# Sandhill Cranes



## CFIden (Oct 9, 2014)

About a month ago I saw about a dozen Sand Hill Cranes feeding out in a field in Morrow County.
Today I went out to a small pond out side of Cardington to check the ice thickness. When I got out of my truck I heard this weird noise and it was very loud. My first thought was a girl or kid screaming. Then I heard a lot of it and about 50 Sand Hill Cranes came flying over me in formation about 50 yards up. Right over me. I could see their red heads and eyes clearly. In 50 years an avid outdoorsman I have only see this once before and that was in hocking county and they were way way up high.
Anyone else been seeing these?


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## Roscoe (Jul 22, 2007)

CFIden said:


> About a month ago I saw about a dozen Sand Hill Cranes feeding out in a field in Morrow County.
> Today I went out to a small pond out side of Cardington to check the ice thickness. When I got out of my truck I heard this weird noise and it was very loud. My first thought was a girl or kid screaming. Then I heard a lot of it and about 50 Sand Hill Cranes came flying over me in formation about 50 yards up. Right over me. I could see their red heads and eyes clearly. In 50 years an avid outdoorsman I have only see this once before and that was in hocking county and they were way way up high.
> Anyone else been seeing these?



That's funny. About Noon today I saw a flock of about 30 Sandhills heading SE. I was 2 miles East of the Dayton Mall. The leader couldn't make up his or her mind and kept switching directions and confusing the others. They finally got it together. Big V spread. They are neat to watch.


Roscoe


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## Pooch (Jun 16, 2014)

Getting off work Wednesday morning at 4:00am we heard a commotion overhead. Way up there. They looked white. I thought snow geese but didn't sound right at all. V formation. I never seen a sand hill crane. Possibility that's what we seen. Harrison County.


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

Pooch said:


> Getting off work Wednesday morning at 4:00am we heard a commotion overhead. Way up there. They looked white. I thought snow geese but didn't sound right at all. V formation. I never seen a sand hill crane. Possibility that's what we seen. Harrison County.


They probaly were swans heading to the south east coast, I've heard them at night and you can see the white on a clearer night. The cranes are a dull brown in color.


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## smallmouthchaser (Feb 10, 2014)

snag said:


> They probaly were swans heading to the south east coast, I've heard them at night and you can see the white on a clearer night. The cranes are a dull brown in color.


At about 230 this afternoon I saw a large flock of about 50 sandhill crane's going over Allen county


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## CFIden (Oct 9, 2014)

Does anyone else find this strange? I wonder why they are here? I've never seen this before


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## Mean Morone (Apr 12, 2004)

Not sure why they are coming through Ohio. I didn't think their flight patterns came over this far. I have seen two flocks of cranes in the last 10 yrs. When you hear them there is no doubt that they aren't geese or swans. Very strange sound.


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## T-180 (Oct 18, 2005)

Had two flocks of them come over our house in Union County at around 4 today. Coming from the NNE heading SSW. Total about 40-50 birds. 2nd time I've witnessed this , but this is the later of the two. Huge, beautiful birds with a very distinctive sound. Made my day, week, etc..


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

It's not too uncommon to see them . Pretty neat sight and they are good indication that the migration of waterfowl is in full swing . They are getting more common . Here in this area we see pairs and small groups throughout the summer . They also nest here


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## Roosted (Sep 28, 2014)

I live just outside of Fredericktown and we had about 6 of them hanging around the area pretty much the whole summer and fall . They would fly to different fields and when they would land in the field across from my house we would check them out with the binoculars they are pretty cool . You could always here them coming with the sound they make . Haven't seen them for a while now . I have lived in Knox county since 1999 and this is the first year I have seen sand hill cranes around here.


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## supercanoe (Jun 12, 2006)

I see them every year in the fall. Usually several times. A flock flew over last week. Nothing abnormal about it.


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## ShenangoEyes (Aug 28, 2013)

Ribeye of the sky!!


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## smallmouthchaser (Feb 10, 2014)

I see a few every year during waterfowl season but this afternoon was the largest flock I have ever seen


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## MuskyFan (Sep 21, 2016)

A friend posted these up today...


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## Weekender#1 (Mar 25, 2006)

I have been seeing over 150 of them nightly they are flying kind of close in with the geese. There is a solid breeding population west of Ann Arbor, MI. If you drive about up there after the wheat harvest up around there you see all kinds of family groups, mom, dad and 1-3 babies, babes are still about 4 ft tall. There is another large breeding area in the UP of Michigan. Why I don't know but been there forever. I am not sure if they are the same cranes or different ones every day.


