Indiana Sandhill Crane Survey

Dave Horvath

Member
Supporter
Did any of our Indiana members get a survey about possibly purchasing a Sandhill Crane permit? No season date projections were proposed; just a couple of hypothetical options. Should we get a season, at what price point would you be willing to purchase a permit? Random draw for permits. The first option was a 60 day season, 1 bird limit per season, 1000 permits, at $50. The second option was a 60 day season, 3 bird limit per season, 2000 permits at $20.
 

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Hope you all get something. Ribeye in the sky. Boring to hunt, and really pretty dumb birds, unless you hunt them in pressured West Texas. I call in most with my mouth and they come right to goose decoys. Another really good option is just rolling your tongue, with light voice inflection, into a goose call. I could shoot them off my porch most days during the season. Unfortunately, where I live, its draw only and only 2 day hunt with 2/day. So 4 total for the season. Other parts of the state allow 3/day, and when they're around, we are usually pulling them into goose decoys. I set up 1 time with dive bomb silos targeting crane, the hunt was done in about 10 min, and I just felt like it was too easy to be fun. Like a bit more of a challenge than that.

Truly are fantastic to eat. Just to try it, I took one breast right out of the bird, cleaned it up real good under cold water, seasoned it right there on a plate, let it sit for 15 minutes to soak in the seasoning and right on the grill cooked to med/rare. Ate it right down with no issues, hardly even a game taste. They might be one of the best eating waterfowl birds.
 
Not from Indiana, and where I live sandhills have only recently returned. (Or some would say expanded to a place that didn't used to support them.) My only note is the potential impact on the population is a lot higher with one of those options than the other. I have no idea what kind of harvest sandhills can sustain.
 
Here is how our season structure works. This was it's third year. 750 hunters get drawn for 3 tags each. I haven't tried for a draw yet, but I did realize last year that some land I own is the southernmost border of our Sandhill hunting area. I may try for 3 tags one year. IIRC, our season and TNs season is pretty similar.

 
I did not get the survey. Wonder how that proposed system would work for us lifetime license holders?
That was the only negative I saw online, it sounded like, regardless of a lifetime license, you might have to pay for a permit. The survey didn't address what the process would be if you had a lifetime license. The Facebook discussions were all speculation regarding this situation. I think the fact that they are even having these discussions is a win.
 
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