STUDY OF EXPERIMENTAL SANDHILL CRANE HUNTING SEASON 
IN NEW MEXICO DURING JANUARY 1961 
Introduction 
This report presents the results of a cooperative study of the 
first sandhill crane hunting season permitted since the Migratory Bird 
Treaty between Great Britain and the United States was ratified in 1916. 
Background information contained in the report was taken from various 
sources, chief of which were the monograph of the sandhill crane by 
Walkinshaw (1949) and administrative reports of the Bureau of Sport 
Fisheries and Wildlife. Hunting season data were accumulated by person- 
nel of the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and the following 
units of the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife: 
(a) Denver Wildlife Research Center 
(b) Southwest Region - Albuquerque, New Mexico - 
Branches of Management and Enforcement and 
Wildlife Refuges 
(c) Bird and Mammal Laboratories, Washington, D.C. 
In addition to the above, representatives of the National Audubon 
Society and the Wildlife Management Institute took part in portions of 
the’ census work, and many hunters contributed to the kill data by per- 
mitting cranes they had bagged to be weighed, measured, and otherwise 
‘studied. 
History and Background 
The sandhill crane is defined by the Migratory Bird Treaties as 
a "migratory game bird." Despite this fact, prior to 1960 no open 
season had been permitted on this species since the migratory bird laws 
went into effect. This was primarily due to the prevailing idea that 
the species could not stand a harvest. This attitude was based largely 
on the knowledge that certain of the races of this species - the Florida 
and greater sandhill cranes - were relatively scarce, although the 
lesser sandhill crane was known to be very numerous. A lack of knowledge 
of the migrations and winter distribution of these races led to concern 
that the rarer populations might be endangered by legalizing hunting in 
any area where these birds occurred. 
