Status and Harvests of Sandhill Cranes 2023

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Status and Harvests of

Sandhill Cranes 2023

Mid-continent, Rocky Mountain,

Lower Colorado River Valley and

Eastern Populations

Acknowledgments

This report provides population status, recruitment indices, harvest trends, and other management

information for the Mid-Continent (MCP), Rocky Mountain (RMP), Lower Colorado River Valley (LCRVP),

and Eastern (EP) populations of sandhill cranes. Information was compiled with the assistance of many

biologists from across North America. We acknowledge the contributions of: P.P. Thorpe, T. Liddick, J.

Drahota, and D. Fronczak for conducting annual aerial population surveys; D. Collins and R. Vanausdall

for conducting the RMP productivity survey; K. Fleming for conducting the U.S. Federal harvest surveys for

the MCP; S. Olson and L. Harding for compiling population and harvest information collected on sandhill

cranes in the Pacific Flyway; R. Pierce and D. Fronczak for compiling population information for the EP;

and D.S. Benning, R.C. Drewien, J.A. Dubovsky, and D.E. Sharp for their career-long commitment to

sandhill crane management. We especially want to recognize the support of the state and provincial

biologists in the Central, Pacific, and Mississippi Flyways for the coordination of sandhill crane hunting

programs and especially the distribution of crane hunting permits and assistance in conducting annual

cooperative surveys and sharing harvest data. Thanks to T. Cooper and D. Collins for reviewing earlier

drafts of this report.

Citation: Seamans, M.E. 2023. Status and harvests of sandhill cranes: Mid-Continent, Rocky Mountain,

Lower Colorado River Valley, and Eastern Populations. Administrative Report, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, Lakewood, Colorado. 17pp + tables and figures.

This report contains annual estimates of migratory bird abundance, harvest, and hunter participation and

activity. Due to the large volume of data, the number of years, and geographic areas involved, data tables

may be large and complex. Readers that may need help reading and interpreting the data, or that may

need data presented in an alternative format to facilitate reading and interpretation, should contact the

author at mark_seam[email protected].

Division of Migratory Bird Management sandhill crane reports are available online at

https://www.fws.gov/library/collections/sandhill-crane-population-status-reports

18

STATUS AND HARVESTS

OF

SANDHILL CRANES

MID-CONTINENT, ROCKY MOUNTAIN, LOWER COLORADO

RIVER VALLEY and EASTERN POPULATIONS

2023

Mark E. Seamans, Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

Lakewood, Colorado.

Abstract: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, working with partners, annually assesses the

population status and harvest of four populations of sandhill cranes: the Mid-continent, Rocky

Mountain, Lower Colorado River Valley, and Eastern populations. Annual abundance estimates

of the Mid-Continent Population (MCP) of sandhill cranes were relatively stable from 1982 to the

mid-2000s. Some of the MCP annual indices have increased in recent years and are more

variable interannually compared to historic values. The spring 2023 estimate of abundance for

sandhill cranes in the Central Platte River Valley (CPRV), Nebraska, corrected for visibility bias,

was 1,259,199 birds. This estimate is 83% higher than the 2022 estimate and is a record high for

the MCP. The photo-corrected average using the most recent 3 years of data (2011–23) is

909,046, which is well above the established population-objective range of 350,000–475,000

cranes. All Central Flyway states, except Nebraska, allowed crane hunting in portions of their

states during 2022–23. An estimated 23,529 Central Flyway hunters participated in these

seasons. This estimate was 12% higher than the number that participated in the previous season

for the same states. Hunters harvested 56,178 MCP cranes in the U.S. portion of the Central

Flyway during the 2022–23 season. The fall 2022 pre-migration survey for the Rocky Mountain

Population (RMP) counted 18,632 cranes, 22% lower than the count from 2021. The 3-year

average was 22,744 sandhill cranes, which exceeds the established population objective of

17,000–21,000 for the RMP. Hunting seasons during 2022–23 in portions of Arizona, Idaho,

Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming resulted in a harvest of 1,586 RMP cranes, an 11%

increase from the previous year’s harvest. The Lower Colorado River Valley Population (LCRVP)

survey results indicated a 25% increase from 2022 (3,787 birds) to 2023 (4,719 birds). The 3-

year average is 4,796 LCRVP cranes, which is above the population objective of 2,500 birds. The

Eastern Population (EP) sandhill crane fall survey index for 2022 (107,164) was a 19% increase

from the previous year, and well above the objective of 30,000 cranes for this population. A total

of 1,085 cranes were harvested in Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee during the 2022–23

season, which was 30% higher than last year.

19

Introduction

The MCP of sandhill cranes, numerically the most abundant of all North American crane

populations, is comprised of lesser (Antigone canadensis canadensis) and greater (A. c. tabida)

subspecies of sandhill cranes. The breeding range extends from northwestern Minnesota,

northern Ontario, and western Quebec, then northwest through Arctic Canada, Alaska, and into

eastern Siberia. The MCP wintering range includes western Oklahoma, New Mexico,

southeastern Arizona, Texas, and northern portions of Mexico (Fig. 1). Extensive spring aerial

surveys on major concentration areas that are corrected for observer visibility bias provide annual

indices of abundance that are used to estimate population trends. These surveys are conducted

in late March, at a time when cranes that wintered in Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas

usually have migrated northward to spring staging areas along the Platte River in Nebraska, but

before spring "break-up" conditions allow cranes to move into Canada (Benning and Johnson

1987). The MCP Cooperative Flyway Management Plan (Central, Mississippi and Pacific Flyway

Councils 2018) established regulatory thresholds for changing harvest regulations that are based

on an objective of maintaining sandhill crane abundances at 1982–2005 levels (i.e., spring index

of 349,000–472,000 [̅ = 411,000 ± 15%]), rounded up to the nearest 5,000 birds. Sandhill crane

hunters are required to obtain either a sandhill Crane hunting permit and/or register under the

Harvest Information Program (HIP) to hunt MCP cranes in the U.S. portion of the Central Flyway,

Minnesota in the Mississippi Flyway, and Alaska in the Pacific Flyway. The permits or HIP

registration records provide the sampling frame to conduct annual harvest surveys. In Canada,

the harvest survey is based on the sales of Federal Migratory Bird Hunting Permits, which are

required for all crane hunters.

The RMP is comprised exclusively of greater sandhill cranes that breed in isolated river valleys,

marshes, and meadows of the U.S. portions of the Central and Pacific Flyways (Drewien and

Bizeau 1974). The highest nesting concentrations are in western Montana and Wyoming, eastern

Idaho, Colorado, and Utah. The RMP migrates through the San Luis Valley (SLV) in Colorado

and winters primarily in the Middle Rio Grande Valley, New Mexico, with smaller numbers

wintering in the southwestern part of New Mexico, in southeastern Arizona, and at several

locations (~14) in the Northern Highlands of Mexico (Fig. 2). During 1984–96, the RMP was

monitored at spring stopover areas in the SLV. However, cranes from the MCP also began to

use this area, which confounded estimates of RMP abundance. In 1995, a fall pre-migration

(September) survey replaced the spring count as the primary tool for monitoring population

change. The RMP Cooperative Flyway Management Plan established a population objective

(17,000–21,000 birds), and identifies surveys used to monitor recruitment and harvest levels that

are designed to maintain a stable abundance (Pacific Flyway Council and Central Flyway Council

2016). The plan contains a formula for calculating allowable annual harvests consistent with the

goal of staying within the range of the population objective. All sandhill crane hunters in the range

of the RMP must obtain a state permit to hunt cranes, which provides the sampling frame for

independent harvest estimates and allows for assignment of harvest quotas by state. In many

areas, harvest estimates are supplemented by periodic mandatory check-station reporting.

The LCRVP is numerically the least abundant of the six migratory populations of sandhill cranes

recognized in the U.S. (Drewien et al. 1976, Drewien and Lewis 1987). The LCRVP is comprised

exclusively of greater sandhill cranes that breed primarily in northeastern Nevada and southwest

Idaho, with smaller numbers in parts Utah (Fig. 3), and winters largely in the Colorado River Valley

of Arizona and Imperial Valley of California (Grisham et al. 2018). LCRVP cranes are thought to

have the lowest recruitment rate of any sandhill crane population in North America (Drewien et

20

al. 1995). In the fall, these cranes leave breeding areas during late September-early October,

congregate at several staging areas, and migrate through eastern Nevada to wintering areas.

Wintering areas historically extended south along the Colorado River to near its delta with the

Gulf of California. However, the current wintering distribution is concentrated at Cibola National

Wildlife Refuge, on areas just north of the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge belonging to the

Colorado River Indian Tribes in southwestern Arizona, areas within and near the Sonny Bono

Salton Sea NWR in southern California, and the Gila River in Arizona. Collectively, these areas

are believed to winter more than 90% of the total cranes in the LCRVP. Spring migration is

generally initiated as early as the first week of February. Since 1998, an aerial cruise survey has

been conducted that covers the four main winter concentration areas.

The EP, which consists of greater sandhill cranes, has rebounded from near extirpation in the late

1800’s (Walkinshaw 1949, 1973; Leopold 1949). Management actions, such as regulating take

and the protection and restoration of habitat, allowed this population to increase to a level that

exceeded 30,000 cranes by 1996 (Meine and Archibald 1996). Most EP cranes breed across the

Great Lakes region (Wisconsin, Michigan, Ontario, and Minnesota); however, the range of this

population is currently expanding in all directions (Fig. 4) (Lacy et al. 2015). By early fall, EP

cranes leave their breeding grounds and congregate in large flocks on traditional staging areas

throughout the breeding range. During migration, EP cranes use traditional stopover areas which

include Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area in northwest Indiana and Hiawassee State Wildlife

Refuge in southeast Tennessee. Historically, EP cranes primarily wintered in southern Georgia

and throughout Florida (Walkinshaw 1973, Lewis 1977, Tacha et al. 1992, Meine and Archibald

1996). Recent annual Midwinter Survey data, conducted by state and federal agencies, show

substantial numbers of cranes wintering farther north into Kentucky, Tennessee, and even Indiana

in some years (2013–2020 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [unpublished data], Fronczak et al.

2017, Urbanek 2018).

Mid-Continent Population of sandhill Cranes

Sport hunting seasons for MCP cranes were not allowed in the U.S. 1918–60. In the Central

Flyway, areas open to hunting were gradually expanded during 1961–74, but since that time have

remained relatively stable. Operational hunting seasons are now held annually in portions of

Colorado, Kansas, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and

Wyoming. Nebraska is the only Central Flyway state that does not have a sandhill crane sport

hunting season. Areas open to crane hunting in the Central Flyway during 2021–22 are shown

in Fig. 5. Beginning in 2010, Minnesota, a Mississippi Flyway state, opened a limited hunt in the

northwest portion of the state.

During 1961–74, hunters gradually improved their knowledge of sandhill cranes and improved

their hunting success. During 1975–85, a tradition of sandhill crane hunting became established.

Together with improvements in equipment (decoys, calls, clothing, blinds, etc.) and a shift from

pass-shooting and hunting on roosts to decoy-hunting in fields, crane hunter success increased

(Sharp and Vogel 1992). Dubovsky and Araya (2008) found that in the late 1990s and early 2000s

hunters were more successful in harvesting 2 or 3 cranes per day than they were during the early

1980s. Average seasonal bags declined in the Central Flyway during the late 1990s and early

2000s, but during the last several seasons have increased to levels observed in the late 1980s to

late 1990s (Fig. 12).

21

For most states, sandhill crane seasons began in relatively small areas, and expanded

incrementally in subsequent years as experience with the seasons was gained. For example,

sandhill crane seasons in North Dakota resumed in 1968 after being closed following the signing

of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in 1918. During 1968–79, the number of counties open for crane

hunting increased from 2 to 8, and increased to 30 during 1980–92 and were grouped into two

zones that were west of Highway 281. Beginning in 1993, the zones were eliminated, and Federal

frameworks were fully utilized for the designated hunting area (Sharp and Cornely 1997). In 2001,

designated hunt areas in North Dakota and Texas were expanded, with the new areas having

reduced frameworks of 37 days compared to 58 in other areas and a reduced daily bag. In 2014,

North Dakota increased season length in the eastern zone to 58 days but kept the 2-bird daily

bag limit; harvest data suggested there would be negligible effects on that segment of the

population. Kansas was the most recent Central Flyway state to initiate a crane hunting season

in 1993. Initially, crane hunting was open only in portions of 17 counties, but by 2003 the area

was expanded to 62 counties, essentially the entire western portion of the state (Sharp et al.

2010). Also, during early years of these seasons, bag limits and shooting hours often were more

restrictive than Federal frameworks allowed. Beginning in the 2019–20 season, South Dakota

moved their hunt boundary eastward from where it had been historically.