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## Roscoe (Jul 22, 2007)

MuskyFan said:


> A friend posted these up today...
> 
> View attachment 225684
> View attachment 225684



In the Summer they are the color of a Deer. It's neat how they can change their colors. See many around Coldwater, Michigan.


Roscoe


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## 1more (Jan 10, 2015)

I live in Cincy and I was getting ready to fire up the grill and I heard some strange noises and there was a big flock heading sw..


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## Weekender#1 (Mar 25, 2006)

They seem to be gone now, I have not seen them in a few days, geese are still here.


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## nonamer (Feb 20, 2014)

CFIden said:


> Does anyone else find this strange? I wonder why they are here? I've never seen this


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## nonamer (Feb 20, 2014)

I saw just 2mercer county Greenville pa awesome


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## 1more (Jan 10, 2015)

Just seen another flock today flying south here in cincy...


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## Weekender#1 (Mar 25, 2006)

The Christmas bird count day was when the Sandhill Cranes were migrating through Hancock county. It was reported in our Friday paper and a record amount of the cranes were seen in one day 2,100 something. So yea they were around. I believe it was on Dec 14th.


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## pintail13 (Jul 1, 2012)

Weekender#1 said:


> They seem to be gone now, I have not seen them in a few days, geese are still here.


A buddy at work saw a flock of 61 a few days ago.


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## Weekender#1 (Mar 25, 2006)

Hey Pintail do you have a license plate that says Pintail


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## Weekender#1 (Mar 25, 2006)

Just had a few hundred fly over my home on Thursday afternoon. I was out tending a small campfire, I heard this squawk, look up nothing, but hear it again look up and they just appear, way up there a few hundred moving south at a quick pace.


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## 1more (Jan 10, 2015)

Those must be some very dumb birds! They were flying in circles for 5 minutes and finally headed southwest


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

1more said:


> Those must be some very dumb birds! They were flying in circles for 5 minutes and finally headed southwest


The circling is actually the cranes using thermal currents to gain altitude much like buzzards do. They can gain altitude without expending excessive energy--- so they are actually" smart" birds 
Good luck and Good hunting !


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## 1more (Jan 10, 2015)

Good info! Thx


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

garhtr said:


> The circling is actually the cranes using thermal currents to gain altitude much like buzzards do. They can gain altitude without expending excessive energy--- so they are actually" smart" birds
> Good luck and Good hunting !


Wow, very cool.... Didn't know buzzards did that either.


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## supercanoe (Jun 12, 2006)

They circle for a long time both when they land, and when they take off. I have shot them over decoys and by jump shooting. When you decoy them you have to wait forever as they circle over and over slowly losing altitude. It is tough to decoy them. If you jump a big flock out of a field you can set up to pass shoot them as they circle over and over to slowly gain altitude.


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## 1more (Jan 10, 2015)

I ate some a few yrs back and they were pretty tasty, a lot better than a goose.. Might have been the beer??!


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## pintail13 (Jul 1, 2012)

Weekender#1 said:


> Hey Pintail do you have a license plate that says Pintail


No sir. Mine says "DUKCZN"


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## Lucky1313 (Mar 11, 2016)

We tend to see them in the fall and spring at the Sandy Ridge metro park marsh in North Ridgeville, Oh.


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## Shaun69007 (Sep 2, 2009)

Just seen 3 in Thornville


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

I was going to post a couple of pics of two sandhill cranes that were hanging out at a gas station in Orlando the end of October. They were a foot away from me looking for handouts. The new photo albums limit you to 100meg and I'm way over so I guess no more pics....


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## HawgHunter (Apr 13, 2004)

I never knew they came this far north. I have a house just outside of Orlando and small groups of them walk around the neighborhood all the time. I always thought it was neat that you can walk out in your front yard and see them. My wife is not a big fan, they are a little loud.


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

HawgHunter said:


> I never knew they came this far north. I have a house just outside of Orlando and small groups of them walk around the neighborhood all the time. I always thought it was neat that you can walk out in your front yard and see them. My wife is not a big fan, they are a little loud.


 Actually the cranes primary breeding range is mostly in Canada, from what I've read many breed very far north and make a long journey south many to the Platte River. I could be mistaken but I believe there is a refuge there and UpTo a million ?? Birds winter along the river.


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