3 Whoopers shot in GA

[JABIII]

How much stupider can people get?

$12.5K Reward Offered For Information In Crane Deaths


Posted: 2:56 pm EST January 12, 2011Updated: 3:36 pm EST January 12, 2011

ATLANTA -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a $12,500 reward for information on the shooting deaths of endangered whooping cranes.


Wildlife authorities were investigating the deaths of three whooping cranes after they were found by hunters in Calhoun County, just west of Albany on Dec. 30. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokesman Tom MacKenzie said the deaths were considered suspicious because the birds were found together.


After preliminary testing, wildlife scientists concluded that the cranes suffered injuries consistent with gunshot wounds.


The cranes were released last October in Wisconsin as part of a program to reintroduce the birds to the eastern United States. They had special bands and were equipped with transmitters.


According to Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership trackers, they had last been tracked in Hamilton County, Tenn., where they roosted Dec.10 with three other cranes.


According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, there are about 570 whooping cranes left in the world, 400 in the wild. About 100 cranes are in the eastern migratory population.



U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agents are leading a joint investigation with Georgia Department of Natural Resources conservation rangers.

Copyright 2011 by WSBTV.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[Lowcountry Boy]

Probably misidentified as Sandhills.

[fro]

yikes! Feel sorry for the Albany neck(s) that shot them when the black, tinted suburbans pull up in their yard…

[JABIII]

Yep. I imagine that the Federal presence in Alabany has ratcheted up a few notches lately and, when caught, they will be treated to a legal asskicking that they could not have believed possible...

This Southeastern Whooping Crane experiment has already gotten the shit kicked out of it from Mother nature, it will be a miracle if it ever takes root...

[Glenn]

Somebody will rat them out.

I'd check facebook for pictures of the culprits flipping the cranes off.

[GobblerHntr]

Now this is something to be concerned with! I hope they bust their ASS!

[HARDCOREFOWLER]

They were probably after the bands. We saw several in tx on the coast and they stand about 6ft tall. No way they mistook them for sandhills.If i had known that there were only 570 left in the world i would have taken pics. Those are the kind of idiots that will ruin hunting for everyone! just my 2cents.

[Silver Pigeon]

Any chance somebody needed a few birds to keep their streak alive?

[TXFowler]

I bet it was Jeff Foiles!!!!!

[TXFowler]

Probably misidentified as Sandhills.

That would be like misidentifying a snow goose for a canada..........

[Tater]

The fools that did this wouldn't know a sandhill if it was picking lint outta their belly buttons....

[Lowcountry Boy]

That would be like misidentifying a snow goose for a canada..........

Twas sarcasm. I don't think Sandhills are legal there either are they?

[sprigdog]

When i was a youngster living in New Mexico, there was a 1 FULL day class on being able to identify a whooping crane from a snow goose. Yes, 1 day's worth.

We had to have the class so we could hunt the Bosque Del Apache NWR for snow geese. Even my 16 year old ass was giggling thinking how in the hell a snow can become confused with a whooper.

Cool birds, we used to get a huge migration of Sandhills down the Rio Grande valley. Be sitting inside watching TV and here them at 10000'. Couple times a year i'd see the single big white bugger mixed into a flock.