Calling Crows
 

I'm thinking about buying a call and starting to do a little more crow hunting. It seems like a lot of fun and it would be a great way to improve my shooting. I'm trying to decide between an electric call and a mouth call. For those of you who crow hunt, what kind of calls do you use. Does it take a lot of practice to call them in effectively on a mouth call? I'd really appreciate your opinions. Thanks

RE: Calling Crows
 

IHUNTANDFISH- I really don't know much about crow hunting butthe guys at work talk about making there own crow loads.Do you load your own shells?

RE: Calling Crows
 

I've only hunted crows a couple of times and each time we used an electronic call (my hunting partner's call) Electronic calls seem to work the best. It does kinda depend on how much you want to spend to hunt crows. I actually just bought a cheaper Johnny Stewart electronic call to hunt predators with. I'm guessing if I can find memory card with a crow call it should work just fine. I wasn't even thinking crows when I bought it. So if you also predator hunt or maybe you already have anelectronic call this would be an option if you want to spend the extra money. I know electronic calls work, but amouth call may work just fine also. I hope this helps.

RE: Calling Crows
 

I just wait for them to land in the trees and crack the window a little.

RE: Calling Crows
 

I have always used a mouth call. If you have a good population of crows you can kill dozens in one day. My call is a very old PS OLT brand not sure if they are still available, not sure it matters that much what brand. Probably the main thing is to be camouflaged as possible including a face mask. Crows are one of the smartest critters in the outdoors, but they are a slave to a crow in distress sound. It will take a little practice with a mouth call, there are certain sounds you can make with a mouth call that will send them packing the other way, but if you can call turkeys, calling crows is easy. Once you get a crow on the ground is when the action picks up, it can litterally be a blast. I think a electronic call would have some serious advantages over a mouth call though, being able to direct their attention away from your location would have to be a big help. I have never used decoys either, but I have read where they are very effective, espeically an owl decoy in the middle of a couple dead crows. No calling needed with that set up, the crows that see such a thing will do the calling for you.

Good luck !!

RE: Calling Crows
 

If you can get your hands on 7- 10 decoys your calling is not as important. They will come to scope it out and see the decoys, and you should have them. An owl or a hawk decoy will really get them going.

What sucks is Illinois put the crow on the migratory bird list a few years ago, that really choked down the season. Our season just closed on the 28th of Feb. All the crows I got this year were with a Johnny Stewart prey master,,, works very well

RE: Calling Crows
 

i have a cheap primos call "old crow" and it works well. fairly easy to call them in on calmer days and its a lot of fun

RE: Calling Crows
 

crankin crow call all you do it clasp it in your teeth to select pich other that you just blow in iit

RE: Calling Crows
 

To make the crow sound, on mine anyhow you need to make the sound in your tonsils, like your trying to bring up a big luggie. Needs to be a very raspy sound to sound right. If you do it the right way, it will hurt after a while.

old
 

removed by RD

RE: Calling Crows
 

Yes, actually I do. That way I can load super magnum shells for those long shots.;) But all joking aside, it saves money to load your own shells when you go through a lot of them, and I enjoy reloading shells. You get a sense of satisfaction knowing that you are using shells that you made yourself.

I ended up getting a Johnny Stewart Attractor call. I also made somesilhouette decoys out of wood and spray painted them black. I put them out this afternoon near my house and tried the call. However, I didn't notice any crows nearby. Then a little before the sun went down I heard some crows calling, so I just set the call out without the decoys, and sat down next to a small pine tree. I guess I seriously underestimated their sight because as soon as I turned the call on, one came in and veered off. Then about six of them came in and also veered off. I used the distress call and they kept circling around, but slightly out of range. Finally two came in within shooting distance and I took a shot. I just winged it though because I saw some feathers come out, and it kept flying.[:@] Oh well, there's always next time. I really appreciate all the info guys. For you experienced hunters, what's the best time of day to hunt, and if you shoot at a flock, should you pack up and move, or will they come back again? thanks

RE: Calling Crows
 

In my area, anytime of day works, I would say evening time is less productive than morning and mid-day though.

