Wild Saturday: Sandhills at Jasper-Pulaski

On Veteran’s Day, the kids had the day off and were helping me putter in the yard, when the unmistakeable croaking of sandhill cranes came overhead. It was a teachable moment for them. And a reminder for me.

I needed to check if it was congregating sandhills had peaked yet at Jasper-Pulaski FWA in Indiana. As the YouTube video from Nov. 2 shows, they’re there.

The numbers seem a little low for peak, but Tuesday’s count was the third straight week higher than 10,000 (10,990) The previous two weekly counts in order were 10,200 and 10,420.

I try to make a special or stop if I happen be within a half hour drive or so to view the sandhills at and around Jasper-Pulaski, and highly recommend it.

I forget what year this was shot on one of my quick stops to see the sandhills. I think I had stopped on the way back from a fishing trip or maybe it was the year I did the Crane Cruise with my oldest boy.

Crane Cruise is a fun fund-raiser for the Lions Club. It is bike rides of various lengths through loops to view the sandhills. It’s usually a Saturday in October. This year’s was held Oct. 17.

Jasper-:Pulaski is a good 1 1/2 hours from Chicago, southeast of Valparaiso. For the basics of sandhills at Jasper-Pulaski, go to http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3109.htm