Crows
01-05-2008, 09:58 AM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 314
Crows
Do any of you guys hunt crows? I love a good crow shoot, but I have never heard anyone talking about it on here. If any if you have any experience with crows, I would like your opinion on a couple of things:
1. Do you prefer hunting them over a field or in timber?
2. Do you prefer an electronic call, a mouth call, or a combination?
3. Do you prefer fight style calls, rally calls, or a combination?
I generally hunt them from a blind in a field. I use an electronic caller for the primary attractant with fight style calls, butI use a mouth call close in. I keep the mouth calling to growls and soft, barking"caws". I use an owl decoy placed on a post 20 yards from the blind and 6 or so crow decoys hung in the branches of a tree 40 yards away, opposite my blind/calling location. We generally shoot the daylights out of them, but I am just looking for ways to improve. Any suggestions, opinions, questions, or criticisms are appreciated.
1. Do you prefer hunting them over a field or in timber?
2. Do you prefer an electronic call, a mouth call, or a combination?
3. Do you prefer fight style calls, rally calls, or a combination?
I generally hunt them from a blind in a field. I use an electronic caller for the primary attractant with fight style calls, butI use a mouth call close in. I keep the mouth calling to growls and soft, barking"caws". I use an owl decoy placed on a post 20 yards from the blind and 6 or so crow decoys hung in the branches of a tree 40 yards away, opposite my blind/calling location. We generally shoot the daylights out of them, but I am just looking for ways to improve. Any suggestions, opinions, questions, or criticisms are appreciated.
01-05-2008, 11:56 AM
#2
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Towanda,pa
Posts: 772
RE: Crows
When time permits,I like to put some cracked corn or dog food out and maybe a decoy or two
around it..Then snipe'm with the 22-250 or my step son uses his 243..I think its good practice for him.
Sometime they will come back if they don't see you..We use a pop up blind set back in the brush..
One time we had a fox sneaking in along the hedge row.I have tried the feeding crow call with
some luck..We have certain days here where you can and can not hunt them...They destroy
a lot of small game birds..Good luck..
around it..Then snipe'm with the 22-250 or my step son uses his 243..I think its good practice for him.
Sometime they will come back if they don't see you..We use a pop up blind set back in the brush..
One time we had a fox sneaking in along the hedge row.I have tried the feeding crow call with
some luck..We have certain days here where you can and can not hunt them...They destroy
a lot of small game birds..Good luck..
01-05-2008, 08:23 PM
#4
Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Trumbull County, Ohio
Posts: 9,520
RE: Crows
I hunt them by just walking through my woods. We have crows everywhere and it is a challenge.. Never tried to call them. But your way works much better I am sure, I've only ever gotten four of them.
01-06-2008, 01:04 PM
#5
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: central PA
Posts: 525
RE: Crows
ORIGINAL: johnny2
When time permits,I like to put some cracked corn or dog food out and maybe a decoy or two
around it..Then snipe'm with the 22-250 or my step son uses his 243..I think its good practice for him.
Sometime they will come back if they don't see you..We use a pop up blind set back in the brush..
One time we had a fox sneaking in along the hedge row.I have tried the feeding crow call with
some luck..We have certain days here where you can and can not hunt them...They destroy
a lot of small game birds..Good luck..
When time permits,I like to put some cracked corn or dog food out and maybe a decoy or two
around it..Then snipe'm with the 22-250 or my step son uses his 243..I think its good practice for him.
Sometime they will come back if they don't see you..We use a pop up blind set back in the brush..
One time we had a fox sneaking in along the hedge row.I have tried the feeding crow call with
some luck..We have certain days here where you can and can not hunt them...They destroy
a lot of small game birds..Good luck..
01-06-2008, 06:36 PM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Monroe County, IL
Posts: 1,188
RE: Crows
I was hunting yotes this morning and had a shot at some crows, I never really thought about shooting them but now that I read this post maybe I'll have to give it a try and see what it's like..
01-06-2008, 09:26 PM
#7
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Southern Ontario
Posts: 108
RE: Crows
Hey crowkilla your itdoing the way we hunt them some times we,ll put a dead one at the base of the owl on the ground with the wing up to flutter in the wind works like magic. They go nuts with a young or hurt call can,t reload the 12 fast enough.
01-07-2008, 09:26 AM
#8
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 314
RE: Crows
Hey guys, thanks for all the feed back. Baiting is not allowed where I live. Otherwise I'd be setting out all sorts of corn piles. For any of you that haven't tried it,crow huntingcan be an awesome afternoon. Just go get a Johnny Stewart caller, a couple calling tapes, a few crow decoys, and an owl decoy and you're in business.
The dead one with the flapping wing definitely works. Drives them crazy to see a fallen comrade.
If any of you guys have a serious interest in giving this a try, check out this website. http://www.crowbusters.com/It has tons of information and strategies.
The dead one with the flapping wing definitely works. Drives them crazy to see a fallen comrade.
If any of you guys have a serious interest in giving this a try, check out this website. http://www.crowbusters.com/It has tons of information and strategies.
01-07-2008, 10:43 AM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: in the woods or on the water...
Posts: 4,832
RE: Crows
I call crows often and it is fun for a decent afternoon.
1. Do you prefer hunting them over a field or in timber?
Answer: Depends on the area and time of year. After they pick a crow field, or spread manuer crows land more often. Later afternoon hunts tend to be in the timber because they are heading to roost anyhow.
2. Do you prefer an electronic call, a mouth call, or a combination?
Answer: I always have my electronic call with me, and it is almost always on. If crows are quiet for the day, I will turn it off and hit the mouth call a few times (thought it rarely works).
3. Do you prefer fight style calls, rally calls, or a combination?
Answer: I usually use "fight" style calling. We have snow during the majority of the crow hunting season. This leads to my main technique. I will brng the ole' bottle of ketchup and get a good spread of "blood". Set out three decoys surrounding the "blood" and it sets up a fight seen.
Crows are much smarter then people credit them.
1. Do you prefer hunting them over a field or in timber?
Answer: Depends on the area and time of year. After they pick a crow field, or spread manuer crows land more often. Later afternoon hunts tend to be in the timber because they are heading to roost anyhow.
2. Do you prefer an electronic call, a mouth call, or a combination?
Answer: I always have my electronic call with me, and it is almost always on. If crows are quiet for the day, I will turn it off and hit the mouth call a few times (thought it rarely works).
3. Do you prefer fight style calls, rally calls, or a combination?
Answer: I usually use "fight" style calling. We have snow during the majority of the crow hunting season. This leads to my main technique. I will brng the ole' bottle of ketchup and get a good spread of "blood". Set out three decoys surrounding the "blood" and it sets up a fight seen.
Crows are much smarter then people credit them.