MCP harvest areas have remained relatively consistent from year to year; however, the levels of

harvest vary with respect to many factors including changes in hunting pressure, land use, and

environmental factors. Most shifts in annual harvests occur locally, but large-scale changes in

harvest distributions also have occurred. Since the late 1990s, the annual harvest has generally

increased declined in North Dakota and, until recently, increased in Saskatchewan (Tables 5A

and 6). Causal factors for these changes have not been determined but are likely different

because birds staging in Saskatchewan are largely from the West-central Canada-Alaska

breeding affiliation whereas those in North Dakota are from the East-central Canada-Minnesota

breeding affiliation (Krapu et al. 2011). Increased hunting pressure in Saskatchewan, mainly by

non-resident U.S. hunters (Araya et al. 2010), has likely contributed to increases in harvests

whereas declines in harvests in North Dakota appear to be more complex and involve several

interrelated factors, likely including changes in hunting pressure, land-use changes, and

environmental conditions. More recently, in Texas the interest in crane hunting has increased,

with the number of hunters and annual harvest approximately doubling from 2016 to 2021 (Table

3A).

The MCP included at least 510,000 sandhill cranes in March 1982, the last extensive survey

involving high-altitude vertical photography of major spring migration staging concentrations.

Beginning in 1982, an intensive photo-corrected ocular-transect survey of Nebraska's Central

Platte River Valley (CPRV) and ocular assessments from other spring staging areas have been

used to monitor the annual status and trends for this population (Table 1). Use of the CPRV count

in the development of annual harvest recommendations relies on the premise that a high

proportion (>90%) of the MCP are in the CPRV at the time of the annual survey. Recent research

with radio-tracked birds suggests that the proportion of MCP cranes in the CPRV during the

survey varies by year (Pearse et al. 2015). Annual variability in weather patterns can reduce the

percentage below 90% in some years. However, conducting the survey a few days earlier or a

few days later likely would not result in a 'better' count (i.e., a higher proportion of birds being in

the CPRV), because birds migrate into and out of the area continuously (Pearse et al. 2015).

The count from the March 2023 survey for MCP was 1,259,199 cranes (Table 1, Fig. 6) in the

CPRV, which represents a record high estimate since the survey was initiated in 1974 (Liddick

2023). The natural log-transformed annual photo-corrected estimates for the CPRV portion of the

22

survey suggest an increasing population trend (P = 0.01) since 2006 with higher counts in several

of the recent surveys (Fig. 7); however, estimates also have more interannual variability in recent

years relative to historic values, resulting in a poor fit of the trend to the data (R

2

= 0.36). The 3-

year-average index for photo-corrected estimates in the CPRV during the most recent three years

that surveys have been conducted (2021-23) was 909,046 cranes, which is well above the

management objective level (350,000-475,000) for this population (Fig. 8). Due to COVID

restrictions the survey was not completed in 2020, and ground counts used to correct aerial counts

were not done in 2021.

Since 1975, special sandhill Crane Hunting Permits, or more recently HIP certification, have been

required for crane hunters participating in seasons in the Central Flyway. Additionally, a limited

MCP sandhill crane hunt was offered in Minnesota starting in 2010, for which a state-issued permit

is required for hunters to participate. A sample of these permittees is mailed questionnaires soon

after the completion of each hunting season. The resulting responses enable estimation of

hunting activities and success (Martin 2007). Estimated numbers of hunters registering as

sandhill crane hunters in Texas has been increasing since 1997 when crane hunting was included

in the combination licenses issued by the state, with a record high of 122,553 permits issued in

2008. In 2009, Texas revised their licensing system and crane hunters now must go to selected

locations to obtain their permit, which resulted in a 91% decrease in the number of permits issued

to individuals in 2009 compared to 2008. Thus, the number of crane hunters in Texas likely did

not decrease as suggested by the number of permits issued; rather, the number of hunters

classified as crane hunters by the Texas registration process declined. For the 2019-20 season,

Oklahoma did not provide information needed to estimate hunter activity and harvest in time to

conduct surveys of their hunters; thus, no estimates of the number of hunters or their harvest of

cranes is available. For the 2020–21, 2021–22, and 2022–23 seasons, Oklahoma reported the

number of permits as they did prior to 2019, with the addition of hunters who received a free online

crane hunting permit (Table 2A). These free permits were not previously in the HIP sample of

Oklahoma crane hunters, and their inclusion resulted in a large increase in the number of hunters

for these seasons. The number of crane hunters in Texas increased 89% from 2019 to 2020

(Table 3A), and appears to be the result of crane hunting becoming more popular. During the

2022–23 season in the Central Flyway, 87,577 hunters were either HIP-certified or obtained crane

hunting permits, which were not limited in number (Tables 2A, 2B), with 23,529 of these

individuals hunting at least one time (Tables 3A, 3B, Fig. 9). The 2022–23 number of active

hunters in the Central Flyway increased 12% from the previous year (Fig. 9). During 2022–23,

the number of hunters in Texas comprised 71% of the sandhill crane hunters in the Central

Flyway. Minnesota issued 1,424 permits for the 2022–23 season and had 898 active hunters (4%

decrease and 7% increase, respectively, from the 2021–22 season).

Federal frameworks for most areas in the Central Flyway allow daily bag/possession limits of 3/9,

which most states selected. Portions of North Dakota, Texas and Minnesota have had lower bag

and possession limits of 2/6; the bag/possession limit in Minnesota was lowered to 1/3 beginning

with the 2018-19 season. Specific dates selected by states in the Central Flyway and Minnesota

for 2022-23 were similar to those of previous hunting seasons (Table 4).

An index to crippling-loss rate (number of cranes lost/[number of cranes lost + retrieved]) in the

U.S. portion of the Central Flyway has declined (R

2

= 0.91, P < 0.01) from over 16% in 1975 to a

preliminary estimate of 1.1% during the most recent hunting season (Fig. 10). During the 2022–

23 season the number of days afield per hunter (2.18) was 9% lower than that of the previous

year (Fig. 11) and was 28% lower than the long-term average of 3.02. The preliminary estimate

of seasonal bag per hunter was 2.39 birds (Fig. 12), which is 8% higher than the long-term

23

average of 2.22. The preliminary estimate of retrieved and unretrieved mortality associated with

the sport harvest in the Central Flyway was 8% lower than the previous year's estimate (Fig. 13).

The increasing trend (R

2

= 0.71, P < 0.01) in the Central Flyway’s harvest of MCP cranes during

1975–2022 likely is related to improved knowledge of crane behavior, hunting techniques, and

hunter success (Sharp and Vogel 1992, Dubovsky and Araya 2008), and increased numbers of

cranes available for harvest in recent years due to growth in the MCP.

Cranes from the MCP also occur in the RMP hunt areas in Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska (Tables

5A, 5B), Canada, and Mexico. Estimates for the 2022–23 sport harvest in Canada (Alberta,

Manitoba, and Saskatchewan) were not available at the time this report was completed; historic

estimates are provided in Table 6. For Alaska, sandhill cranes harvested in Game Management

Units (GMUs) 11-13 and 18-26 are believed to be MCP cranes, while cranes harvested in GMUs

1-10 and 14-17 are believed to be Pacific Coast Population cranes. There also is some

intermingling of MCP cranes with RMP cranes in portions of New Mexico and Arizona; however,

periodic bag checks allow estimates of harvests for each population. The estimated MCP harvest

for the RMP hunt areas in Arizona, New Mexico, and Alaska combined was 1,799 cranes for

2022–23. In the 13th year of Minnesota’s sandhill crane hunt the harvest (863 cranes) increased

by 53% from the previous year. No annual harvest surveys are conducted in Mexico, but annual

MCP harvests probably are <10% of the retrieved harvest in the U.S. and Canada (R. Drewien

and D. Nieman, personal communication). This assumed low level of harvest was supported by

an independent assessment of harvest in Mexico (Kramer et al. 1995). Because harvest

estimates for Canada were not available, the 2022–23 estimates of retrieved and unretrieved kill

of MCP cranes by sport hunters throughout their range was not calculated. Historic information is

provided in Tables 7A and 7B, and Fig. 14.

To assess the relative rates of change between population size (abundance) and harvest, we

periodically assess trends in these parameters. We used linear regression on the natural log-

transformed values for these variables for the years 1982-2021. Because >10% of the MCP

occurs outside the CPRV in the spring of some years, we combined the photo-corrected counts

in the CPRV with the ocular cruise estimates from areas outside the CPRV for analyses of

population abundance. For harvest, we used only the estimates of ‘retrieved’ harvest for the

Central Flyway, Minnesota, and MCP cranes harvested in hunt areas in Arizona and New Mexico,

Alaska, and Canada, because crippling-loss rates for the latter three areas are unknown and there

are no empirical estimates of harvest from Mexico. Regression of the log-transformed values

indicate a significant slope for the abundance values (P < 0.01; R

2

= 0.36; slope = +1.6% per year

change), suggesting an increasing trend in the abundance of cranes over the time frame. The

regression of the harvest values also indicates an increase in the rate of harvest over that same

time (P < 0.01; R

2

= 0.71; slope = +2.3% per year) (Fig. 15). These results suggest that the

annual change in harvest is increasing faster than the rate of growth in crane abundance.

Subsistence harvest levels of MCP sandhill cranes historically were poorly documented.

However, the 1997 U.S./Canada Migratory Bird Treaty Amendment identified improvements that

should be made to sandhill crane harvest-monitoring programs in both the U.S. and Canada.

Harvest surveys conducted during 2006–2017 on the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) Delta, Alaska,

reported an average MCP harvest of 2,896 adults and fledged young and an average of 1,183

eggs (data from Naves and Keating 2019). The harvest estimate for birds is relatively similar to

the 1985-2005 average (Wentworth 2007) of 3,151 adults and fledged young taken by

subsistence hunters on the Y-K Delta, but that for eggs is 124% higher than the 1985-2005

average of 528 eggs. Efforts are being made to gather additional information on subsistence

harvests for the remainder of Alaska, Siberia, and Canada.

24

Rocky Mountain Population of Greater sandhill Cranes

The RMP was not hunted in the U.S. from 1918–80. Arizona initiated the first modern-day season

in 1981. Since that time hunting programs have been guided by a cooperative management plan,

including a harvest strategy that has been periodically updated and endorsed by the Central and

Pacific Flyways (Kruse et al. 2008). The harvest strategy for the RMP calculates an allowable

harvest based on crane survey counts and recruitment relative to the population objective. Thus,

allowable harvest changes annually based on the status of the birds.

Counts conducted in the SLV during the spring migration suggested that the number of RMP

cranes was relatively stable during 1984–96 (Table 8). However, survey biologists found that

these estimates contained increasing numbers of the MCP (lesser subspecies). An adjustment,

using ground-derived proportions, was made to correct for the lesser subspecies but was not a

viable approach for the long-term (Benning et al. 1996). In 1996, the survey was discontinued

(Table 8). In 1997, an attempt was made to survey these cranes during the fall (October) in the

SLV, but MCP cranes also were present at that time. Biologists concluded that neither a spring

nor a fall count in the SLV would result in a reliable index to the abundance of the RMP. As an

alternative, a cooperative 5-state September pre-migration staging-area survey, experimentally

tested in 1987 and 1992, has been ongoing operationally since 1995. Because there appears to

be minimal commingling of RMP cranes with cranes from other populations during that time, the

September pre-migration survey for the RMP appears to be a good alternative to either a spring

or fall survey in the SLV and was designated as the official count for the RMP in 1997 (Table 9).

Although operational in 1995 and 1996, the survey was variable in timing and survey effort. What

appears to be lower population estimates (Table 9) in 1995 and 1996 is likely more an artifact of

inconsistent survey effort (R. Drewien, personal communication).

The Cooperative Flyway Management Plan (Pacific Flyway Council and Central Flyway Council

2016) recommends using the most recent three-year running average of the September survey

to determine status of the RMP. The 2022 September pre-migration survey resulted in 18,632

cranes counted, a 22% decrease from the count in 2021 (Thorpe et al. 2022) (Table 9). The 3-

year average is 22,744 which is 4% lower than the previous 3-year average (23,630) and exceeds

the range of the established population objective (17,000–21,000) (Fig. 18).

During 1986–95, important breeding areas in the Intermountain West experienced extremely dry

conditions and indices of recruitment (% juveniles) were low (generally between 4–6%) (Fig. 19).

A return to more favorable breeding conditions during 1996–99 resulted in higher recruitment

rates (8–12%), but drier conditions resulted in lower production during 2000-02. Since 2003

recruitment rates generally have been above-average due to improved wetland habitats and

favorable spring and summer breeding conditions. The recruitment rate of 10.8% (30% above

the long-term [1972–2021] average of 8.2) suggested above average nesting conditions, but a

mean brood size of 1.08 (Collins and Vanausdall 2022) indicated the opposite in 2022.

Special limited hunting seasons during 2022–23 resulted in a harvest of 1,586 RMP sandhill

cranes (Tables 10A, 10B), which was 11% greater than last year (Fig. 16). Based on the surveys

conducted last fall which resulted in 3-year (2020–22) average values that were lower for

abundance but higher for recruitment (Figs. 18, 19), management guidelines allow for a maximum

allowable take of 2,543 birds during the 2023-24 hunting season, an 8% decrease from that for

the 2022–23 season.

