Sandhill Crane Seasons & Regulations
Last Updated: Spring 2024
Season Dates
| Season | Hunting Units | Opens | Closes | Season Dates Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandhill Crane | Regular | Unit 2 | 09/14/2024 | Tentative | |
| Sandhill Crane | Regular | Unit 1 | 09/14/2024 | Tentative |
The dates listed are tentative until the season's proclamation is signed.
License Requirements
Residents must possess the following licenses:
- Harvest Information Program registration
- Fishing, Hunting, and Furbearer Certificate
- Small Game License (Not required of residents under age 16) and General Game and Habitat License
or
Combination License (includes Small Game, General Game and Habitat, Furbearer, and Fishing licenses) - Sandhill Crane Permit
Nonresidents must possess the following licenses:
- Harvest Information Program registration
- Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate
- General Game and Habitat License
- Valid Nonresident Small Game License (good for two 7-day periods or one 14-day period) or a Valid Nonresident Waterfowl License
- Sandhill Crane Permit
Regulations
Species Specific Regulations - Unit 1
| Daily Limit | 3 |
|---|---|
| Possession Limit | 9 |
| Open Area | That portion of North Dakota west of U.S. Highway 281. |
| Shooting Hours | 30 minutes before sunrise to 2 p.m. each day through end of season. |
Species Specific Regulations - Unit 2
| Daily Limit | 2 |
|---|---|
| Possession Limit | 6 |
| Open Area | That portion of North Dakota east of U.S. Highway 281. |
| Shooting Hours | 30 minutes before sunrise to 2 p.m. each day through end of season. |
A hunter may take up to 3 cranes in one day, provided all 3 birds are taken from Unit 1, or no more than 2 birds are taken from Unit 2. Nonresident sandhill crane hunters must possess either a small game license or a waterfowl license. Nonresident sandhill crane permits are valid for use within the dates and zones of nonresident waterfowl or small game licenses selected during purchase. Sandhill cranes may be taken from a floating craft, excluding a sink box, if such a craft is beached, or fastened within or tied immediately alongside any type of fixed hunting blind, or from such craft resting at anchor.
WARNING – Know your crane species BEFORE you hunt. Endangered whooping cranes occasionally fl y with sandhill cranes. Adult whoopers are snow white and young whoopers are white with some rusty brown feathers; black wing tips show on both. If you see a whooping crane, contact a Game and Fish official or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
