The population sure seems to be healthy.
I bet there's a lot of farmers frustrated with the cranes. I see them hanging out in new cornfields, and I heard they pick new young corn plants right out of the ground. We have a corn field by me where they seem to spend hours on end walking through the field, presumably eating the new plants.
I wonder if we'll get a hunting season on them.

New York is seeing an uptick in the population of those storks.

They have been around my county plucking corn sprouts for about five years.

Not Enough yet for a hunt for the long legged things.

w

They are good eating. Called the flying pot roast.

You can hunt them here. Went to Amarillo this winter and saw thousands and thousands of them thought they were geese until I got close. I've heard them called ribeye in the sky. My fear would be shooting a whopping crane. Don't think I'd try shooting one unless I was with an experienced hunted. The game warden at my boys Hunter safety class said if someone shoot a whopping crane that the authorities WOULD know so just turn your self in.

We sure enough have them aplenty here in Wisconsin. Got a pair of them with a little guy in my neighbor's pasture right now. They are fun to watch. Would like to see a season on them here some day.

Zim

They also love alfalfa pumpkin melon fields. Can hunt them here

Ribeye of the sky. Farmers here hate them. They walk right down the row picking new plants. I have heard of some getting lead poison and tipping right over. May as well be a season on them now for as many as we seem to have around.

Always wanted to shoot one out of the sky, my water fowling hunting days I always hoped michigan would open a season for these birds...

If someone would mistake a Whooping Crane for a Sandhill they shouldnt have never had a firearm in their hands. Thats saying they couldnt tell the differance between a human and an elephant.

I think I can tell them apart, can I shoot one. Mike

Texas has a season too.

We needed 1 in Idaho back in the 80's when I lived there.....a real menace.

Heard tell like darts fallin outta the sky.

Take this for what it is worth, someone told me that our DNR has a deal with the Audubon Society or some such thing that we will never be able to hunt them here in Wisconsin. Then again I think the same guy said we would never see a dove season.

Zim

Another one of those decisions made based on poor political winds and not on sound biological sense. Absolutely no reason that state of WI should not have a season. Instead they are treated like a nuisance. At least they have company with the badger.

Amphibians are having a tough time in heavily populated crane country.

Hunters down north call them wild turkeys,guess because of how they sound.

Here are the pair I refer to as my "Yard Cranes". This is either year 12 or 13 that they have nested out behind the house. They come up to the house and beg for shelled corn. This is actually a photo from some earlier year. This year they had two colts, but are down to one now....something ate one since yesterday afternoon. Common occurrence actually....in all the years they have been here, only one young has lived long enough to go south with the parents. Considering the cranes don't pair up until between age 3-7, it is possible the male of this pair is 20 years old now. His first mate was torn up by a beast and died several years ago. Cranes apparently don't mourn for long, because he was back in the yard with a new hussy in two(2!)days.

During the five years I fished Bristol Bay, AK at King Salmon/Naknek, Local Guys hunting them referred to them as Flying Filet Mignon.

Never got Time To hunt them up there or try their flesh myself.

w

Fun to hunt, they like to circle hi and linger a long time up there before committing.

Tough, you can hear the shot hitting home often and on they fly. Always aim for the brown/ juvenile birds.
Sorta like shooting immature Cessna's.

Osky

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought there was talk of a season on them at some point. Could it be a Conservation Congress question I'm thinking about?

Curious, how much do the adults typically weigh?