25

Lower Colorado River Valley Population of Greater sandhill Cranes

The LCRVP is the smallest of the migratory populations of sandhill cranes in North America. The

range of this population is believed to overlap ranges with the Rocky Mountain and Central Valley

populations. Historically, winter counts of the LCRVP were not well-coordinated or conducted

using a consistent methodology. However, efforts have been made to standardize areas

surveyed and the timing of the survey to obtain more accurate counts and increased ability to

determine trends in population abundance. Beginning in 1998, a coordinated winter aerial cruise

survey with a fixed-wing aircraft has been conducted at the four major wintering areas: Cibola

NWR, Colorado River Indian Tribal lands, Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR, and the Gila River.

Collectively, these counts are believed to contain >90% of the total number of cranes in this

population. The counts are not corrected for cranes present but not seen by aerial crews, and

therefore have unknown bias and precision. The fixed-wing aircraft survey was again conducted

in 2023. The survey resulted in a count of 4,719 birds in 2023, a 25% increase from the previous

year’s count of 3,787 birds (Table 11, Fig. 20). The current 3-year average for the winter count

is 4,796 cranes.

The LCRVP was not hunted after the signing of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in 1918. In 2007,

the Service completed an Environmental Assessment entitled “Proposed hunting regulations for

the Lower Colorado River Valley Population of Greater sandhill Cranes in the Pacific Flyway”

(U.S.D.I. 2007). In 2008, the Service determined that a small allowable harvest (about 30) could

be allowed on this population in years when the 3-year average of winter counts exceeded 2,500.

The hunting season is guided by a cooperative management plan (Pacific Flyway Council 1995)

which includes methodology for determining allowable harvests and allocation of the harvest.

Once a hunting season is initiated, this season would be experimental for 3 years. After the 3

years, the season would be reviewed and revised if necessary.

A limited youth hunting season for this population was conducted during 2010 in Arizona, the only

state that has hunted these cranes. No LCRVP cranes were harvested. The Pacific Flyway

currently has no plans to conduct hunts for LCRVP cranes.

Eastern Population of Greater sandhill Cranes

In 1979, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service initiated a coordinated fall index survey of historic EP

migratory staging areas in the Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways. This survey is conducted

annually in late October by volunteers and agency personnel who count the number of cranes at

staging areas throughout the EP range. Overall, the survey documented a long-term increasing

trend in EP cranes with an average growth rate in the population of 3.9% per year (1979-2009)

(Amundson and Johnson 2010). A more recent analysis indicates the growth rate has increased

to 4.4% per year (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, unpublished data). The most recent fall count

from 2022 was 107,164, which was 19% higher than the 2021 index of 90,029. The 3-year

average is 97,385 (Table 12, Fig. 21). This index is not a statistically designed population

estimate; however, the index does reasonably represent a conservative population estimate for

EP cranes.

In 2010, the Mississippi and Atlantic Flyway Councils endorsed a management plan for EP cranes

(Ad Hoc Eastern Population sandhill Crane Committee 2010). One of the plan’s provisions

26

included guidelines for potential harvest of this population when the 3-year average of the fall

survey is above 30,000 cranes. Kentucky and Tennessee initiated experimental hunting seasons

in 2011 and 2013, respectively; the season in Kentucky became operational in 2015 and that for

Tennessee in 2017. Alabama initiated an experimental season beginning in the 2019-20 season

(Table 13), and the season will became operational in the 2023-24 season. Hunting seasons for

this population of sandhill cranes are allowed between September 1 and January 31 and have a

maximum length of 60 days. Actual season dates have been from early-December to late-January

in Kentucky and late November to late January in Tennessee (Table 13). During recent years the

seasons in each state have extended from early December through the end of January. According

to the hunt plan, the number of tags a state can issue cannot exceed 10% of the state’s five-year

average peak crane abundance. Each tag allows a hunter to harvest one crane. Hunters in all

three states are required to complete mandatory crane identification training, tag and report

harvested birds, and complete a post-season survey. In the 2022–23 season, Kentucky issued

1,148 tags to hunters, who harvested 180 cranes (Table 14)(J. Brunjes, Kentucky Department of

Fish and Wildlife Resources, personal communication). Tennessee issued 2,500 tags to hunters

and 640 cranes were harvested in 2022–23 (Table 14) (J. Feddersen, Tennessee Wildlife

Resources Agency, personal communication). Alabama issued 1,200 tags to hunters in 2022-23

and 265 cranes were harvest harvested (Maddox 2023) (Table 14). The total number of Eastern

Population sandhill cranes harvested during 2022–23 hunting season was 1,085 birds, which was

30% higher than last year.

References

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of sandhill Cranes. Special Report in files of the Mississippi Flyway Representative. Minneapolis,

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Amundson, C.L. and D. H. Johnson. 2010. Assessment of the Eastern Population Greater sandhill Cranes

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Service, Migratory Bird Management, Region 3. 21 pp.

Araya, A.C., K.L. Kruse, and K.D. Warner. 2010. Summary of sandhill crane sport harvest in Canada 1975-

2006. Proceedings North American Crane Workshop 11:22-30

Benning, D.S., R.C. Drewien, D.H. Johnson, W.M. Brown, and E.L. Boeker. 1996. Spring population

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Benning, D.S., and D.H. Johnson. 1987. Recent improvements to sandhill crane surveys in Nebraska's

Central Platte River Valley. Pages 10-16 in J.C. Lewis, editor. Proceedings 1985 Crane Workshop.

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the Mid-Continent Population of sandhill Cranes. Special Reports in files of the Central Flyway

Representative. Lakewood, CO.

Collins, D.P, and R.A. Vanausdall. 2022. October 2022 recruitment survey of the Rocky Mountain

population of greater sandhill cranes. Special Report in files of the Central Flyway Representative.

Lakewood, CO. 14pp.

Drewien, R.C., and E.G. Bizeau. 1974. Status and distribution of greater sandhill cranes in the Rocky

Mountains. Journal of Wildlife Management 38:720-742.

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G.W. Archibald and R.F. Pasquier, editors. Proceedings 1983 International Crane Workshop,

International Crane Foundation, Baraboo, WI. 596pp.

Drewien, R.C., R.J. Oakleaf and W.H. Mullins. 1976. The sandhill crane in Nevada. Pages 130-138 in J.C.

Lewis, editor. Proceedings of the 1975 International Crane Workshop, Oklahoma State University,

Publication Printing, Stillwater, OK. 355pp.

27

Drewien, R.C., W.M. Brown, and W.L. Kendall. 1995. Recruitment in Rocky Mountain Greater sandhill

Cranes and comparisons with other crane populations. Journal of Wildlife Management 59:339-

356.

Drewien, R.C., W.M. Brown, and D.S. Benning. 1996. Distribution and abundance of sandhill cranes in

Mexico. Journal of Wildlife Management 60:270-285.

Dubovsky, J.A., and A.C. Araya. 2008. Hunting success for Mid-continent sandhill cranes in the Central

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10:58-64.

Fronczak, D.L, D.E. Andersen, E.E. Hanna, and T.R. Cooper. 2017. Distribution and migration chronology

of eastern population sandhill cranes. Journal of Wildlife Management 81:1021-1032.

Grisham, B.A., D.P. Collins, K.L. Kruse, C.M. Conring, J.M. Knetter, and W.C. Conway. 2018. An updated

distribution map for the Lower Colorado River Valley Population of sandhill cranes. Proceedings

North American Crane Workshop 14:1-9.

Jones, K.L., G.L. Krapu, D.A. Brandt, and M.V. Ashley. 2005. Population genetic structure in migratory

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Transactions North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference 60:243-50.

Krapu, G.L., D.A. Brandt, K.L. Jones, and D.H. Johnson. 2011. Geographic distribution of the Mid-Continent

population of sandhill cranes and related management applications. Wildlife Monographs 175:1-

38.

Kruse, K.L., D.E. Sharp and J.A Dubovsky. 2008. Population status, hunting regulations, and harvests of

the Rocky Mountain Population of Greater sandhill Cranes, 1981-2005. Proceedings North

American Crane Workshop. 10:71-75.

Lacy, A.E., J.A. Barzen, D.M. Moore, and K.E. Norris. 2015. Changes in the number and distribution of

greater sandhill cranes in the Eastern Population. Journal of Field Ornithology 86:317-325.

Leopold, A. 1949. A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There. Oxford University Press, New

York. 228 pp.

Lewis, J. C. 1977. Sandhill Crane. Pages 4-43 in Sanderson, G. C., editor. Management of Migratory

Shore and Upland Game Birds in North America. Intl. Assoc. Fish and Wildl. Agencies,

Washington, D.C.

Liddick, T.S. 2023. 2023 coordinated spring survey of mid-continent sandhill cranes. Administrative

Report, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Spearfish, SD. 9pp.

Maddox, S. 2023. 2022–23 sandhill crane hunter participation and harvest report. Alabama Department

of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Martin, E.M. 2007. Sandhill crane harvest and hunter activity in the Central Flyway during the 2004-05

hunting season. Unnumbered Administrative Report, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Laurel, MD.

12pp.

Meine, C. D. and G. W. Archibald, editors. 1996. The cranes: Status survey and conservation action plan.

IUCN, Gland, Switzerland, and Cambridge, U.K. 294pp.

Naves, L.C., and J.M. Keating. 2019. Alaska subsistence harvest of birds and eggs, 2004-2017 data book,

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Subsistence, Special Publication No. 2019-04, Anchorage.

Pacific Flyway Council. 1989 and 1995. Pacific Flyway Management Plan for the greater sandhill crane

population wintering along the Lower Colorado River Valley. Special report in the files of the Pacific

Flyway Representative, Portland, OR.

Pacific Flyway Council and Central Flyway Council. 1982, 1987, 1991, 1997, 2007, and 2016. Management

Plan of the Pacific and Central Flyways for the Rocky Mountain Population of Greater sandhill

Cranes. Special Reports in the files of the Central Flyway Representative. Lakewood, CO.

Pearse, A.T., G.L. Krapu, D.A. Brandy, and G.A Sargeant. 2015. Timing of spring survey for midcontinent

sandhill cranes. Wildlife Society Bulletin 39:87-93.

Pierce, R., and D. Fronczak. 2022. Fall survey of the eastern population of greater sandhill cranes 2022

final report. Administrative report, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Rhymer, J.M., M.G. Fain, J.E. Austin, D.H. Johnson, and C. Krajewski. 2001. Mitochondrial

phylogeography, subspecific taxonomy, and conservation genetics of sandhill cranes (Grus

canadensis; Aves: Gruidae). Conservation Genetics 2:203-218.

28

Sharp, D.E., and J.E. Cornely. 1997. Summary of sandhill crane hunting seasons in North Dakota, 1968-

94. Proceedings North American Crane Workshop 7:209-218.

Sharp, D.E., H.M. Hands, J.A. Dubovsky, and J.E. Cornely. 2010. Summary of sandhill crane hunting

seasons in Kansas, 1993-2007. Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop 11:31-39.

Sharp, D.E., and W.O. Vogel. 1992. Population status, hunting regulations, hunting activity, and harvests

of the Mid-continent population of sandhill cranes. Proceedings North American Crane Workshop

6:24-32.

Tacha, T.C., S.A. Nesbitt, and P.A. Vohs. 1992. Sandhill crane in A. Poole, P. Stettenheim, and F. Gill,

editors. The birds of North America Monograph 31. The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia

and American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. 24 pp.

Tacha, T.C., S.A. Nesbitt, and P.A. Vohs. 1994. Sandhill cranes. Pages 77-94 in T.C. Tacha and C.E.

Braun, editors. Migratory Shore and Upland Game Bird Management in North America.

International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Washington D.C.

Thorpe, P.P., T. Liddick, and D. Fronczak. 2022. September 2022 survey of the Rocky Mountain Population

of Greater sandhill Cranes. Special Report in the files of the Central Flyway Representative.

Lakewood, CO. 8pp.

Urbanek, R.P. 2018. Winter distribution of sandhill cranes from Upper Michigan and adjacent Ontario – A

thirty-year perspective. Proceedings North American Crane Workshop 14:10-25.

U.S.D.I. 2007. Proposed hunting regulations for the Lower Colorado River Valley population of greater

sandhill cranes in the Pacific Flyway. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Portland, OR. 13pp.

Walkinshaw, L. H. 1949. The sandhill cranes. Cranbrook Institute of Science Bulletin 29:1-202.

Walkinshaw, L.H. 1965. A new sandhill crane from Central Canada. Canadian Field-Naturalist, 79:181-

184.

Walkinshaw, L.H. 1973. Cranes of the World. Winchester Press, New York, New York. 370pp.

Wentworth, C. 2007. Subsistence Migratory Bird Harvest Survey. Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, 2001-2005.

With 1985-2005 species tables. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Migratory Birds and State

Programs, Alaska Migratory Bird Co-Management Council, Anchorage, AK. 206pp.

29

Table 1. Annual spring abundance indices for the Mid-Continent Population of sandhill cranes. Estimates presented for: (1) the Central Platte River

Valley (CPRV), NE; (2) other areas in Nebraska outside the CPRV and in other states; and (3) total combined estimates.

