Sandhill crane shot and killed in central Minnesota. DNR seeking tips
Adult crane and two eggs were casualties of potential act of poaching
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is seeking tips and information on a shooting of a sandhill crane from a roadway northeast of Clarissa in Todd County.
Both the adult crane and two eggs were casualties of the potential act of poaching.
The DNR Enforcement division posted requests on social media for any information regarding the potential poaching attempt.
Anyone who can provide information is encourage to share it with the DNR:
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Call the Minnesota’s Turn in Poachers hotline at 800-652-9093
Send an anonymous text message to 847411 with the keyword “MNTIP”
Download the TIP411 app — MN TIP — from the App Store or Google Play
Sandhill cranes are protected in Minnesota, but the state has had a hunting season since 2010 in northwest Minnesota that lasts from September into October. The 2024 season is scheduled for Sept. 21 to Oct. 19.
Sandhill cranes are among the state’s largest bird species, with a standing height of around 5 feet and a wingspan that can reach 7 feet. They live in wet meadows, marshes and open habitats, and both sexes care and defend the nests — normally built on the ground or shallow water out of grasses and other vegetation. Females tend to lay two eggs in a nest per mating season.