Ribeye in the sky

Yellowhammer

Moderator
Staff member
The day after Christmas, I made an 8 hour or so drive to Brownfield, TX south of Lubbock to join a few co-workers on a sand hill crane hunt. This was really my first crane hunt, although I had shot at some once before before going after coyotes on another place.

This place was not too far from a saline lake where they they were roosting and the hunt consisted of pass shooting as they were flying over on their way to whatever fields they were going to feed in. I was shooting my Rem. 860 with modified chocks 3inch BBB or BB steel loads.

Friday morning the weather was near perfect early with scattered sprinkles of rain, but got foggy about 10 am stayed that way the rest of morning. I finally got my 3 bird limit, but took me about 2 boxes of shells to do it. I never could figure out the lead, whether they are in front or behind. Sometimes I could hear the pellets hitting, but they didn't fall. A couple were obviously hit, but again didn't fall or least not close by.

After you click on the video link, click on the 3 dots in the lower right had corner of the video and click "full screen"

https://www.flickr.com/video_download.gne?id=49341627662


49317091232_c664660716_c_d.jpg


49357289641_edf2532a83_c_d.jpg


49294404798_5bec30c821_c_d.jpg


We ended up with 10 birds for the morning and had a tailgate lunch in the field.

49340965008_8380403962_c_d.jpg


The next morning the weather was clear, but windy. I expected it to be better since they would be flying into the wind, but there was a big exodus of birds in mass early, and they were flying much higher and not as many were passing over head. They were flying a different route and not as many opportunities.

We only managed to get 4 birds that morning. After another tailgate lunch, I made the 8 hour drive back home.

49295089297_8f5d46a8c3_c_d.jpg


Yesterday after church, I cooked up 4 breast fillets. I weighed on at 8.9 ounces.

49340965783_5f16a4217d_c_d.jpg


Cooked to a medium rare an it really was hard to tell the difference between it and beef ribeye.

49340958968_831ca275dc_c_d.jpg
 
Last edited:
Looks good in the field and on the plate.
Lucky to hunt them, we would have to poach them between tour buses here.
 
Up here there a permit/draw idem.
I put in every year and get one about every 5 years. They are fun to hunt, ours are a lot of spot and stock with some decoying.
Outstanding to eat.
 
the last couple of years they stop at my place here in SD outside they are so loud you can't talk to the person next to you thousands of them, flying 50ft above my barn but here we cannot shoot them. sucks
 
Those are some big birds. Looks like fun!

I thought this was going to be a dove hunting thread when I saw the title.
 
Last edited:
In my mind the color. texture, and taste, seam more "Beefy" then goose/swan ish.
Their breast looks like a nice ribeye steak on your plate.
 
The 3 of us got crane tags this year. In a different spot.I did some scouting and found a few cranes there, their migration has not started yet and the tags start in September.
We have a draw for them and if drown you can get two cranes...
 
Back
Top