The Saga of the Sandhill Cranes

Every year the Sandhill Cranes try to eat all of our newly planted kernels of corn and the tender shoots at they come out of the ground.  At $211 per bag (about 50 lbs), we can't let that happen.  Boyd spends a lot of time at that farm with his crane scaring device.  I can't post what it really is for legal reasons :)  We also take the dogs over to chase them off.  You wouldn't believe how big these birds are! Average Size Height: 4 to 5 feet. Wing Span: 6 to 7 feet. Weight: Male, 12 pounds; Female 9 1/2 pounds.  We have had about 20+ birds each night.  The bird refuge is virtually across the street from this farm and they frown upon shooting birds.  I get the whole protect the species idea, but who is going to protect our bottom line?
Enjoy the photos and if you are bored and in the neighborhood, feel free to chase them off!

The Bird Refuge Visitor Center

Notice how they go straight down the row and don't even need to search for the seed.