Sandhill Cranes on the Move

Kentucky's first Sandhill Crane hunting season ended on January 15th with 50 birds being taken.  Kentucky is the first state in the eastern United States to allow hunting of Sandhill Cranes since their near decimation in in the 19th and 20th centuries.  A limit of 400 was set at the beginning of the season and the majority of birds were taken in Hardin and Barren counties.  A ban was put on Sandhill Crane hunting in 1916 because the population was getting so low.  Today they have mostly recovered and are increasing in numbers, though many still have concerns over their being hunted.

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife said the Sandhill Crane hunt was necessitated because the birds were becoming a nuisance feeding on farmer's crops.  Many citizens objected to the need to hunt Sandhill Cranes and formed the KY Coalition for Sandhill Cranes.  The Coalition lobbied KYDFW to forgo the hunting season but we unsuccessful and the season went forward.  Now that it is over, KYDFW will review the season and decide whether to do it again in 2012. 

With season is over, Sandhills are beginning to congregate in fields again in Cecilia in Hardin county.  Last year several thousand birds roosted in fields in Cecilia as they migrated through our state.  These birds were photographed yesterday as they were flying over Louisville.  Hopefully they will stick around a while and let everyone get up close views of these amazing prehistoric birds before they migrate north.

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Sandhill Cranes in KY

The Sandhill Cranes have been gathering around Cecilia, KY, southwest of E-town for the past couple weeks.  I saw several flyovers all week and I imagine by now there are few left as most have flown north.  This was a flock from Friday that flew over.

Posted in: sandhill crane