• Wes Bloomquist •
• Originally published January 3, 2009 at 6:21 p.m., updated January 3, 2009 at 6:21 p.m.

Prone against a rice levee just across the Wharton County line, I gazed to the east hoping to see the first gaggle of snow geese lift off their moist dawn roost. A half-hour passed and few snows moved, but in their absence a larger, louder bird made its presence.

A pair glided over our white spread and hit the dirt with a thud after a trio of steel shot met its mark. The day was already a success.

The shrill of an adult sandhill crane is distinct, and its elongated wing beats even more pronounced. Most cranes are harvested while goose hunting since so few hunters target the bird as a primary target; however, those who do, do so with a growling stomach. The wary migrant is a coveted prize on the table - the moniker "ribeye in the sky" has merit when chicken-fried or grilled over hot coals.

"Cranes are a tough bird to hunt," said veteran outfitter Bill Sherrill of WS Sherrill Waterfowl in Wharton. "They can pick a hunter out of a clump of bushes from a long way off."

Indeed, crane hunters must dress much like spring turkey hunters - full camouflage. The suspicious birds are always on the lookout. Get complacent, like I did in blue jeans in a Bay City field on New Year's Day, and sandhills will bust you.

"You better have some kind of thick cover to hide in," said Sherrill. "High winds would help, too, putting them lower on the deck. You are not going to decoy these birds in South Texas."

Sherrill said deep canal banks or overgrown fence lines are great ambush points for hunters, but you must know where and when the birds come and go from water to find the flight path.

"Good hunters will pattern these birds by watching their movement days in advance," he said. "If you are not totally hidden and still you are just wasting your time."

Most hunters who use decoys like to arrange a dozen to two dozen windsock decoys in a field the cranes have been using. Decoys are normally placed at least 100 yards behind where hunters plan to hide so shots are taken while birds are gliding to the decoys.

"We have tried sitting in the decoys like goose hunting, but it just doesn't work," said Sherrill. "If someone is not totally hidden or moves an inch - game over."

Jesse Arsola, a Matagorda fishing pro known more for his big trout proficiencies, is an avid crane hunter, but has noticed fewer birds this year, probably due to fewer roosting ponds.

"In past years there would be hundreds of birds on the pastures we hunt," he said. "But, in past years we had moist soil and water in the fields that would really hold the birds."

Arsola likes shooting a 10-gauge shotgun at these pterodactyl-like flyers, choosing to shoot legal loads of lead when shooting cranes only (steel shot is required when hunting migratory waterfowl like ducks and geese).

"Sandhills are a blast to hunt, but even better to eat," said Arsola. "Once you get past their weird looks, you will swear you are eating beef."

Sandhill crane season runs through Jan.26 in Zone C (coast). The bag limit is two-birds per man.

Bink Grimes is a freelance writer, photographer, author and licensed captain. Contact him at binkgrimes@sbcglobal.net.

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