Year

CPRV

Ocular

Cruise

Transect

CPRV

Ocular

Transect

CPRV

Photo

Corrected

Ocular

Transect

Annual

CPRV

Photo

Corrected

Ocular

Transect

3-Year AVG

Other

NE

KS

TX

CO

a

OK

a,b

NM

a

WY

b

Total

Ocular

Cruise

Transect

Total

Ocular

Transect

Total Photo

Corrected

Ocular

Transect

Annual

Total Photo

Corrected

Ocular

Transect

3-Year AVG

1974

162,600

9,000

1,900

3,200

0

400

0

177,100

1975

223,600

2,300

900

tr

500

100

227,500

1976

147,500

2,800

300

800

0

100

1,000

152,500

1977

173,400

1,100

1,600

30,700

0

400

12,500

220,000

1978

149,800

188,582

2,200

700

4,900

0

2,300

159,900

198,682

1979

203,574

2,600

1,100

0

500

1,500

0

209,274

1980

223,400

254,417

5,000

4,100

1,400

0

100

500

234,500

265,517

1981

248,882

8,300

11,200

21,800

500

0

290,682

1982

347,996

417,263

7,100

2,000

7,800

2,800

0

100

367,796

437,063

1983

306,316

343,378

4,100

200

7,000

0

200

tr

317,816

354,878

1984

222,710

261,802

340,814

18,100

900

800

0

1,100

tr

243,610

282,702

358,214

1985

378,127

514,763

373,314

11,500

3,000

1,200

393,827

530,463

389,348

1986

317,025

353,040

376,535

1,000

200

2,100

320,325

356,340

389,835

1987

383,581

416,058

427,954

0

tr

400

383,981

416,458

434,420

1988

386,853

463,457

410,852

0

7,700

394,553

471,157

414,652

1989

391,353

391,995

423,837

100

1,000

800

393,253

393,895

427,170

1990

385,950

412,154

422,535

11,000

5,200

10,300

412,450

438,654

434,569

1991

297,831

340,645

381,598

100

800

200

298,931

341,745

391,431

1992

257,709

406,457

386,419

12,200

300

1,100

271,309

420,057

400,152

1993

253,799

378,883

375,328

16,800

37,750

13,500

321,849

446,933

402,912

1994

395,543

477,215

420,852

14,600

0

2,400

410,143

491,815

452,935

a CO, OK, and NM were eliminated from the Official Survey Area in 1985 by the CF CMU.

b The 2018 revision to the Management Plan added OK and WY to counts for determination of the percentage of cranes in the Central Platte River Valley.

c Survey not conducted due to COVID-19 pandemic and associated travel restrictions.

30

Table 1 (continued)

Year

CPRV

Ocular

Cruise

Transect

CPRV

Ocular

Transect

CPRV

Photo

Corrected

Ocular

Transect

Annual

CPRV

Photo

Corrected

Ocular

Transect

3-Year AVG

Other

NE

KS

TX

CO

a

OK

a,b

NM

a

WY

b

Total

Ocular

Cruise

Transect

Total

Ocular

Transect

Total Photo

Corrected

Ocular

Transect

Annual

Total Photo

Corrected

Ocular

Transect

3-Year AVG

1995

273,376

326,181

394,093

30,400

0

6,700

303,776

356,581

431,776

1996

318,514

519,984

441,127

7,600

0

3,900

326,114

527,584

458,660

1997

350,932

534,630

460,265

16,200

100

0

367,232

550,930

478,365

1998

337,203

530,848

528,487

13,600

100

0

350,903

544,548

541,021

1999

219,794

284,858

450,112

3,500

100,000

0

323,294

388,358

494,612

2000

484,585

490,118

435,275

16,900

26,100

500

528,085

533,618

488,841

2001

387,336

413,498

396,158

10,500

42,300

3,500

443,636

469,798

463,925

2002

309,029

315,044

406,220

17,100

15,100

1,200

5,800

342,429

348,444

450,620

2003

300,918

348,023

358,855

24,800

4,100

3,800

333,618

380,723

399,655

2004

365,370

426,534

363,200

17,700

1,200

2,200

100

386,470

447,634

392,267

2005

412,285

491,915

422,157

27,100

2,900

8,700

2,600

450,985

530,615

452,991

2006

178,564

216,810

378,420

70,000

2,100

5,500

256,164

294,410

424,220

2007

307,094

384,118

364,281

20,400

3,600

5,900

336,994

414,018

413,014

2008

474,051

545,884

382,271

24,500

1,100

0

499,651

571,484

426,637

2009

457,436

565,257

498,420

29,900

tr

10,800

498,136

605,957

530,486

2010

455,104

691,534

600,892

17,600

1,300

28,000

502,004

738,434

638,625

2011

347,501

482,797

579,863

18,800

3,500

14,300

4,700

384,101

519,397

621,263

2012

253,783

339,642

504,658

12,900

tr

4,200

270,883

356,742

538,191

2013

745,854

867,061

563,167

16,080

279

9,740

1,800

771,953

893,160

589,766

2014

402,228

617,903

608,202

24,390

5,996

7,534

239

440,148

655,823

635,242

a CO, OK, and NM were eliminated from the Official Survey Area in 1985 by the CF CMU.

b The 2018 revision to the Management Plan added OK and WY to counts for determination of the percentage of cranes in the Central Platte River Valley.

c Survey not conducted due to COVID-19 pandemic and associated travel restrictions.

31

Table 1 (continued)

Year

CPRV

Ocular

Cruise

Transect

CPRV

Ocular

Transect

CPRV

Photo

Corrected

Ocular

Transect

Annual

CPRV

Photo

Corrected

Ocular

Transect

3-Year AVG

Other

NE

KS

TX

CO

a

OK

a,b

NM

a

WY

b

Total

Ocular

Cruise

Transect

Total

Ocular

Transect

Total Photo

Corrected

Ocular

Transect

Annual

Total Photo

Corrected

Ocular

Transect

3-Year AVG

2015

326,053

386,471

623,812

24,545

4,479

37,121

2,195

392,198

452,616

667,200

2016

272,250

405,716

470,030

11,218

261

16,500

175

300,229

433,695

514,045

2017

436,671

568,369

453,519

18,674

180

9,193

16

464,718

596,416

494,242

2018

b

516,397

1,005,612

659,899

12,137

1,058

23,906

932

3,475

557,905

1,047,120

692,410

2019

b

633,839

945,996

839,992

16,818

2,423

39,460

777

4,140

697,457

1,009,614

884,383

2020

c

924,289

2021

b

487,418

782,462

911,357

9,394

1,422

38,123

0

4,512

536,339

835,851

964,195

2022

b

464,933

685,476

804,645

23,911

727

13,869

115

3,650

503,407

730,472

858,646

2023

686,716

1,259,199

909,046

6,661

662

11,872

68

6,100

705,895

1,284,563

950,295

a CO, OK, and NM were eliminated from the Official Survey Area in 1985 by the CF CMU.

b The 2018 revision to the Management Plan added OK and WY to counts for determination of the percentage of cranes in the Central Platte River Valley.

c Survey not conducted due to COVID-19 pandemic and associated travel restrictions.

32

Table 2A. Federal Mid-Continent sandhill crane permits issued in the Central Flyway (CF) and Minnesota.

Year

CO

KS

MT

NM

ND

OK

SD

TX

WY

CF

Total

MN

1975

401

158

1,225

4,172

171

198

5,482

56

11,863

1976

341

117

1,195

4,137

265

200

5,060

37

11,352

1977

374

82

1,452

6,294

519

134

4,897

48

13,800

1978

343

209

956

5,798

620

98

5,198

52

13,274

1979

528

159

1,288

4,949

470

63

5,098

43

12,598

1980

437

118

1,082

5,754

510

240

5,239

33

13,413

1981

397

53

1,022

5,796

466

197

5,297

30

13,258

1982

528

147

962

4,714

750

579

4,650

40

12,370

1983

575

175

706

8,033

909

528

7,317

63

18,306

1984

538

113

721

7,436

1,187

544

6,838

43

17,420

1985

555

143

710

6,802

1,102

656

7,417

59

17,444

1986

617

99

595

8,926

1,073

705

7,258

25

19,298

1987

610

128

502

8,778

1,213

517

6,289

30

18,067

1988

512

162

480

6,214

1,472

437

7,053

38

16,368

1989

434

172

430

6,128

1,717

524

8,066

25

17,496

1990

389

143

533

7,268

1,725

646

11,994

22

22,720

1991

501

238

602

3,353

1,618

668

11,142

25

18,147

1992

498

303

582

3,760

1,397

721

9,848

18

17,127

1993

411

575

336

541

4,572

1,277

708

10,407

37

18,864

1994

427

567

320

547

4,790

1,561

636

10,515

49

19,412

1995

571

711

351

564

5,242

1,323

650

10,755

42

20,209

1996

612

837

369

499

5,570

1,391

677

11,334

41

21,330

1997

572

997

325

454

4,934

1,393

757

37,365

b

46

46,845

1998

4,937

b

1,088

270

449

6,082

1,385

951

32,523

b

49

42,797

1999

4,847

b

1,235

279

516

6,050

,1,438

810

33,380

b

52

48,607

2000

5,169

b

1,084

283

493

7,451

1,333

721

44,719

b

58

61,311

2001

5,869

b

1,374

253

509

8,078

1,315

680

49,410

b

72

67,560

2002

5,644

b

1,279

303

496

8,245

c

1,186

619

37,558

b

54

55,384

2003

a

5,854

b

1,206

273

471

6,030

c

1,000

563

43,199

b

50

58,646

2004

a

5,784

b

1,180

c

308

548

5,788

c

780

c

307

52,161

b

61

66,917

2005

a

5,766

b

805

c

281

494

7,441

c

698

c

490

51,511

b

68

67,554

2006

a

4,792

b

826

c

265

512

d

7,410

c

615

c

445

e

70,968

b

78

85,911

2007

a

4,931

b

598

c

238

480

d

7,442

c

731

c

390

e

101,382

b

58

116,250

2008

a

5,772

b

655

c

272

677

d

6,501

c

736

c

398

e

122,553

b

73

137,637

2009

a

4,038

b

540

c

139

862

d

7,774

c

1,029

c

693

e

11,332

b

62

26,469

2010

a

4,280

b

508

c

283

701

d

8,375

c

1,055

c

410

e

12,560

b

86

28,258

1,954

2011

a

783

b

801

c

311

575

d

8,024

c

1,104

c

356

e

13,905

b

86

25,945

1,342

2012

a

801

b

571

c

186

859

d

8,519

c

451

c

343

e

14,083

b

102

25,915

1,032

2013

a

856

b

735

c

288

404

d

9,085

c

2,278

c

421

e

18,369

b

106

32,542

1,086

2014

a

848

b

787

c

356

368

d

4,692

c

660

c

390

e

20,105

b

433

28,639

1,216

2015

a

787

b

1,040

c

404

365

d

4,543

c

510

c

---

f

22,033

b

454

30,136

1,199

2016

a

841

b

1,055

c

376

416

d

3,956

c

559

c

171

e

23,962

b

569

31,905

1,139

2017

a

913

b

1,075

c

604

534

d

4,006

c

714

c

224

e

26,312

b

646

35,028

1,125

2018

a

954

b

1,218

c

676

2,413

d

4,102

c

642

c

237

e

29,668

b

392

40,302

1,091

2019

a

1,019

b

1,456

c

1,013

b

2,818

d

3,839

c

---

g

242

e

32,841

b

714

43,942

1,073

2020

a

1,107

b

1,970

c

1,005

b

2,763

d

5,168

c

11,513

c

210

e

38,832

b

619

63,187

1,288

2021

a

1,170

b

2,343

c

1,385

b

2,362

d

4,440

c

11,904

c

289

e

45,013

b

621

69,527

1,479

2022

a

9,194

b

2,270

c

562

b

3,471

d

5,544

c

12,536

c

250

e

52,568

b

1,182

87,577

1,424

a Preliminary

b Harvest Information Program (HIP) or a point-of-sale electronic record (without cost) used to identify crane hunters in lieu of a

special sandhill crane hunting permit

c States began charging a fee for crane hunting permits which reduces the number of permits issued to hunters that only hunt

cranes.

d NM uses a combination of electronic and paper permits.

e SD uses a special question in their HIP questionnaire to identify sandhill crane hunters; TX hunters can only obtain crane permits

in selected locations.

f All hunters put in stratum "did not hunt" or "no" in state HIP sample frame, so no estimate is available.

g Hunters name and address data not supplied, so no estimate is available.

33

Table 2B. Decadal and long-term annual averages of federal Mid-Continent sandhill crane permits issued

in the Central Flyway (CF) and Minnesota.

