Hunting Sandhill Cranes

April 7, 2016

Question: Does California have any type of hunting opportunities for Sandhill cranes? I have seen a couple of videos in which the hunters state that the meat is great and some say it tastes like steak. I tried to research any regulations for them but wasn’t able to come up with anything. Can you please let me know if they can be hunted here? (Jose G.)

Answer: While some states do authorize the take of Sandhill cranes during waterfowl season, there are currently no hunting opportunities for Sandhill cranes in California.

They are a TRIP to hunt!! They are very good eating.

They are a TRIP to hunt!! They are very good eating.

They are excellent eating! Also, when you do hit one, it looks like a broken lawn chair thrown out of a helicopter... long things going in every direction.

Buddy of mine called them "Ribeye in the Sky" 

I had no idea people eat them. Back in my high school days, we had one that hung out in our farm pond (in Iowa). We shot everything that moved, and we never even thought about shooting that thing.

Ugly, stink, sound prehistoric, nothin says "eat me" about them! Must be a defensemmechanism!

People around here would flip the hell out if they allowed hunting. Lodi has a sandhill festival. I'm not saying I'm against it, but it wouldn't go over well around these parts.

Turn it into like asparagus fest! Cook some and they will come! 

People around here would flip the hell out if they allowed hunting. Lodi has a sandhill festival. I'm not saying I'm against it, but it wouldn't go over well around these parts.

We have a Snow Goose Festival in the valley, and nobody pitches a fit about those flying carp being harvested. There's a crwadad fest (or used to be) in Isleton and folks ate so many they had to import them from Louisiana, despite having more in the Delta here. It's all about image, marketing, etc. It has nothing to do with wildlife management.