Minnesota DNR seeking information on sandhill crane poached in Todd County

The Minnesota DNR’s Enforcement Division is seeking information regarding the shooting death of a nesting sandhill crane in Todd County’s Germania Township in central Minnesota, near the town of Eagle Bend.

DNR Conservation Officer Keith Bertram, of Long Prairie, reported that “the adult crane and both eggs were casualties of the shooting.”

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According to Joe Albert, communications coordinator for the Enforcement Division, the incident was reported at about 1 p.m. on May 5 by a resident who heard two gunshots, then located the dead crane lying in water near its nest.

In Minnesota, a hunting season for cranes is offered each fall in the far northwestern portion of the state. No hunting season exists, at any point in the year, in the location where the crane was shot.

Anyone with information regarding the crane poaching is encouraged to call the DNR’s TIP line (1-800-652-9093) or to share information via the MNTIP app.