Years

CO

KS

MT

NM

ND

OK

SD

TX

WY

CF Total

MN

1975-79

397

145

1,223

5,070

409

139

5,147

47

12,577

1980-89

520

131

721

6,858

1,040

493

6,542

39

16,344

1990-99

981

859

293

529

5,162

1,451

722

17,926

38

27,606

2000-09

5,362

955

262

554

7,216

942

531

58,479

63

74,364

2010-19

1,208

925

450

945

5,914

886

310

21,384

359

32,261

1,226

2020-22

3,824

2,194

984

2,865

5,051

11,984

250

45,471

807

73,430

1,397

1975-2022

1,983

1,046

313

879

6,083

1,709

462

25,114

159

37,269

1,265

34

Table 3A. Estimated active Mid-Continent sandhill crane hunters in the Central Flyway (CF) and

Minnesota. Active hunters are those permittees reporting hunting cranes 1 or more times.

Year

CO

KS

MT

NM

ND

OK

SD

TX

WY

CF

Total

MN

1975

226

69

806

2,896

80

117

2,733

22

6,949

1976

203

68

752

1,328

148

80

2,497

16

5,092

1977

189

40

921

4,126

339

77

2,329

27

8,048

1978

190

86

836

3,776

334

50

2,390

21

7,683

1979

275

61

745

3,225

307

29

2,356

13

7,011

1980

216

50

625

3,387

275

160

2,439

12

7,164

1981

216

23

598

3,315

269

103

2,543

14

7,081

1982

138

56

386

2,429

342

260

1,553

8

5,172

1983

211

64

253

3,551

384

225

2,435

20

7,143

1984

206

51

301

3,189

467

208

2,380

19

6,821

1985

187

37

216

2,383

372

168

2,613

12

5,988

1986

106

17

178

3,095

299

149

1,991

5

5,840

1987

113

29

133

2,529

358

120

1,942

5

5,229

1988

117

48

171

1,779

531

78

2,497

11

5,232

1989

74

52

152

2,018

492

153

2,805

6

5,752

1990

101

33

180

2,614

395

172

4,130

6

7,631

1991

153

69

220

1,674

370

139

3,231

3

5,859

1992

96

95

182

1,776

330

153

2,655

7

5,294

1993

87

294

97

218

2,223

357

140

3,602

5

7,023

1994

93

293

79

211

2,497

456

151

3,350

11

7,141

1995

154

393

118

211

2,408

331

143

3,707

6

7,471

1996

91

382

82

166

2,744

355

169

3,356

9

7,354

1997

67

452

68

124

2,386

264

178

4,515

10

8,064

1998

96

480

43

155

2,785

345

237

4,022

10

8,173

1999

133

533

60

204

2,444

375

173

2,699

8

6,629

2000

192

430

64

160

2,481

223

209

3,180

11

6,950

2001

202

555

72

173

2,934

391

145

3,554

13

8,039

2002

175

517

85

166

2,407

237

144

4,037

15

7,783

2003

a

236

495

60

244

2,271

64

114

4,821

10

8,315

2004

a

315

539

93

252

2,491

265

79

5,121

16

9,171

2005

a

280

274

90

233

3,370

259

165

5,383

24

10,078

2006

a

144

445

71

245

3,272

243

144

5,531

25

10,120

2007

a

158

255

82

241

3,145

166

57

5,685

19

9,808

2008

a

191

283

84

239

2,815

255

64

6,338

24

10,293

2009

a

159

213

50

286

3,546

371

63

3,179

67

7,934

2010

a

302

182

93

192

3,474

332

52

4,187

29

8,843

964

2011

a

138

449

95

206

3,733

418

44

2,712

41

7,836

643

2012

a

139

214

59

270

3,332

160

54

2,972

39

7,239

410

2013

a

118

235

94

276

3,326

638

91

5,473

35

10,286

485

2014

a

89

151

88

252

1,743

231

56

5,145

70

7,825

401

2015

a

126

334

115

263

1,430

158

---

b

3,241

78

5,745

424

2016

a

144

332

113

310

1,504

219

39

6,746

96

9,503

471

2017

a

221

710

98

360

1,562

246

71

7,066

305

10,639

397

2018

a

178

457

175

416

1,626

258

73

8,807

94

12,084

383

2019

a

174

554

152

549

1,124

---

c

41

10,072

138

12,804

333

2020

a

216

735

229

505

1,752

3,722

52

19,999

177

27,387

480

2021

a

251

818

358

498

1,633

3,116

71

14,240

116

21,101

632

2022

a

768

504

240

579

2,272

1,947

50

16,822

347

23,529

898

a

Preliminary

b

All hunters put in stratum "did not hunt" or "no" in state HIP sample frame, so no estimate is available.

c

Hunter name and address data not supplied, so no estimate is available.

35

Table 3B. Decadal and long-term annual averages of active Mid-Continent sandhill crane hunters in the

Central Flyway (CF) and Minnesota.

Years

CO

KS

MT

NM

ND

OK

SD

TX

WY

CF Total

MN

1975-79

217

65

812

3,070

242

71

2,461

20

6,957

1980-89

158

43

301

2,768

379

162

2,320

11

6,142

1990-99

107

404

74

187

2,355

358

166

3,527

8

7,064

2000-09

205

401

75

224

2,873

247

118

4,683

22

8,849

2010-19

163

362

108

309

2,285

296

58

5,642

93

9,280

491

2020-22

412

686

276

527

1,886

2,928

58

17,020

213

24,006

670

1975-22

180

417

87

330

2,580

479

117

4,689

43

8,753

532

36

Table 4. Season dates (month/day) for the hunting of Mid-continent sandhill cranes in the Central Flyway states and Minnesota.

Year

CO

KS

Central

Zone¹

KS

West

Zone²

MT¹

MT²

NM

ND

Area 1

ND

Area 2

OK

SD

TX

Area A

TX

Area B

TX

Area C

WY

MN

1960

-

01/01-01/30

-

1961

-

11/04-12/03

-

11/04-12/03

-

1962

-

11/03-12/02

-

11/03-12/02

-

1963

-

11/02-12/01

-

11/02-12/01

-

1964

-

10/31-11/29

-

10/31-11/29

-

1965

-

10/30-11/28

-

10/30-11/28

-

1966

-

10/29-11/27

-

10/29-11/27

-

1967

10/01-10/30

-

11/04-01/02

-

11/04-01/02

-

1968

10/01-10/30

-

11/02-12/28

11/09-12/08

-

12/14-01/02

11/09-12/08

11/02-12/28

12/14-01/02

-

1969

10/04-11/02

-

11/01-12/28

11/08-12/07

-

12/13-01/11

11/08-12/07

11/01-12/28

12/13-01/11

-

1970

10/03-11/01

-

10/31-01/10

11/14-12/13

-

12/05-01/10

11/14-12/13

10/31-01/10

12/05-01/10

-

1971

10/02-11/07

-

10/30-01/30

11/13-12/02

-

12/04-01/30

11/13-12/02

10/30-01/30

12/04-01/30

-

1972

10/01-11/05

-

10/01-11/06

-

11/03-01/31

11/11-12/10

-

12/02-01/28

11/11-12/10

10/28-01/28

12/02-01/28

-

10/07-11/05

-

1973

10/01-11/05

-

09/29-11/04

-

10/27-01/27

11/10-12/09

-

12/01-01/27

11/10-12/09

10/27-01/27

12/01-01/27

-

10/13-11/11

-

1974

10/01-11/05

-

09/28-11/03

-

10/26-01/26

11/09-12/08

-

11/30-01/26

11/09-12/08

10/26-01/26

11/30-01/26

-

10/12-11/10

-

1975

10/04-11/08

-

10/04-11/09

-

10/25-01/25

11/08-12/07

-

11/29-01/25

11/08-12/07

10/25-01/25

11/29-01/25

-

10/11-11/09

-

1976

10/02-11/06

-

10/02-11/07

-

10/30-01/30

11/06-12/05

-

11/27-01/23

11/06-12/05

10/30-01/30

12/04-01/30

-

10/09-11/07

-

1977

10/01-11/06

-

10/01-11/06

-

10/29-01/29

09/07-09/11

-

11/26-01/22

09/07-09/11

11/01-01/31

12/05-01/31

-

10/08-11/06

-

1978

09/30-11/05

-

09/30-11/05

-

10/28-01/28

09/07-09/11

-

11/25-01/21

09/07-09/11

10/31-01/31

12/05-01/31

-

10/07-11/05

-

1979

10/13-11/18

-

09/29-11/04

-

10/27-01/27

09/07-09/11

-

11/24-01/20

09/07-09/11

10/30-01/30

12/04-01/30

-

10/13-11/18

-

1980

10/11-11/16

-

10/04-11/09

-

10/30-01/31

09/06-09/14

09/06-09/10

11/22-01/18

09/20-09/28

10/31-01/31

12/05-01/31

-

10/11-11/16

-

1981

10/10-11/15

-

10/03-11/08

-

10/31-01/31

09/05-09/20

09/05-09/13

11/22-01/18

09/20-09/28

10/31-01/31

12/05-01/31

-

10/03-11/08

-

1982

10/02-11/28

-

10/02-11/28

-

10/31-01/31

09/04-09/19

09/04-09/12

10/23-01/23

10/02-11/11

10/30-01/30

12/04-01/30

-

09/25-11/21

-

1983

10/01-11/27

-

11/01-11/27

10/29-01/28

09/10-11/06

09/10-09/30

10/22-01/22

10/01-11/06

11/12-02/12

12/03-02/12

01/14-02/12

09/24-11/20

-

1984

09/29-11/25

-

09/29-11/25

11/01-11/25

10/27-01/27

09/08-11/04

09/08-09/28

10/13-01/13

09/29-11/04

11/10-02/10

12/01-02/10

01/12-02/10

09/22-11/18

-

1985

09/28-11/24

-

09/28-11/24

11/01-11/24

10/26-01/26

09/07-11/03

09/07-09/27

10/12-01/12

09/28-11/03

11/09-02/09

11/30-02/09

01/11-02/09

09/21-11/17

-

1986

10/04-11/30

-

10/04-11/30

11/01-11/30

10/25-01/25

09/06-11/02

09/06-10/03

10/11-01/11

09/28-11/02

11/08-02/08

11/29-02/08

01/03-02/08

09/20-11/16

-

1987

10/03-11/29

-

10/03-11/29

10/24-01/24

09/05-11/01

09/05-10/02

10/10-01/17

09/26-11/01

11/14-02/14

11/28-02/07

01/02-02/07

09/19-11/15

-

1988

10/01-11/27

-

10/01-11/27

10/22-01/22

09/10-11/06

09/10-09/30

10/22-01/22

09/24-10/30

11/12-02/12

11/26-02/05

01/07-02/12

09/17-11/13

-

1989

09/30-11/26

-

09/30-11/26

10/21-01/21

09/09-11/05

09/09-09/29

10/21-01/21

09/30-11/05

11/11-02/11

12/02-02/11

01/06-02/11

09/16-11/12

-

1990

09/29-11/25

-

09/29-11/25

10/20-01/20

09/08-11/04

09/08-10/14

10/20-01/20

09/29-11/04

11/10-02/10

12/01-02/10

01/05-02/10

09/15-11/11

-

1991

09/28-11/24

-

09/28-11/24

10/19-01/19

09/07-11/03

09/07-10/13

10/19-01/19

09/28-11/03

11/09-02/09

12/07-02/09

01/04-02/09

09/15-11/11

-

1992

10/03-11/29

-

09/26-11/22

10/17-01/17

09/05-11/01

09/05-10/11

10/17-01/17

09/26-11/01

11/14-02/14

12/05-02/14

01/02-02/07

09/15-11/11

-

1993

10/02-11/28

11/06-01/02

-

09/25-11/21

10/16-01/16

09/11-11/07

10/16-01/16

09/25-10/31

11/13-02/13

12/04-02/13

01/08-02/13

09/15-11/11

-

1994

10/01-11/27

11/05-01/01

-

09/24-11/20

10/15-01/15

09/10-11/06

10/15-01/15

09/24-10/30

11/12-02/12

12/03-02/12

01/07-02/12

09/15-11/11

-

1995

09/30-11/26

11/04-12/31

-

09/23-11/19

10/31-01/31

09/09-11/05

10/22-01/28

09/23-11/19

11/11-02/11

12/02-02/11

01/06-02/11

09/14-11/10

-

KS

1

Central Zone: East of the West Zone Boundary to the line of OK/KS state line headed north on I-35 to I-135, I-70 to US 81 to the NE state line.

KS

2

West Zone: KS/NE State Line south along US 283, KS road 24, KS -18 to US 183 to KS - 1 to the KS/OK state line.

MT¹ Central Flyway portion of MT, except that area south of I-90 and west of the Bighorn River and Sheridan Co.

MT² Sheridan County, MT.

