I would suggest you go with lead if you are not doing any waterfowl hunting while crane hunting. Not joking, it is legal for cranes as they are not waterfowl. With that said, I have shot all mine with goose loads, typically Hevi-metal BB or BBB. All of mine have been shot while goose hunting so I needed the steel.
Wow, you can shoot lead? Screw hunting waterfowl if you can shoot lead at cranes. I’d give up a day of maybe shooting waterfowl while hunting cranes just to get my pecker wet with lead, like in the old days.
Although they are so big they are actually easier to bring down than geese. Their feathers are thinner than geese, no down. Their wing bones seem to be more brittle and break easier. If you are going to be hunting in Tx I would shoot steel since there could very easily a chance for geese. Those Tx GW will definitely check your shells. That being said several years ago I took my daughter on a guided crane hunt out of Lubbock. We both shot 20ga #4 lead and limited, with one of them being a greater. I have killed quite a few cranes and this was the 1st greater I ever saw. He was half again bigger than the other birds.
Neil, I shot a couple while stationed in Alaska. I would go with #2 steel. I would NOT send a dog after a cripple as their beaks are sharp. Eat the breast meat but leave the legs alone...they ain't nothing but tendons. Good luck.
Thanks everyone. Never done this before. It is part of a duck hunting trip so to keep things simple I will go with steel. I would not want to get cross with Mr. Greenjeans in a different state (much less my own!)
I've killed a couple in Canada as by products of duck/goose hunts. Like has been said the aren't built anything like a goose. If i was shooting decoying birds I'd shoot either lead 4s or steel 2s. I don't believe there is any waterfowl that can't be killed with steel 2s. Like goosenazi said shoot for the head.
