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Feb 12th, 2024
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 SANDHILL CRANES
#562902
01/20/09 08:16 PM
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 260
coyotehunters
OP
Bird Dog
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OP
Bird Dog
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 260 |
Does anyone have plans for making sandhill crane decoys. I have been using a dozen of the silosocks but the birds are flaring before they get into gun range. I am covered up good in a layout blind so I dont think that is the problem. Has anyone else had these problems. If so how did you fix it. I think a larger spread may help but I am not sure. This is my fist year to hunt cranes so I need all the tips I can get. Crane decoys are expensive and I would rather make my own if I can make some that will pull the birds in. Thanks
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Re: SANDHILL CRANES
[Re: coyotehunters]
#562903
01/20/09 08:39 PM
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 11,104
kwrhuntinglab
"The Guardian"
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"The Guardian"
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 11,104 |
Truly.....Sandhills are hard to decoy...
stuffers are probably the best thing.....we have used silouettes but had better luck just setting up on fence rows........
Spend time with the ones you love. Time is not guaranteed.
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Re: SANDHILL CRANES
[Re: kwrhuntinglab]
#562904
01/20/09 08:58 PM
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 260
coyotehunters
OP
Bird Dog
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OP
Bird Dog
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 260 |
Wen they come over the fence rows and place that I have to hide they are really high. What ammo and choke are you using for those high shots. Those birds are hard for me to knock down.
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Re: SANDHILL CRANES
[Re: coyotehunters]
#562905
01/20/09 09:30 PM
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 6,466
ndhunter
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 6,466 |
Quote:
Those birds are hard for me to knock down.
Me too. Hunted sandhill cranes for the first time a couple weeks ago. I can tell you that Improved Cylinder is NOT the best choke for pass shooting sandhill cranes. I think the guy I was hunting with was shooting 12 ga 3" steel BB with Modified choke, he took a limit in pretty short order. We tried to find some lead shot but not a lot of ammo options where we were at. I know what to expect next time, sounds like you do too. Good luck.
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Re: SANDHILL CRANES
[Re: ndhunter]
#562906
01/20/09 10:11 PM
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 260
coyotehunters
OP
Bird Dog
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OP
Bird Dog
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 260 |
I was using 3" blackclouds with bbb's with a modified choke and I was hitting them and had feathers flying everywhere but the cranes just flew off. I guess I need something that shoots longer range and has more knockdown power or figure a way to decoy them in closer.
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Re: SANDHILL CRANES
[Re: coyotehunters]
#562907
01/20/09 10:41 PM
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 60,612
BOBO the Clown
kind of a big deal
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kind of a big deal
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 60,612 |
i counted 65 on Saturday and 10 flew right over my double bull
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Re: SANDHILL CRANES
[Re: BOBO the Clown]
#562908
01/20/09 11:40 PM
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,570
Marcstar
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,570 |
The times I've hunted sandhill cranes which has only been on 3 hunts and on all 3 I used 3.5" bb BlackCloud. I had zero problem bringing them down. In fact I think for most the problem isnt bringing them down (if they are within 50 yards). They actually seem to come down easy...being dead is another story...most of the time they are still very much alive and able to fight.
As far as what you said Coyotehunters, I'm thinking that maybe you were just hitting some wingtips and tailfeathers maybe. It often happens when you are behind them a bit. Happened to me a lot when I first started goose hunting...I was cussing the ammo thinking that was my main problem. After talking to others and more hunts I figured out I was behind..they are bigger than ducks and it looks like they are going slower than they really are. I guess you could say that applys to sandhills as well.
Dear Lord please bullwhip me for saying this but I agree, Marcstar is in the lead. Please nobody use this as a quote!!!
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Re: SANDHILL CRANES
[Re: Marcstar]
#562909
01/21/09 04:10 AM
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 295
fwhunter
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 295 |
Last month was my first experience with crane. Started with 3in #4's w/ a Patternmaster. Like said you'd see feathers fly but they kept going. Broke out the 3.5BB's and still the same. Someone told us they fly ALOT faster than it looks so lead them further. Sure enough it worked. Even with 3in #4's it was good. At one point I was aiming for the lead bird and hit the 3rd one back. They were low and looked to be flying slow, but I was way wrong.
We just watched where they were flying to and from and found land we could hunt where they were flying as low as possible.
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Re: SANDHILL CRANES
[Re: fwhunter]
#562910
01/21/09 05:45 AM
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 31,058
HWY_MAN
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 31,058 |
Yes! A Weatherby does kill them deader.
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Re: SANDHILL CRANES
[Re: fwhunter]
#562911
01/21/09 06:10 AM
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,570
Marcstar
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,570 |
Quote:
Last month was my first experience with crane. Started with 3in #4's w/ a Patternmaster. Like said you'd see feathers fly but they kept going. Broke out the 3.5BB's and still the same. Someone told us they fly ALOT faster than it looks so lead them further. Sure enough it worked. Even with 3in #4's it was good. At one point I was aiming for the lead bird and hit the 3rd one back. They were low and looked to be flying slow, but I was way wrong.
We just watched where they were flying to and from and found land we could hunt where they were flying as low as possible.
The first sandhill crane I ever shot was at least 50 yards up...maybe 60 and I would not have even shot if it wasnt for Garrett shooting first and hitting one. I then took the biggest lead I've ever taken on a bird in my life and dropped it stone dead with those 3.5" BlackCloud BBs.
Dear Lord please bullwhip me for saying this but I agree, Marcstar is in the lead. Please nobody use this as a quote!!!
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Re: SANDHILL CRANES
[Re: coyotehunters]
#562912
01/21/09 09:04 AM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 11,788
wal1809
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 11,788 |
Quote:
I was using 3" blackclouds with bbb's with a modified choke and I was hitting them and had feathers flying everywhere but the cranes just flew off. I guess I need something that shoots longer range and has more knockdown power or figure a way to decoy them in closer.
If your pulling feathers with each shot then your either not following through with the shot or your not getting far enough ahead of them. Pulling feathers means the most dense portion of your pattern is striking the body of the bird. Push out past the bird and get the pellets in the head and neck. At 50 yards a head and neck shot will kill a crane every time.
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Re: SANDHILL CRANES
[Re: wal1809]
#562913
01/21/09 04:11 PM
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 398
fishon1017
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 398 |
Went for the first time this year. Feels strange to shoot so far in front of a big bird. 4-5 feet was my lead at 40-50 yards brought them down.
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Re: SANDHILL CRANES
[Re: fishon1017]
#562914
01/21/09 04:42 PM
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 641
DWADR
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 641 |
I never had a problem gettting cranes to land in my spread with windsocks. Just scout an area and find out where they are feeding, set up there the next morning and you should be in business.
![[Linked Image]](http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o179/TeamHillbilly_photos/dwadrhighres-1.jpg) Deep Water Decoy Retriever
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Re: SANDHILL CRANES
[Re: DWADR]
#562915
01/26/09 03:56 AM
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 352
BallerCaller
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 352 |
More than likely it is the glare from the sun causing the birds to be skittish with the sillosocks. I use about thirty and I noticed only the birds coming in from one side were flaring off. It was all groups coming from the west. Birds coming in from the north south and east decoyed fine. Also, on very windy days, the sound of the socks blowing in the wind can scare the birds. I found the best mornings o hunt cranes with the sillosock decoys are cloudy, low ceiling days with the wind 5-10 mph.
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