37

Table 4 (continued)

Year

CO

KS

Central

Zone¹

KS

West

Zone²

MT¹

MT²

NM

ND

Area 1

ND

Area 2

OK

SD

TX

Area A

TX

Area B

TX

Area C

WY

MN

1996

10/05-12/01

11/02-12/29

-

09/28-11/24

10/31-01/31

09/07-11/03

10/26-01/26

09/28-11/24

11/09-02/09

11/30-02/09

01/04-02/09

09/14-11/10

-

1997

10/04-11/30

11/01-12/28

-

10/04-11/30

10/31-01/31

09/06-11/02

10/25-01/25

09/27-11/23

11/08-02/08

11/29-02/08

01/03-02/08

09/13-11/09

-

1998

10/03-11/29

11/07-01/03

-

10/03-11/29

09/12-09/20

10/31-01/31

09/05-11/01

10/24-01/24

09/26-11/22

11/07-02/07

11/28-02/07

01/02-02/07

09/12-11/08

-

1999

10/02-11/28

11/06-01/02

-

10/02-11/28

09/11-09/19

10/30-01/30

09/11-11/07

10/30-01/30

09/25-11/21

11/13-02/13

12/04-02/13

01/08-02/13

09/11-11/07

-

2000

10/07-12/03

11/04-12/31

-

09/30-11/26

09/09-09/17

10/31-01/31

09/16-11/12

11/04-02/04

09/23-11/19

11/11-02/11

12/02-02/11

12/30-02/04

09/09-11/05

-

2001

10/07-12/03

11/03-12/30

-

09/29-11/25

09/08-09/16

10/31-01/31

09/15-11/11

09/15-10/21

11/03-02/03

09/22-11/18

11/10-02/10

12/01-02/10

12/29-01/20

09/15-11/11

-

2002

10/05-12/01

11/02-12/29

-

09/28-11/24

09/07-09/15

10/31-01/31

09/21-11/17

09/21-10/27

11/09-02/09

09/21-11/17

11/09-02/09

11/30-02/09

12/21-01/19

09/14-11/10

-

2003

10/04-11/30

11/01-12/28

-

09/27-11/23

09/06-09/14

10/31-01/31

09/20-11/16

09/20-10/26

10/25-01/25

09/27-11/23

11/01-02/01

11/22-02/01

12/20-01/18

09/13-11/09

-

2004

10/02-11/28

11/06-01/02

-

09/25-11/21

09/11-09/19

10/31-01/31

09/18-11/14

09/18-10/24

10/30-01/30

09/25-11/21

11/06-02/01

11/27-02/01

12/18-01/16

09/18-11/14

-

2005

10/01-11/27

11/09-01/05

-

09/24-11/20

09/10-09/18

10/31-01/31

09/17-11/13

09/17-10/23

10/29-01/29

09/24-11/20

11/05-02/05

11/26-02/05

12/24-01/29

09/17-11/13

-

2006

09/30-11/26

11/08-01/04

-

09/23-11/19

09/09-09/17

10/31-01/31

09/16-11/12

09/16-10/22

10/28-01/28

09/23-11/19

11/04-02/04

11/24-02/04

12/23-01/28

09/16-11/12

-

2007

10/02-12/02

11/07-01/03

-

09/22-11/18

09/08-09/16

10/31-01/31

09/15-11/11

09/15-10/21

10/27-01/27

09/22-11/18

11/04-02/04

11/24-02/04

12/23-01/28

09/15-11/11

-

2008

10/04-11/30

11/05-01/01

-

09/27-11/23

09/06-09/21

10/31-01/31

09/20-11/16

09/20-10/26

10/25-01/25

09/27-11/23

11/08-02/08

11/28-02/08

12/20-01/25

09/13-11/09

-

2009

10/03-11/29

11/11-01/07

-

09/26-11/22

09/05-09/20

10/31-01/31

09/19-11/15

09/19-10/25

10/24-01/24

09/26-11/22

11/07-02/07

11/27-02/07

12/19-01/24

09/19-11/15

-

2010

10/02-11/28

11/10-01/06

-

09/25-11/21

09/11-09/26

10/31-01/31

09/18-11/14

09/18-10/24

10/23-01/23

09/25-11/21

11/06-02/06

11/26-02/06

12/18-01/23

09/18-11/14

09/04-10/10

2011

10/01-11/27

11/09-01/05

-

09/24-11/20

09/10-09/25

10/31-01/31

09/17-11/13

09/17-10/23

10/22-01/22

09/24-11/20

11/05-02/05

11/25-02/05

12/24-01/29

09/17-11/13

09/03-10/09

2012

09/29-11/25

11/07-01/03

-

09/29-11/25

09/8-09/30

10/31-01/31

09/15-11/11

09/15-10/21

10/20-01/20

09/22-11/18

11/03-02/03

11/23-02/03

12/22-01/27

09/15-11/11

09/15-10/21

2013

10/05-12/01

11/06-01/02

-

09/28-11/24

09/07-09/29

10/31-01/31

09/14-11/10

10/19-01/19

09/28-11/24

11/02/-02/02

11/22-02/02

12/21-01/26

09/14-11/10

09/14-10/20

2014

10/04-11/30

11/05-01/01

-

10/04-11/30

09/13-10/05

10/31-01/31

09/14-11/10

10/18-01/18

09/27-11/23

11/01/-02/01

11/21-02/01

12/20-01/25

09/13-11/09

09/13-10/19

2015

10/03-11/29

11/11-01/07

-

10/03-11/29

09/12-10/04

10/31-01/31

09/19-11/15

10/24-01/24

09/26-11/22

10/31-01/31

11/20-01/31

12/19-01/24

09/19-11/15

09/12-10/18

2016

10/01-11/27

11/09-01/05

-

10/01-11/27

09/10-10/02

10/29-01/29

09/17-11/13

10/22-01/22

09/24-11/20

10/29-01/29

11/18-01/29

12/17-01/22

09/17-11/13

09/10-10/16

2017

09/30-11/26

11/08-01/04

-

09/30-11/26

09/09-10/08

10/28-01/28

09/16-11/12

10/21-01/21

09/23-11/19

10/28-01/28

11/24-01/28

12/16-01/21

09/16-11/12

09/16-10/22

2018

09/29-11/25

11/07-01/03

-

09/29-11/25

09/01-10/28

10/27/01/27

09/15-11/11

10/20-01/20

09/22-11/18

10/27-01/27

11/23-01/27

12/15-01/20

09/15-11/11

09/15-10/21

2019

10/05-12/01

11/06-01/02

-

09/28-11/24

09/01-10/27

10/26-01/26

09/14-11/10

10/26-01/26

09/28-11/24

10/26-01/26

11/22-01/26

12/14-01/19

09/14-11/10

09/14-10/20

2020

10/03-11/29

11/11-01/07

10/17-12/13

10/03-11/29

09/01-10/30

10/24-01/24

09/19-11/15

10/24-01/24

09/26-11/22

10/31-01/31

11/27-01/31

12/19-01/24

09/12-11/08

09/19-10/25

2021

10/02-11/28

11/10-01/06

10/16-12/12

10/02-11/28

09/01-10/30

10/30-01/30

09/18-11/14

10/23-01/23

09/25-11/21

10/30-01/30

11/26-01/30

12/18/01/23

09/11-11/07

09/18-10/24

2022

10/01-11/27

11/09-01/05

10/15-12/11

10/01-11/27

09/01-10/30

10/29-01/29

09/17-11/13

10/22-01/22

09/24-11/20

10/29-01/29

11/25-01/29

12/17-01/22

09/10-11/06

09/17-10/23

KS

1

Central Zone: East of the West Zone Boundary to the line of OK/KS state line headed north on I-35 to I-135, I-70 to US 81 to the NE state line.

KS

2

West Zone: KS/NE State Line south along US 283, KS road 24, KS -18 to US 183 to KS - 1 to the KS/OK state line.

MT¹ Central Flyway portion of MT, except that area south of I-90 and west of the Bighorn River and Sheridan Co.

MT² Sheridan County, MT.

38

Table 5A. Estimated retrieved harvests of Mid-Continent sandhill cranes in the Central Flyway states, and states outside the Central Flyway (AZ,

NM, AK, MN)

.

Year

CO

KS

MT

NM

ND

OK

SD

TX

WY

Central

Flyway

AZ

d

NM

d

AK

b,c

MN

e

Outside

Total

U.S.

Total

1975

91

16

911

2,122

142

86

6,123

6

9,497

1,094

10,591

1976

106

29

858

52

200

12

6,122

14

7,393

637

8,030

1977

39

18

1,456

4,078

410

47

6,094

9

12,151

471

12,622

1978

106

36

1,089

2,777

389

19

5,720

10

10,146

239

10,385

1979

129

14

1,170

2,733

397

19

5,917

0

10,379

517

10,896

1980

68

16

1,019

2,245

363

130

6,305

6

10,152

809

10,961

1981

92

11

907

2,395

397

78

6,245

9

10,134

20

383

403

10,537

1982

49

21

335

2,469

535

212

4,295

0

7,916

62

1,160

1,222

9,138

1983

70

28

354

6,471

373

177

5,471

15

12,959

17

1,540

1,557

14,516

1984

85

15

414

4,367

433

139

5,811

7

11,271

23

1,986

2,009

13,280

1985

82

7

334

4,650

416

101

7,184

2

12,776

48

1,197

1,245

14,021

1986

33

1

250

6,563

392

99

5,149

0

12,487

108

184

539

831

13,318

1987

86

15

159

5,334

957

99

6,117

3

12,770

127

318

836

1,281

14,051

1988

68

18

372

3,815

1,061

100

7,330

8

12,772

172

127

1,241

1,540

14,312

1989

25

33

319

4,656

1,003

194

7,400

9

13,639

126

138

545

809

14,448

1990

87

44

377

6,804

698

165

9,865

1

18,041

114

259

918

1,291

19,332

1991

224

31

593

4,580

604

128

6,916

3

13,079

172

235

677

1,084

14,163

1992

84

103

505

4,654

478

141

6,455

13

12,433

139

54

640

833

13,266

1993

112

602

95

506

6,985

826

110

8,769

0

18,005

113

178

201

492

18,497

1994

143

767

56

357

6,235

1,167

239

7,233

4

16,201

86

153

648

887

17,088

1995

208

990

156

673

7,017

1,091

170

10,322

1

20,628

124

111

812

1,047

21,675

1996

91

933

58

332

6,639

1,066

166

7,816

10

17,111

114

78

1,205

1,397

18,508

1997

168

1,167

45

248

6,545

600

189

10,800

4

19,766

171

45

870

1,086

20,852

1998

64

1,362

17

258

7,967

645

454

9,054

10

19,831

114

55

1,042

1,211

21,042

1999

56

1,275

29

321

5,748

879

184

8,469

8

16,969

92

101

NA*

193

17,162

2000

363

590

15

311

5,081

552

374

8,208

10

15,504

166

100

985

1,251

16,755

2001

257

1,033

43

297

5,173

713

478

6,999

7

15,000

154

106

936

1,196

16,196

2002

294

1,067

23

342

2,852

490

160

7,837

22

13,087

197

92

844

1,133

14,220

a

Preliminary

b

A proportion of the Alaskan harvest is composed of lesser sandhill cranes from the Pacific Coast Population

c

Harvest data are from state harvest surveys for only the MCP portion of the state, except in 1977-81, 1986, 1991, and 1998-99 where

federal MQS state totals are prorated by the long-term percent MC cranes; data from 2000 forward are MC portion from HIP.

d

The MC harvest for AZ and NM represents MC sandhill cranes that were harvested in RMP areas and are not represented in the CF MC sandhill Crane Federal Harvest Survey

e

Minnesota initiated a hunt in the NW portion of state.

g

HIP sample frame from state was incomplete, so no estimate was calculated.

* No estimate is available.

39

Table 5A (continued)

Year

CO

KS

MT

NM

ND

OK

SD

TX

WY

Central

Flyway

AZ

d

NM

d

AK

b,c

MN

e

Outside

Total

U.S.