Crows are smart but they will do some dumb things when they see a fallen comrade. And by that I mean they will repeatedly come right back to where they know it is serious danger. After awhile they will wise up but if you are on a flyway, there will be new arrivals, that has no idea what you have been up to [8D] it can go on for hours, but after several outings they will become very hard to fool. you will just have to change tactics

Maybe Ron Duval will add some to.. He seems like a serious crow killa

RE: Calling Crows
 

ive hunted with electronic calls and mouth calls and i like the electronic calls better, its just the easyness of pushing a button, you also get the sound of more than one bird if your hunting alone with a mouth call you wont get that. i like crow hunting to get my shooting dialed before duck and goose hunting

RE: Calling Crows
 

removed by RD

RE: Calling Crows
 

Yeah, I wish I could do that. But where I hunt, I am too close to houses to do any shooting with a high powered rifle. I have knocked one down with my pellet gun though, so I know it can be done. Crow season here in WI ends already the 20th of March which is a week from this Friday. I guess I'll just have to make good use of the time that I have left.

RE: Calling Crows
 

All right. I went out tonight by my house again after seeing two of them in a tree nearby. I ended up getting both of them. What a blast. I'm gonna be going out again tomorrow.

RE: Calling Crows
 

Good Job!!! Thin em out!!!!

RE: Calling Crows
 

Thanks. I got two more the next morning, but I should have had more. I guess I have to practice my shooting a little more:D

RE: Calling Crows
 

my uncle gets alot of crows withe the mouth call he gotten 13 in one day with that

RE: Crows
 

All of the above. I would walk a mile in the snow. just to shoot at a crow. I use a tape style caller with a loud speaker. This works very well. my tape has intrmissions where a hoot owl with hoot a few times . We use a hammerin crow call (mouth call ) at the same time. Dont work as well but it will draw in the hawks and if you get the crows excited they will attack the hawk. If you use the tape caller point the speaker horizontal with the ground. If you point it upwards alot of the time they fly in high and are hard to get a good shot. I am a firm believer in camaflauge. If they see you its over.

RE: Crows
 

I'm with you on the camoflauge. I always am completely covered in camo, including my face and hands, and the still seem to see me a lot of times. I've found that you cannot move a muscle until they are within shooting range. I'll have to try the horizontal speaker. Thanks.

RE: Crows
 

I've killed 2 in the last week, one was in the hay field and i got him with the .222 and the other was flying past the house when I was getting the 10ga out to pattern it. It shoots just fine [8D]

RE: Crows
 

I have a fresh tilled field out behind my house. Yesterday evening we were having happy hour out on the back porch when there were several crows flying around. They were all upset about something and making a lot of noise. So I got out my new electronic caller, hooked it up and started playing a crow owl fight. They all took off and left the area. Came back about a half hour later and I tried it again with a lookie here call. They took off again. Now I'm wondering whats up with my calling? any ideas out there?
OB

RE: Crows
 

If you call when they can see you or after they have already seen you, it seems that they are impossible to call in. Also, it seems like they get suspicious if they don't see any crows where the calling is coming from, after flying around the area for a little while.

RE: Crows
 

It might not be nothing wrong with your calling, could be technique though. If the crows can see you when you start calling, they will leave no matter how good you can call, especially if they are being called in and shot at by hunters in your area. You wrote that they was making alot of noise when you noticed them, most likely they had spotted a threat, if crows see something that preys on them or their nest they will get agitated and call in backup. I've seen them act that way when they spot a snake, house cat, fox, hawks/owls, basically any predator. And rarely will they leave that threat and respond to a call. Also, I have no love for a crow, but they are a Federally protected specie and most states have a season, make sure they can be shot this time of year. If they are causing crop damage, there is a both a state and federal code that allows them to be killed anytime, but you need to inform the authoritys first. I'm not sayin anybody is breaking the law, just a heads up for someone who may not know. Hope that helps. JM2C

RE: Crows
 

what do you guys do with crows? hopefully not eat them...

RE: Crows
 

I know a guy here in Il. that rehabs owls, hawks, and a few other birds of prey, I give all my crows to him. He puts them in the freezer, and thats what he feeds all year.


Heystack is correct, in Il. they put the crow on the migratory bird list, and shortened the season alot. I don't know if that's only in my state or not.

RE: Crows
 

I've been feeding the coyotes with mine. I just throw them into the fencelines, after I'm done using the dead ones as a decoy. Something eats them up.

RE: Crows
 

Crows have been documented to harbor over 30 different Parasites. And they have a particular fondness of viscera[:'(] I let 'em lay. And have no guilt in doing such:D

RE: Crows
 

All right. I have another question for you guys. I just got a H.S. Hammerin Crow call, to use with my electronic call. For those of you who use a mouth call, how do you make the different calls. What kind of things do you say? Thanks in advance.

Mitch

RE: Crows
 

crankin crow from quaker boy cheap effective and very easy to use