Sandhill Cranes

At first they were cute and a curiosity. Now they are a PITA.

I have a pair that have set up camp and aren’t leaving. How can I encourage them to move along without killing them?

Is it a pair or a flock? They got little ones?

Not that i’ve seen yet.

Dutchboy wrote:

At first they were cute and a curiosity. Now they are a PITA.

Ok, the question must be asked, so it may as well be me…

How have a pair of large waterfowl become a pain in your ass? I mean, like are they throwing loud parties with their crane friends and littering your yard with Bud light bottles and empty Sandhill Snax boxes?

Are the the kind of sandhill cranes that drop by unannounced an hour before dinner and expect you to invite them to stay?

We must know. How are you being harassed by a pair of waterfowl?

Grouse

Not sure you really want to know or if you have spare time today.

The loud squawking under the bedroom window in the morning bothers my wife.

They torment the Great Danes across the road. Dogs are restrained by a invisible fence and the birds just wonder back & forth.

I can see a few drawing in many more in the future.

But thanks for asking.

Maybe you should move into the city so you can hear cars and motorcycles all day and night if you think a couple birds are annoying

They will quite down as summer goes on unless threatened. Will not pull in more until fall and then they will leave.

Rib-eye of the sky. Taste great wrapped in bacon…..

They do make a gawd awefull sound. One would think going out and running them off when there that close should work, if ya do it enough.

They are LOUD! I am guessing if you harass them enough times they might move on and bother someone else.

I like the sound of sandhill cranes, especially when they are flying over

mplspug wrote:

I like the sound of sandhill cranes, especially when they are flying over

ya, me too. But these guys didn’t leave when the rest of the group did.

I think there should be a statewide season on them. I feel like there’s enough to have a hunting season now. But obviously in the fall, not the spring when they’re nesting. The sound they make is quite obnoxious sometimes. It’s like a velociraptor.

I miss fishing the pond. They’d be around and I could get fairly close to them. One day there was a pair and a second pair flew in. Damn those males went at it.

Has anyone here ever eaten one?

So when I first replied to this post I was going to include pictures. Then I decided it would be too much work. Low and behold they are in my memories today.

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Turns out there are 2 pair, at least there was last night. I wonder how much longer the problem will exist as they have taken to walking on the road.

Between Deer, Turkeys & now these Sandhill Cranes, wildlife will soon outnumber the cars on the road around here.

If they have young ones, and this is the season, they are very protective! I saw a pair in a field a few years ago and couldn’t quite make out the chick as the vegetation was as high as the head on the little bird. I got out of my vehicle about 50 yards from them and started toward them. It didn’t take long to change my mind on that thought! Both adults charged me with wings outstretched and clacking that large beak. Needless to say it didn’t take me long to return to my truck and watch from the safety of the truck seat!!

I saw quite a few of them on farm fields around the Taylor’s Falls area a couple days ago. Is this their big migration time in that area?

Might be more money than you want to spend but I have a buddy who has fish in a small backyard pond and he’d get herons eating his fish. He installed a motion sensored sprinkler. When ever the herons would land near the pond the motion sensor would trip and turn on the sprinkler sending the herons on their way. May work if they are hanging out in one spot in your yard.

Dutchboy wrote:

Turns out there are 2 pair, at least there was last night. I wonder how much longer the problem will exist as they have taken to walking on the road.

Between Deer, Turkeys & now these Sandhill Cranes, wildlife will soon outnumber the cars on the road around here.

Back in Orlando they were like geese. They Leisurely cross the road and hold up traffic.

Apparently there is a Florida sub species, so they are protected from hunting and harassment

mplspug wrote:

So when I first replied to this post I was going to include pictures. Then I decided it would be too much work. Low and behold they are in my memories today.

At any time, did you feel harassed or violated during your encounter with the sandhill cranes?

#metoo #violatedbysandhills

targaman wrote:

Has anyone here ever eaten one?

I know a farmer who eliminates a few each year. They don’t waste anything, so they eat them. Just like most other wild birds for meat. In his defense, those birds leave nothing behind when plants are starting to grow in spring.

gimruis wrote:

It’s like a velociraptor.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mplspug wrote:</div>
So when I first replied to this post I was going to include pictures. Then I decided it would be too much work. Low and behold they are in my memories today.

At any time, did you feel harassed or violated during your encounter with the sandhill cranes?

#metoo #violatedbysandhills

He said his wife is bothered with their squawking every morning. I think I have to side with Dutchy based on that.

Maybe borrow one of your buddies dog for a week.

A German Shepherd Rottweiler mix will eat them.

…Don’t ask how I know. The father-in-law just canvasses the area for guard dogs from local shelters every 10 years or so when his does. The latest may be the answer for any unwanted living being.

targaman wrote:

Has anyone here ever eaten one?

I’ve eaten one! Like said above, buddy of mine had them coming in and literally picking every seed out pod by pod, row by row. He took care of that problem. When I got to his place that day, he was just pulling the cubed up breasts, wrapped in bacon, off the grill. They were AMAZING!!! Really wish there was a season for them as they ARE delicious!!

Could try a coyote silhouette decoy in your yard?

Guessing a lot of the noise is territory related. Should quiet down after youngsters hatch out. (my son’s experience the last few years).

Similar to geese. The squabbling at 4:30 am in April/May isn’t an issue anymore.

Pete