The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-25
THE LONG-LEGGED CRANE.
1T rs 4 GREAT CAME BIRD IN
MORE RESPECTS THAN ONE.
Shy, susptctous, ssa Pueuseiour, ~ AFords
Much SPort e. che HEATERS er the Great
Northwest, Especially when Corn r. Cut

hill crane" SAID n new 1Ork sportsman who's
range Is wide. Al rest this great bird stand
four. and even FIVE feet high, and in flight h
smites the air with wings eight feet in spread
In the newly settled prairie regions Of the grea
Northwest, where he makes his home. he rank
In the estimation Of sportsmen above the will,
goose and duck. not only in delighting the ey
and heart Of the hunter, but as a provlder of
table delicacy unequalled In excellence by eithe
duck or goose.
THE visitor 70 those apparently boundles
prairies fringed with the wide farms Of tn,
pioneers, may we'll wonder how the farmer
manage TO house even q small portion Of theiI
crops. for from the time the wheat begins Il
rlpen until the corn Ia cut the fields are not onll
constant prey for the cranes that come dowr
upon them In countless Thousands, but to tn,
daily visitstlons of such myrisds OF wild gees,
and ducks rs no hunter who has never visited
these regions ever dreamed of in his widest
imagininRs. have many a time lain behind 4
blind made OF dried prairie grass, waiting for the
coming OF crane, and watched flock after flock
Of geese and ducks almost hiding the flush OF
dawn as they whirred in from the lakes and
ponds where had spent the night, drop down
among the corn until they formed an almost
unbroken mass, feeding on the grain as far rs
the eye could see. That Is q common sight
The ducks that predominant there are mallards
They are always the earliest up from their
sleep on the ponds, and precede the geese sew.
eral minutes in the fields. The sandhill crane
is several minutes later still than the geese. and,
as the early morning is the favorite and surest
time for bagging this over shy aud suspicious
bird. the crane hunter must either resent all
inclination to lay low the tempting goose or
mallard or give up hope of getting a shot at the
expected cranes. The single report OF n gun
between the advent of the wild geese ana the
time the cranes would appear will destroy the
sportsman's chances for a shot at tho long
legged game for that day.
1.-THE hunter either for sandhill cranes or
wild geese and ducks may always be sure Of a
warm welcome among the prairie farmers of the
Northwest. They spend all their spare time
themselves banging away at the marauding
birds, and in devising ways and means of dis
persing them, but the greedy flocks are so nu-
merous and persistent in their raids that it
would require a small army to keep them on the
move. A mile from a farm where I spent three
weeks last season. in northern Minnesota. is a
pond covering an area of about 100 acreas. one
day my host, the farmer. told me that IL |
wanted to see something worth talking about as
long as | lived, TO go and hide near the margin
of that pond Just before sunset. ] did so.
As the sun went down the sky of TO the north
began to grow dark with fiocks of geese, and the
big birds soon began to drop into the little lake
by the thousand. The noise of their wings
sounded like tho roar OF a cataract. Their
harsh cries were enough to deafen a person.
In a very few minutes the surface OF that
pond was one mass of wild geese. They filed
the water from shore to shore. so that not a
foot Of It could be seen anywhere. A hundred
acres OF wild geese were resting from their forag-
ing and long fight Of the day, and settled for a
sleep. And that pond was only one of
scores in that locality where the same remarka-
bic scene could have beer been witnessed any
CHIT during the season.
when the corn is ripe and the nights grow
crisp and frosty, toward the end of October,
sandhill crane shooting is most enjoyable.
Along the edge of every cornfield there are al
ways vide spaces where tho long prairie grass
punches. and with IL the hunter makes his
blind. close TO the border of the corn. The
form, as II the wind had tossed it there, for the
crane Is the most suspicious OF birds.
inaccnesiSis narta n9 I'M aS srsa ! m naubus IN IN thhe
where II remains during the day,
out only In the early morning and even
enjoyable time 10 lie in wait for the big
bird. The sportsman should be well settled be-
hind his blinds before daylight comes. After the
and the wild geese have preampted |
heir places IN the corn. and the dawn has
the ae ppros sS ,ns of 'h the s'I . M .ur the ea rec oe rSne
aGd s M1la asfi HrisRSe 'Gi m the cry slir. ia" It "T !. a
many throats. This sound is heard for Several
seconds before its source Is visible. Then a long,
This soon develops into an advancing column Of
broad winged birds. They are sandhili crane.
The cranes do not plump blindly and un;
iucks do. but alight on the further edge OF the
nown spot, between the field and the prairie.
ield, carrying their heads high in the air and
advancing cautiously, step by step, toward
o keep. AS far apart from one another as
can. Before the days OF repeating guns
,rnp eG una OF the cranes IS Kept the hunter IN
portion OF II had come within easy range.
lie knew that two shots were all that he could
naturally anxious to make those two do the best
possible. Consequently he would wait
hat their suspicious Of lurking danger we're
lnfounded. would gather together in n bunch.
this they did not always do,and the hunter
would lie compelled to pick out n single bird and
Ire at that, and trust to luck tO catch another
ne AS the flock rose. In one Of my old-time
'unts In Minnesota was fortunate enough to
atch a most unusual bunch In n flock of cranes
hat had been fully ten minutes advancing sus-
where was In hiding. | gave that bunch
18th barrels, and before the smoke had begun
2 clear that mock Of cranes was far away oyer
ht prairie, with the exception of nine. which
sy dead or disabled in the opening. Inasmuch
: In those days the average crane hunter felt
NilhhA lNhii WI ~ hdl > Ilnl I nt 6utttttltu i
n bagging two of the shy birds. those two for
innate shots OF mine created a big sensation in
la, part 0f the prairie country. But nowadays.
With repeating guns, II Is no trick at all to fetch
own three or -four cranes out of a flock before
gets out Of range, shooting at single birds.
"A prairie cOrnfield after "A gun has been dis
harged In or near IL in the early morning Is a
lght 10 see, and its sounds are something to
ear. For half a minute after the report the
cid will 10 black with geese and ducks and
ranes rising in frightened flight from among
he stalks, the noise 81 their great wings belng
Ike rumbling thunder. and the various harsh
rles making pandemoniuIn of the previously
careful scene.
" Frequently "A sandhlll crane will he wounded
D that he cannnt fly, being otherwise uniniuTed.
way he will 90 over the prairie, his long. slim
rs carrying him AZ n surprisingly rapid rate.
the hunter has plenty OF bottom and wants an
Sclting chase and a lively scrimmags at the end
II he will follow the wounded crane. lie Will
ave to be good spTinter il he overtakes the big
Ird IN less than "a quarter of a mile run. When
does come up with the crane he will find a
ght waiting for MIN that will put him on his
Iettle. A wounded sandhill crane brought tn
iy Is a lery antagonist. Ii can use its powerful
N-inch bill with telling effect, and a stroke from
ne or It's wings l. sufficient to knock the strong
Z man of his feet. The prudent hunter who
ives chase To a wounded crane with the inten-
on Of running IL down and risking a fight with
will hanra a. RAgaIu.. all IT. -