Anybody hunting crows?

[BlueBeak]

Tis the season. I started doing this seriously about 12 years ago and stuck with it for one very good reason: it's almost identical to goose hunting. I made a portable blind from dog fence and old Fastgrass, bought some crow decoys, made a owl holding a crow, and bought a E-caller. We set up on a field edge after scouting for flight lines and set up before dawn. Shooting is almost guaranteed (crows are everywhere) and if your in the right spot you can burn through a couple of boxes of shells and you don't have to worry about limits. Crows are smart and you have to be on your game. Best way to fool them is with the owl decoy as the crows kind of drop their guard and attack the spread. Shooting is challenging as the crows can really change directions quickly. Give it a try, it's a blast and it helps songbird, gamebird and crop destruction. Great way to spend a morning, any day is a great day when you have a shotgun in your hands. Good luck my friends, Jim

 

[Soggy Socks]

Not yet this year but I usually hit em few times. Plus you don't have to clean them.

 

[Tailfeathers]

We shoot crows in Virginia. Mostly when goose hunting and bored. We used to go out specifically for crows for a morning's fun hunt. Use decoys ( Dick's, which I hate had crow decoys for $5.99 each) owl decoy, e caller, wood crow call and also my friend can mouth call them in like crazy. We also take a black garbage bag with stuff in it to bulk it up and stake Mc Donalds type trash to the field so they don't blow away, French fry cups, soda cups, etc. and have a crow decoy pecking at it. Last time we took a shot straight up thru the pine trees we were hiding under and a crow was shot and its body dropped down through the branches and eventually hit one of our hunters on the head. Funny as heck.

 

[BlueBeak]

We've had a few near misses as well. I can't imagine getting hit by one of those "jarts". Have to try that garbage feed set up - now that's funny. Keep after them, it is fun. - BB

 

[Out of focus]

Do the cheap Halloween crow decorations work? I might try them in the morning and see what happens. I’ve hunted crows before on a slow day hunting something else. I use an old Faulk wooden call that I carry in case the ducks don’t show. The most we ever kill is 2 or 3 then they’re gone. A lotta fun.

 

[BlueBeak]

Focus, I gotta believe those "decoys" would work, although they are kinda small. I use the same call and the e-caller at the same time and it works well. we got 24 this morning, 10 yesterday. Going through a lot of shells - using up all my old lead shot. Those crows will humble even a good shooter, tricky flyers and fast out of the decoys so the lead on them coming in will be shorter than the lead on them on the way out. We don't take it too seriously but boy is it fun. Keep after them, shoot a crow save a duck. - BB

 

[Soggy Socks]

That's my plan for Friday, over 20 is a good day on crows good job.

 

[Long Shot]

The Crow distress call always seemed to give the best results for us. Years ago I saw a bunch of crows get riled up over an old twisted up bicycle tire with white sidewalls, they must have thought it was a snake. I used to have a captive crow that I would tease with a teddy bear, that worked very well.

 

[Tailfeathers]

We also use owl decoys. You can get them at Walmart or Home Depot etc in the garden section. They sell them to scare away some type of nuisance bird, I forget.

 

[Soggy Socks]

Went out this morning, set up got a couple just as the monsoons and high winds hit. I stuck it out for a while before calling it quits. My Boondocker decoys were all blown over . If the rain and wind quits I might try it later on