Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-08-01
THE SAND-HILL CRANE.
An Old Sportsman Tells What He Know
About the FrolicsomO Bird.

One OF the most delightful hunting
sports that was INDUCED in to large
.xtent twenty-five and thirty years
ago on the wide, level prairies of Illi-
nois has been forever suppressed by
the encroachments of civilization; l
allude to sand-hill crane hunting.
There was more delicate skill required
N this sport than in any other kind OF
hunting, perhaps, for the sand-hill
crane is one of those birds that is
noted for its extreme shyness. and for
acuteness of sight and hearing; and,
therefore. the hunter had to employ
the most skillful articles to attain any
success whatever in the sport The
crane is a wading bird, conspicuous in
its makeup for legs and neck as ex-
ceedingly slim and long as those OF
the obnoxious animal, genus dude. 1t
has long, sharp-pointed bill. long
wings, short tail and short, strong
claws. They are very large birds,
some measuring from tip of bill to the
end of the claws sixty-five inches; ex-
tent of wings ninety-two, and bill
six. They are generally of a
pure white color, but some
have blush gray tint. The
sand-hill cranes frequent marshes.
muddy flats and open plains. migrat-
ing to warm climates in winter and re-
turning to the North in the summer to
breed. They fly usually at night in
large flocks, following a leader in two
diverging lines. at a great elevation,
and at times uttering loud cries. Their
food consists principally of small
snakes. fish, mice. insects, seeds. roots
and grain. The old sand-hill cranes
used to come in immense focks in the
middle of October and remain until the
middle of April in Illinois. and their
familiar cries were heard along the
large sloughs and low, swampy de-
pressions in the vast prairie regions
of the State. They fed upon the worms
and fish and ground mice in these
marshes. Some very peculiar habits
were exhibited by these sand-hills,
and it seemed that they were divided
into colonies, each of which had a
leader, whose cry was the supreme
law. In the airy mornings of the
early autumn days large numbers of
the cranes would congregate around
slough and all join in regular quad
rifle, forming in couples in due form,
and going through all the intricate
mazes of this particular style of
Terpsichorean pleasure as faultlessly
as the beaux and bellies in
West End dance. True, some of
the young cranes were awkward. but
the old ones presented all the long
limbed grace of Mary Anderson in
her dance of Perdita- But while the
flock INDUCED in dancing. the leader
stood alone and still, some distance
away, with head erect, as if a sentinel
to give the cry of alarm on any ap-
proach of danger. And it was only
the most expert hunters that ever sur
prised the cranes, for their leader was
never unwary, but as watchful with
sensitive ear and keen eye as any SOL
der on picket duty. But the ingenious
mind of the hunter finally hit upon
plan that, coupled with his own pa
thence and practice, was moderately
successful. Horses were trained to
steal softly with light steps over the
long waving prairie grass, up to the
spot where the cranes were either
holding dancing carnival or were as
siduously engaged in searching for
food. By this means the horses car
ried their riders within shooting dis
lance of the cranes, and before the
birds could poise themselves in
preparation for flight the horses
would suddenly spring in their
midst, and the hunters were
thus given excellent opportunity
for fine shots. Hunters Rad learned
that it took moment for the birds to
poise before flying. But it was an i'm
possibility for hunter to walk within
shooting distance of flock without
the leader giving cry of alarm. Hunt
ers have crawled for quarter of a
mile through the long prairie grass,
over the wet marsh, mud and black
loan Of Illinois, and when almost
within shooting distance and on the
very tiptoe of expectancy, the leader
of the cranes would give the alarm
and away the flock would fly to some
adjoining slough. The poor hunter
was left to dry his clothes, scrape the
mud off and use language not at all
conducive to a devotional frame of
mind. Finally horses were trained to
walk quietly up to where the cranes
were congregated and rush suddenly
upon them. 1t was well-known fact
that a hunter could ride horseback
almost up to the slough where the
cranes were and they would not detect
him. or at least take him and the ami
NAL to be one and the same being. 1t
required long patience tn train the
horses, but the animals finally came
to enjoy the sport with as much zest.