If they fly within range well they get it but I don't specificly hunt them.


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## deacon (Sep 12, 2003)

Pass shooting or decoy. Get between the field they are using and a water hole. Birds definitely like burned fields for some reason.

Use BBB

Fun to hunt and taste great! Yes, taste great!


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## tb (Jul 26, 2002)

If you decoy crane, you are about to have a lot of fun. I think one of the funnest things in hunting is to learn how to take a new species. Crane are different.

Basically, you hunt them like dark geese. The first step is to find a mess of cranes. They tend to congregate in out of the way spots. Having said that you decoy them similar to geese, they are very different. Once you find a bunch, keep your eyes and your brain open to new ideas. And remember the words of the immortal Yogi Berra: You can observe a lot just by watching.


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## Horsager (Aug 31, 2006)

You don't need a whole hoarde of decoys. 3-5 crane decoys set 50-80yds outside of a 12-18 canada goose spread should do the trick. Position the crane decoys near some sort of vantage point. This is also a great way to get more geese to come into your spread. Sandhills are a "confidence bird" for geese.


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## Benelliboy1715 (Feb 22, 2006)

Hey thanks,

I believe that anyone and including myself will gain some great information and discover a new hunting option come fall. 
One question i have is when decoying do you guys use field blinds or natural cover like for example fence rows and waterways? And what type of fields do they prefer? Corn, beans, wheat?

Another thing that I have been told is Do Not send your dog after a down crane because if they are crippled they have been known to peck at the dog's eyes during the retrieve.

Anyways thanks for all the tips, I sure this will be a new experiance.


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## tb (Jul 26, 2002)

Natural cover. They will feed in most any field. I have had 2 dogs fight wounded cranes. Cranes remain undefeated.


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## mach (Aug 29, 2005)

I think these birds are my favorite in Sask.... The cranes can be fun because you can usually get permission as farmers loath them. because they get int the swath and trample down it..
Find their roost and follow their flight path to the field./pasture.. get between their path and pass shoot them in a nutshell..remember they also feed twice a day..and they come off the roost just after the ducks and earlier than the geese...you can also have late morning fun if you set up for their return to the roost...you can get three cracks at them..sometime it beats goose hunting.
In detail wear camo/ don't move or look at them.. and bring camo burlap to set up along fencelines as the will pick routes with the least amount of cover..You might ge lucky to pass shoot them fairly close to the lake in the big trees but they will be high.
Best is to find a field in the path..that has a black dirt untravelled non maintained road with a ditch and long weeds and pass shoot them...another tip is most cranes will fly directly over a small pond very low and follow that trail.. get in the ditch in front of the slough and shoot them incomming with a one foot swing up lead and shoot them 20 yards out so they will fall on the dirt road..Use the same loads as for geese..I like to use #1s... don't move or look at them..until you are ready to shoot..if you hear a loud croak and heavy wingbeats and farting..it is time to get up and snap shoot them.
Last year I noticed that they flew consistently over a treeless weedless field but liked to fly over a huge rockpile with russian thistle and I got my limit of five young ones..meaning you don't shoot the lead bird because he is big old mean smelly and tough to eat..he will have the rusty color biggest head....usually a one foot swing thru lead will suffice if he is within 45 yards...
I have used four decoys before with some luck..but it is better to be mobile and pass/flight path shoot them as the path could shift by a couple hundred yards one way and come back again to the original path..you have to move fast and stealth with the flow. :sniper: :sniper:

Best of Luck!!..Lots of cranes in the Quills..that is where I will be if I can get out this fall.


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## SASKATOONGOOSEHUNTER (Aug 25, 2005)

If you see any white ones, DON'T SHOOT! Those will be Whooping Cranes and you'll be in a big pile of trouble if you bag one.

I forget how many there are, maybe two hundred to three hundred in the world. We usually see some (usually a small family group) about every three-five years out here.


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## Horsager (Aug 31, 2006)

Rockpiles and fencerows for hiding.


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