Total

2003

a

230

942

49

617

4,564

200

166

11,560

7

18,335

155

162

331

648

18,983

2004

a

92

856

54

350

3,967

441

67

8,715

4

14,546

192

167

435

794

15,340

2005

a

265

471

65

578

3,721

511

190

12,446

16

18,263

227

175

388

790

19,053

2006

a

96

1,341

12

682

3,906

538

202

10,834

20

17,631

201

245

314

760

18,391

2007

a

149

516

51

427

4,501

272

163

12,511

20

18,610

268

331

596

1,195

19,805

2008

a

32

453

73

483

4,179

493

83

17,169

24

22,989

138

329

1,249

1,716

24,705

2009

a

58

447

34

584

4,436

737

96

8,882

8

15,282

305

332

245

882

16,164

2010

a

115

293

95

432

4,752

940

91

12,069

25

18,812

253

421

1,204

830

2,708

21,520

2011

a

68

908

51

297

3,733

808

64

8,493

20

14,442

151

367

335

765

1,618

16,060

2012

a

77

437

30

388

3,019

401

185

10,309

41

14,887

300

341

1,360

407

2,408

17,295

2013

a

47

771

77

326

4,137

1,085

109

14,991

41

21,584

138

161

930

378

1,607

23,191

2014

a

41

176

114

269

2,924

390

85

11,740

37

15,776

151

123

1,123

247

1,644

17,420

2015

a

98

1,005

91

267

2,133

302

---

f

8,283

28

12,207

311

132

---

g

212

655

12,862

2016

a

102

873

111

660

2,507

538

183

18,196

83

23,253

292

404

1,036

287

2,019

25,272

2017

a

280

1,440

85

641

3,466

559

165

19,559

263

26,458

435

399

793

196

1,823

28,281

2018

a

102

1,127

73

701

3,424

718

119

22,526

33

28,823

587

284

705

129

1,705

30,528

2019

a

131

1,160

82

1,326

1,764

---

43

29,607

82

34,195

187

264

659

179

1,289

35,484

2020

a

229

1,718

95

1,520

2,998

8,974

146

55,871

182

71,733

651

671

1,409

472

3,203

74,936

2021

a

212

2,012

339

1,336

4,470

7,791

109

43,217

79

59,565

722

345

1,577

563

3,207

62,772

2022

a

371

631

237

1,721

3,465

3,164

75

45,419

233

55,316

736

269

794

863

2,662

57,978

a

Preliminary

b

A proportion of the Alaskan harvest is composed of lesser sandhill cranes from the Pacific Coast Population

c

Harvest data are from state harvest surveys for only the MCP portion of the state, except in 1977-81, 1986, 1991, and 1998-99 where

federal MQS state totals are prorated by the long-term percent MC cranes; data from 2000 forward are MC portion from HIP.

d

The MC harvest for AZ and NM represents MC sandhill cranes that were harvested in RMP areas and are not represented in the CF MC sandhill Crane Federal Harvest Survey

e

Minnesota initiated a hunt in the NW portion of state.

f

All hunters put in stratum "did not hunt" or "no" in state HIP sample frame, so no estimate is available.

g

HIP sample frame from state was incomplete, so no estimate was calculated.

* No estimate is available.

40

Table 5B. Decadal and long-term annual averages of harvest of active Mid-Continent sandhill cranes in the Central Flyway states (CO, KS, MT, NM,

ND, OK, SD, TX, and WY), states outside the Central Flyway (AZ, NM, AK, MN).

Years

CO

KS

MT

NM

ND

OK

SD

TX

WY

Central

Flyway

Total

AZ

d

NM

d

AK

b,c

MN

e

Outside

Total

U.S.

Total

1975-79

94

23

1,097

2,352

308

37

5,995

8

9,913

592

10,505

1980-89

66

17

446

4,297

593

133

6,131

6

11,688

78

192

1,024

1,171

12,858

1990-99

124

1,014

63

417

6,317

805

195

8,570

5

17,206

124

127

779

952

18,159

2000-09

184

772

42

467

4,238

495

198

10,516

14

16,925

200

204

632

1,037

17,961

2010-19

106

819

81

531

3,186

638

116

15,577

65

21,044

281

290

905

389

1,748

22,791

2020-21

271

1,454

224

1,526

3,644

6,643

110

48,169

165

62,492

703

428

1,260

633

3,024

65,516

1975-2021

127

912

59

597

4,231

982

145

12,134

30

18,868

211

223

836

425

1,273

20,141

41

Table 6. Estimated retrieved harvests of Mid-Continent sandhill cranes in Canada.

Year

AB

MB

SK

Total

1971

0

228

2,715

2,943

1972

0

113

2,030

2,143

1973

0

683

3,592

4,275

1974

0

58

6,641

6,699

1975

0

162

5,744

5,906

1976

0

868

1,767

2,635

1977

0

856

510

1,366

1978

0

1,111

421

1,532

1979

0

1,113

765

1,878

1980

0

1,412

5,688

7,100

1981

0

1,317

4,746

6,063

1982

0

1,191

3,794

4,985

1983

0

1,205

5,012

6,217

1984

0

1,210

5,197

6,407

1985

0

1,268

6,805

8,073

1986

0

1,577

8,463

10,040

1987

0

1,812

6,135

7,947

1988

0

1,698

5,394

7,092

1989

0

2,268

4,321

6,589

1990

0

1,848

5,351

7,199

1991

0

1,513

5,420

6,933

1992

0

1,476

5,242

6,718

1993

0

1,086

4,137

5,223

1994

0

1,224

4,925

6,149

1995

0

1,287

7,072

8,359

1996

0

1,519

6,058

7,577

1997

0

1,481

7,075

8,556

1998

0

1,557

8,640

10,197

1999

0

1,504

7,580

9,084

2000

0

1,473

9,082

10,555

2001

0

1,861

8,132

9,993

2002

0

2,043

7,105

9,148

2003

0

2,333

7,810

10,143

2004

0

2,595

8,951

11,546

2005

0

3,239

8,897

12,136

2006

0

3,549

8,366

11,915

2007

0

3,364

8,514

11,878

2008

0

2,862

8,959

11,821

2009

0

2,454

5,758

8,212

2010

0

2,659

8,021

10,680

2011

0

3,271

9,939

13,210

2012

0

3,294

8,746

12,040

2013

0

3,472

9,860

13,332

2014

0

3,629

11,782

15,411

2015

0

3,655

10,804

14,459

2016

0

3,739

10,499

14,238

2017

0

2,905

12,456

15,361

2018

0

3,120

11,210

14,330

2019

0

2,671

13,100

15,771

2020

969

2,065

5,233

7,298

2021

959

2,229

9,850

12,079

2022

a

Estimates not available at the time the status report was completed.

42

Table 7A. Annual sport hunting mortality estimates for the Mid-Continent Population of sandhill cranes in

North America.

Year

Central

Flyway

Other Survey

Area Total

Canada

Mexico

b

Unretrieved

No. America

c

Total

1975

9,497

1,094

5,906

1,650

3,615

21,762

1976

7,393

637

2,635

1,067

2,252

13,983

1977

12,151

471

1,366

1,399

2,660

18,047

1978

10,146

239

1,532

1,192

2,453

15,561

1979

10,379

517

1,878

1,277

2,384

16,436

1980

10,152

809

7,100

1,806

3,683

23,550

1981

10,134

403

6,063

1,660

3,405

21,665

1982

7,916

1,222

4,985

1,412

2,924

18,459

1983

12,959

1,557

6,217

2,073

4,189

26,996

1984

11,271

2,009

6,407

1,969

3,967

25,623

1985

12,776

1,245

8,073

2,209

4,165

28,469

1986

12,487

831

10,040

2,336

4,511

30,205

1987

12,770

1,281

7,947

2,200

3,996

28,193

1988

12,772

1,540

7,092

2,140

3,782

27,327

1989

13,639

809

6,589

2,104

3,981

27,122

1990

18,041

1,291

7,199

2,653

4,748

33,932

1991

13,079

1,084

6,933

2,110

3,793

26,999

1992

12,433

833

6,718

1,998

3,369

25,351

1993

18,005

492

5,223

2,372

3,869

29,961

1994

16,201

887

6,149

2,324

3,548

29,109

1995

20,628

1,047

8,359

3,003

4,718

37,755

1996

17,111

1,397

7,577

2,609

4,328

33,021

1997

19,766

1,086

8,556

2,941

4,796

37,144

1998

19,831

1,211

10,197

3,124

5,048

39,411

1999

16,969

193

4

9,084

2,625

4,097

32,968

2000

15,504

1,251

10,555

2,731

4,336

34,377

2001

15,000

1,196

9,993

2,619

4,279

33,086

2002

13,087

1,133

9,148

2,337

3,711

29,415

2003

a

18,335

648

10,143

2,913

4,369

36,407

2004

a

14,546

794

11,546

2,689

4,277

33,851

2005

a

18,263

790

12,136

3,119

5,009

39,317

2006

a

17,631

760

11,915

3,031

5,193

38,530

2007

a

18,610

1,195

11,878

3,168

4,924

39,776

2008

a

22,989

1,716

11,821

3,653

4,956

45,135

2009

a

15,282

882

8,212

2,438

3,990

30,804

2010

a

18,812

2,708

10,680

3,220

5,137

40,557

2011

a

14,442

1,618

13,210

2,927

4,617

36,814

2012

a

14,887

2,408

12,040

2,934

4,936

37,205

2013

a

21,584

1,607

13,332

3,652

4,947

45,123

2014

a

15,776

1,644

15,411

3,283

5,093

41,207

2015

a,e

12,207

655

14,459

2,732

4,500

34,553

2016

a

23,253

2,019

14,238

3,951

5,062

48,523

2017

a

26,458

1,823

15,361

4,364

5,950

53,956

2018

a

28,823

1,705

14,330

4,486

5,498

54,842

2019

a

34,195

1,289

15,771

5,126

5,971

62,352

2020

a

71,733

3,203

7,298

8,223

6,890

97,347

2021

a

59,565

3,207

12,079

7,485

6,995

89,331

2022

a,f

56,178

2,662

a

Preliminary

b

Unknown harvests (Mexico) were assumed to be 10% of harvests in the U.S. and Canada.

c

Unretrieved kill as reported by hunters is used for the Central Flyway; for the remainder of harvest areas, it is assumed to be

20% of retrieved harvests.

d

There is no estimate available for AK in that year.

e

Estimates (except Canada) biased low because of HIP sampling issues that led to estimates of zero harvest in SD and AK.

f

Estimates for Canada, Mexico, North America, and Total not calculated because data for Canada was not available.

43

Table 7B. Decadal and long-term annual averages of annual sport hunting mortality estimates for the

Mid-Continent Population of sandhill cranes in North America.

Year

Central

Flyway

Other Survey

Area Total

Canada

Mexico

Unretrieved

No. America

Total

1975-79

9,913

592

2,663

1,317

2,673

17,158

1980-89

11,688

1,171

7,051

1,991

3,860

25,761

1990-99

17,206

1,036

7,600

2,576

4,231

32,565

2000-09

16,925

1,037

10,735

2,870

4,504

36,070

2010-19

21,044

1,748

13,883

3,667

5,171

45,513

2020-22

62,492

3,024

1975-2022

18,868

1,296

9,051

2,837

4,360

35,565

Table 8. Spring population indices for Rocky Mountain sandhill cranes in the San Luis Valley, Colorado,

1984-96.

Year

Raw

Count

Adjusted for

Estimation

Bias

a

Adjusted by

Removal of

Lesser sandhill

Cranes

b

Other

Areas

Index

Survey

Condition

1984

10,962

14,488

13,562

550

14,112

POOR

1985

18,393

21,773

20,382

0

20,382

GOOD

1986

14,031

13,135

20

13,155

POOR

1987

13,561

15,661

14,660

0

14,660

POOR

1988

17,510

16,381

22

16,403

POOR

1989

17,302

18,389

17,004

0

17,004

GOOD

1990

20,851

24,593

21,221

275

21,496

GOOD

1991

19,990

18,405

16,045

175

16,220

GOOD

1992

23,516

19,999

9

20,008

GROUND

1993

17,576

16,478

1,260

17,738

POOR

1994

17,229

16,036

15,063

203

15,266

FAIR

1995

25,276

23,390

20,229

0

20,229

GOOD

1996

23,019

26,379

22,737

1,010

23,747

GOOD

a

Raw estimate adjusted by photography for estimation bias.

b

Population estimate adjusted to remove the number of lesser sandhill cranes (non-RMP cranes).

44

Table 9. Fall pre-migration population indices for Rocky Mountain sandhill cranes.

Year

UT

CO

ID

WY

MT

TOTAL

3-Year AVG

1987

1,578

1,443

10,686

2,327

1,447

17,481

1992

2,810

3,181

5,801

2,248

5,264

19,304

1995

1,528

2,284

6,864

1,671

3,681

16,028

1996

1,849

1,255

8,334

2,526

2,974

16,938

1997

a,b

2,450

1,604

8,132

2,255

3,595

18,036

17,001

1998

2,185

1,273

8,067

3,162

3,415

18,102

17,692

1999

2,292

1,102

8,761

4,205

3,141

19,501

18,546

2000

2,416

749

9,337

3,890

3,598

19,990

19,198

2001

1,522

666

7,160

2,626

4,585

16,559

18,683

2002

1,869

1,355

7,698

3,038

4,843

18,803

18,451

2003

2,546

745

7,822

3,446

4,964

19,523

18,295

2004

2,239

1,410

7,152

3,072

4,637

18,510

18,945

2005

2,646

1,052

7,668

3,911

5,588

20,865

19,633

2006

c

NS

19,633

2007

d

2,401

1,743

8,262

3,907

6,509

22,822

20,732

2008

e

3,708

1,080

6,123

3,826

6,419

21,156

21,614

2009

2,283

1,162

6,934

3,613

6,329

20,321

21,433

2010

3,242

985

5,776

3,726

7,335

21,064

20,847

2011

1,498

1,347

5,029

2,978

6,642

17,494

19,626

2012

2,109

413

3,432

3,587

5,876

15,417

17,992

2013

2,732

1,594

5,228

3,588

7,218

20,360

17,757

2014

2,783

1,258

6,064

3,008

6,555

19,668

18,482

2015

3,698

1,089

6,454

3,596

9,493

24,330

21,453

2016

f

3,298

1,135

5,445

4,879

7,507

22,264

22,087

2017

2,994

1,658

4,066

3,725

7,149

19,592

22,062

2018

2,770

1,908

4,469

5,101

7,553

21,801

21,219

2019

3,106

1,879

4,428

4,366

7,511

21,290

20,894

2020

3,222

1,446

5,096

6,608

9,264

25,636

22,909

2021

3,889

3,141

3,091

6,059

7,783

23,963

23,630

2022

2,330

1,526

3,957

3,975

6,844

18,632

22,744

a

Incomplete survey efforts in years prior might have resulted in lower estimates; the official count begins in 1997.

b

In October 1997, a special survey was also conducted in the SLV, Colorado and other areas, which resulted in a total

of 27,090 Rocky Mountain and Mid-Continent cranes being counted.

c

In 2006, the survey was not conducted due to mechanical issues with the survey plane. The 3-yr Avg for 2006 is calculated using

2003-05.

d

The 3-yr average for 2007 was calculated using 2004, 2005, and 2007 because there was no survey in 2006.

e

The 3-yr average for 2008 was calculated using 2005, 2007, and 2008 because there was no survey in 2006.

f

Beginning 1n 2016 Wyoming added six new survey areas as allowed in the management plan.

45

Table 10A. Estimated retrieved harvests of the Rocky Mountain Population of sandhill cranes.

Year

UT

NM

AZ

WY

MT

ID

Total

1981

20

1982

9

143

152

1983

35

154

189

1984

33

101

134

1985

40

138

178

1986

23

195

218

1987

60

190

250

1988

310

40

128

478

1989

54

483

51

125

713

1990

35

79

9

58

181

1991

48

47

44

101

240

1992

0

147

39

168

42

396

1993

28

297

61

115

45

546

1994

34

416

27

150

40

667

1995

27

270

33

77

41

448

1996

32

236

27

84

49

20

448

1997

30

114

22

82

62

136

446

1998

34

180

37

93

59

135

538

1999

54

198

21

124

71

190

658

a

2000

69

257

37

163

91

193

810

b

2001

77

288

26

142

87

278

898

2002

60

164

42

132

51

194

643

2003

57

169

34

72

50

146

528

2004

53

189

35

124

51

142

594

2005

62

236

50

116

49

189

702

2006

87

327

10

194

54

235

907

2007

103

276

43

138

73

187

820

2008

101

379

24

162

85

185

936

2009

149

603

67

195

124

254

1,392

2010

190

547

56

182

108

253

1,336

2011

c

149

522

37

166

90

293

1,257

2012

c

91

417

85

134

129

275

1,131

2013

c

95

241

38

74

94

135

677

2014

73

183

20

94

121

134

625

2015

86

145

67

104

137

166

705

2016

72

453

74

158

140

258

1,155

2017

189

395

68

193

150

198

1,193

2018

203

623

102

189

154

253

1,524

2019

130

456

38

141

179

166

1,110

2020

137

160

61

114

151

172

795

2021

200

572

63

194

129

277

1,435

2022

223

656

69

227

138

273

1,586

a

RMP sandhill cranes (40) were also taken as part of research project in the San Luis Valley, CO

b

RMP sandfill cranes (20) were also taken as part of research project in the San Luis Valley, CO

c

Harvest includes crippling loss.

46

Table 10B. Decadal and long-term annual averages of retrieved harvests of the Rocky Mountain

Population of sandhill cranes.

Years

UT

NM

AZ

WY

MT

ID

Total

1981-89

397

35

147

259

1990-99

32

198

32

105

51

120

434

2000-09

82

289

37

144

72

200

824

2010-19

128

398

59

144

130

213

1,071

2020-22

187

463

64

178

139

241

1,272

1981-2022

89

315

42

137

92

198

705

Table 11. Winter counts of Lower Colorado River Valley Population of sandhill cranes in Arizona and

California.

Year

Cibola

National

Wildlife

Refuge

Colorado River

Indian Tribe

Salton Sea

National

Wildlife

Refuge

Gila

River

Total

3-Year AVG

1998

775

596

351

178

1,900

1999

1,200

511

325

163

2,199

2000

820

1,259

235

252

2,566

2,222

2001

961

952

350

134

2,397

2,387

2002

1,003

168

417

52

1,640

2,201

2003

1,200

455

430

0

2,085

2,041

2004

1,341

354

521

312

2,528

2,084

2005

1,513

457

476

191

2,637

2,417

2006

1,141

673

493

360

2,667

2,611

2007

2,322

809

295

450

3,876

3,060

2008

a

115

NS

687

413

1,215

3,060

2009

b

289

1,216

603

293

2,401

2,981

2010

c

266

729

904

365

2,264

2,847

2011

553

636

899

327

2,415

2,360

2012

1,097

474

924

151

2,646

2,442

2013

1,629

344

671

434

3,078

2,713

2014

1,981

591

641

140

3,353

3,026

2015

676

720

688

452

2,536

2,989

2016

631

862

292

2,416

2,768

2017

940

636

819

321

2,716

2,556

2018

1,076

330

775

215

2,396

2,509

2019

1,171

192

1,062

497

2,922

2,678

2020

1,497

20

1,105

319

2,941

2,753

2021

4,812

0

954

117

5,883

3,915

2022

941

1,248

1,226

372

3,787

4,204

2023

864

2186

1532

137

4,719

4,796

NS = No survey was conducted.

a

In 2008, the survey was not complete. The 3-YR average for that year was calculated using 2005-07.

b

In 2009, the 3-YR average was calculated with 2006, 2007 and 2009 due to an incomplete survey in 2008.

c

In 2010, the 3-YR average was calculated with 2007, 2009, and 2010 due to an incomplete survey in 2008.

47

Table 12. Fall abundance index for Eastern Population of sandhill cranes.

Year

Abundance

3-YR Average

1979

14,385

1980

15,808

1981

11,943

14,045

1982

13,879

13,877

1983

16,148

13,990

1984

16,363

15,463

1985

16,170

16,227

1986

17,043

16,525

1987

22,342

18,518

1988

26,086

21,824

1989

22,785

23,738

1990

23,792

24,221

1991

24,685

23,754

1992

26,656

25,044

1993

26,187

25,843

1994

26,783

26,542

1995

33,774

28,915

1996

29,753

30,103

1997

27,641

30,389

1998

37,827

31,740

1999

33,583

33,017

2000

33,105

34,838

2001

a

NS

34,838

2002

b

31,575

32,754

2003

c

29,300

31,327

2004

28,822

29,899

2005

37,708

31,943

2006

37,529

34,686

2007

37,943

37,727

2008

44,110

39,861

2009

60,028

47,360

2010

49,647

51,262

2011

76,028

61,901

2012

86,989

70,888

2013

64,213

75,743

2014

82,694

77,965

2015

94,676

80,528

2016

70,858

82,743

2017

69,989

78,508

2018

97,073

79,307

2019

89,504

85,522

2020

94,961

93,846

2021

d

90,029

91,498

2022

107,164

97,385

NS = No survey conducted

a

In 2001, the survey was not conducted. The 3-YR average for that year was calculated using data from 1998-2000.

b

In 2002, the 3-YR average was calculated with 1999, 2000 and 2002 since the survey was not conducted in 2001.

c

In 2003, the 3-YR average was calculated with 2000, 2002 and 2003 since the survey was not conducted in 2001.

d

Illinois and Maryland began participating in the survey in 2021.

48

Table 13. Season dates (month/day) for the hunting of Eastern Population sandhill cranes.

Year

Kentucky

Tennessee

Alabama

2011

12/17-01/15

No Season

2012

12/15-01/13

No Season

2013

12/14-01/12

11/28-01/01

No Season

2014

12/13-01/11

11/22-11/23; 11/29-01/01

No Season

2015

12/12-01/10

11/28-11/29; 12/05-01/01

No Season

2016

12/17-01/15

12/03-01/12; 01-16-01/29

No Season

2017

12/16-01/14

12/02-01/28

a

No Season

2018

12/03-01/27

12/01-01/27

b

No Season

2019

12/02-01/26

12/07-01/27

c

12/03-01/05; 01/16-01/31

2020

12/07-01/31

12/05-01/31

d

12/04-01/03; 01/11-01/31

2021

12/07-01/31

12/04-01/30

d

12/02-01/09; 01/17-01/31

2022

12/07-01/31

12/03-01/31

d

12/03-01/08; 01/16-01/31

a In the Southeast Zone, the season was closed from 01/12-01/14.

b In the Southeast Zone, the season was closed from 01/18-01/20.

c In the Southeast Zone, the season was closed from 01/17-01/19.

4 In the Southeast Zone, the season was closed from 01/15-01/17.

e In the Southeast Zone, the season was closed from 01/14-01/16.

Table 14. Estimated harvest and number of permits sold for Eastern Population sandhill cranes.

Year

KY

Harvest

KY Tags

Issued

a

TN

Harvest

TN Tags

Issued

a

AL

Harvest

AL Tags

Issued

a

Total

Harvest

Total

Permits

Issued

2011

50

534

No Season

50

534

2012

92

570

No Season

92

570

2013

87

570

350

1,200

No Season

437

1,770

2014

96

704

393

1,200

No Season

489

1,904

2015

75

694

161

1,200

No Season

236

1,894

2016

171

672

586

1,200

No Season

757

1,872

2017

119

660

830

2,319

No Season

949

2,979

2018

60

1,432

555

2,711

No Season

615

4,143

2019

96

1,237

746

2,958

291

1,200

1,133

5,395

2020

65

1,035

630

2,700

391

1,200

1,086

4,935

2021

117

1,029

484

2,500

234

1,200

835

4,729

2022

180

1,148

640

2,500

265

1,200

1,085

4,848

Average

101

857

538

1,999

295

1,200

607

2,793

a

Each tag allows a hunter to take one crane.

49

Figure 1. Primary wintering and breeding range and the approximate migration corridor of Mid-

Continent sandhill cranes (based on figures in Tacha et al. 1994, Krapu et al. 2011).

50

Figure 2. Approximate range of the Rocky Mountain Population of Greater sandhill Cranes

(Tacha et al. 1994, Drewien et al. 1996).

51

Figure 3. Approximate range of the Lower Colorado River Valley Population of Greater sandhill

Cranes (based on Pacific Flyway Council [1995] and recent satellite telemetry information [D.

Collins and K. Kruse, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, unpublished data]).

52

Figure 4. Approximate range of Eastern Population sandhill cranes based on various data

sources including satellite telemetry data, breeding bird atlas records, and unpublished location

information from knowledgeable individuals.

53

Figure 5. Areas open to the hunting of Mid-continent sandhill cranes by Federal frameworks in

the Central Flyway states, 2021-22.

54

Figure 6. Spring population indices for Mid-Continent sandhill cranes on the Central Platte River

Valley, Nebraska. Survey was not conducted in 2020.

Figure 7. Photo-corrected spring population estimates (solid line) and the 95% confidence

intervals (dashed lines) for Mid-Continent sandhill cranes on the Central Platte River Valley,

Nebraska. The survey was not conducted in 2020.

55

Figure 8. Annual and three-year average photo-corrected ocular transect spring population

indices and population objective thresholds for Mid-Continent sandhill cranes.

Figure 9. Active Mid-Continent sandhill crane hunters in the U.S. portion of the Central Flyway.

56

Figure 10. Crippling-loss rate (number lost/[number retrieved + lost]) of Mid-Continent sandhill

cranes in the U.S. portion of the Central Flyway.

Figure 11. Average number of hunting days afield reported by active Mid-Continent sandhill

crane hunters in the U.S. portion of the Central Flyway.

57

Figure 12. Seasonal bag per Mid-Continent sandhill crane hunter in the U.S. portion of the

Central Flyway.

Figure 13. Estimated hunting mortality (retrieved plus unretrieved) of Mid-Continent sandhill

cranes in the U.S. portion of the Central Flyway.

58

Figure 14. Estimated hunting mortality (retrieved plus unretrieved) of Mid-Continent sandhill

cranes in North America. Data unavailable for Canada and Mexico for 2022.

Figure 15. Relationship between indices of abundance and harvest of Mid-Continent sandhill

cranes. Data unavailable for Canada and Mexico for 2022.

59

Figure 16. Estimated harvest of Rocky Mountain Population sandhill cranes.

Figure 17. Abundance indices for the Rocky Mountain Population of sandhill cranes.

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Figure 18. Annual and three-year average of fall pre-migration abundance indices for the Rocky

Mountain Population of sandhill cranes.

Figure 19. Annual indices for recruitment (% juveniles) of the Rocky Mountain Population of

sandhill cranes. Solid line indicates the long-term (1972-2021) average of 8.2.

61

Figure 20. Annual and three-year average of winter counts of the Lower Colorado River Valley

Population of sandhill cranes in Arizona and California.

Figure 21. Annual and three-year average of fall counts of the Eastern Population of sandhill

cranes.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Division of Migratory Bird Management

Branch of A

ssessment

and Decision Support

11510 American Holly Drive

Laurel, Maryland

20708-4002

http://www.fws.gov

August

2023

For State Transfer Relay Service: TTY/ Voice: 711