Crow Hunting

Ronsse610

Ronsse610

CGN Regular
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Location
Montreal
Hello all!

as the Canada goose season is open but not much goose around my area yet, i was sitting in my field goose hunting but nothing was flying until a few crows pass by and decided to take the group of crows flying over head, as we can hunt them most of the year... I have had interest in huting crows for a while, but know nothing about it. Have started reading up about it to learn, but i want to know what some one you guys do as i want to start hunting crows on a regular basis!
 
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Guys that shoot 'em in Nova Scotia never eat 'em. Considered a pest. Just kill as many as you can to protect your crop.
It could be fun if your know a corn farmer.
 
stampede said:
What do they taste like ?
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They taste like crow. Little bit more grainy than spotted owl, less gamey than perigine falcon.

The pacific northwest crow breeds year round in much of its range. These birds are very destructive of other birds eggs and young, as well as crops. Much like the ravens in Ft Mac, the crows here will take out garbage cans and spread it all around. Dont grieve too much if someone takes a bunch out.
 
Buy yourself an Great Horned owl decoy at CT:
"The Fighting setup, which is by far the most popular, attempts to simulate a situation where the crows are in conflict with something, either a raptor such as an owl or hawk, or even other crows. Here is where the crow hunter gets to use his "Ace in the Hole", the owl decoy. Crows attack and chase all raptors, but have a special hatred for the Great Horned Owl. Although it is no longer in practice, hunters of the past would use live owls and even staked out tomcats to attract crows. Today, you can do almost as well with the proper use of an artificial owl. The key to properly using an owl decoy is to position it so that every crow in the vicinity can spot it. A fence post, the top of a small tree, or even on a 10 - 20 foot pole works well; the more obvious the better. Upon seeing the decoy, most crows will make a bee-line straight for it. Unlike the Friendly setup, position most of your decoys in the surrounding trees and brush. Although some ground level decoys are OK, a real owl-crow fight finds the bulk of the crows that are not flying in the surrounding trees scolding the owl. In fact, some experts never put a crow decoy anywhere lower than the height of the owl."
 
superted said:
Buy yourself an Great Horned owl decoy at CT:
"The Fighting setup, which is by far the most popular, attempts to simulate a situation where the crows are in conflict with something, either a raptor such as an owl or hawk, or even other crows. Here is where the crow hunter gets to use his "Ace in the Hole", the owl decoy. Crows attack and chase all raptors, but have a special hatred for the Great Horned Owl. Although it is no longer in practice, hunters of the past would use live owls and even staked out tomcats to attract crows. Today, you can do almost as well with the proper use of an artificial owl. The key to properly using an owl decoy is to position it so that every crow in the vicinity can spot it. A fence post, the top of a small tree, or even on a 10 - 20 foot pole works well; the more obvious the better. Upon seeing the decoy, most crows will make a bee-line straight for it. Unlike the Friendly setup, position most of your decoys in the surrounding trees and brush. Although some ground level decoys are OK, a real owl-crow fight finds the bulk of the crows that are not flying in the surrounding trees scolding the owl. In fact, some experts never put a crow decoy anywhere lower than the height of the owl."
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Great information! Thanks for posting, sounds like a great tactic.
 
One of my favorite tactics is hunting bushes around dumps. They are very curious and will come check out even the most horrible calls. Great for practicing lead on faster and slower birds, some come floating in others screaming past.
 
Superted is spot on. Now that its nearing haloween season keep an eye out for plastic crow decorations they will work just as good and cost way less than production decoys. If you have an Ecaller for coyotes locate and dowload both crow fight sounds and crow in distress. There is lots more sounds out there but thats the 2 that work for me. If you dont have an Ecaller buy a handheld crow call and practice making a distressed crow sound (youtube the sounds to hear what they sound like).
Locating birds. I have found the best way to get crows is to drive around and locate the roost. Most of the time it will be in a stand of dead or sparse trees. Once the roost is located wait and watch to see where the go to feed either by watching them leave in the morning or come back in the evening.
Once all the scouting is done and landowner permission is granted it is time to setup. Find a patch of bush or other cover somewhere along the path between the roost and feeding area (I setup in the evening but im sure morning would work.) make sure you are well camouflaged because crows have eyes at least as good as geese or ducks and any wrong movement will spook em out.
Setup what decoys you have start calling and be ready to shoot.
A tip. Crows dont get called often so from time to time switching up the call after shooting will bring the birds back.
GOOD LUCK :)
 
Crow hunting used to be one of my favorite pastimes. I busted literally hundreds with an Owl decoy + other decoys and my 12 Gauge.

Several hundreds more were blown into puffs of feathers with my 220 Swifts, 225 Winchesters and 222 Remingtons.

They are a smart bird, and soon figure out how far away they must be to be safe from a rifle.

I used to start out with the 222, and once they figured that out, I brought a longer range rifle into play, finally ending up with the Swift.

Crows out past 400 meters on a calm day were in trouble, lol.

Regards, Dave.
 
While I more than understand the pain in the @ss they can be etc... They are actually protected at my parent's farm. I would never hear the end of it if I shot one as they seem to have been given resident status by my parents. On a side note they are one of the smartest birds I've come across. They can also recognize people and if you piss them off they will return the favour while holding a grudge for a very long time. Just a side note if you're doing this where you live. Better not leave any crow witnesses or they will make your life miserable. We had one contractor on the property that the crows felt deserved their wrath. They would purposely crap on his truck and only his truck every day. It was pretty clear this was a calculated act. I personally adopt the I don't bother them and they won't bother me attitude. Don't miss if you're hunting where you live!!
 
Epoxy7 said:
While I more than understand the pain in the @ss they can be etc... They are actually protected at my parent's farm. I would never hear the end of it if I shot one as they seem to have been given resident status by my parents. On a side note they are one of the smartest birds I've come across. They can also recognize people and if you piss them off they will return the favour while holding a grudge for a very long time. Just a side note if you're doing this where you live. Better not leave any crow witnesses or they will make your life miserable. We had one contractor on the property that the crows felt deserved their wrath. They would purposely crap on his truck and only his truck every day. It was pretty clear this was a calculated act. I personally adopt the I don't bother them and they won't bother me attitude. Don't miss if you're hunting where you live!!
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So you are saying that crows can identify people that have done them wrong in the past and will intentionally seek them out to cause them and their property damage and or be a general nuisance to then all the while leaving all the other humans in the area alone???

Although I would agree that crows are fairly smart for a bird..... I wouldn't quite go that far...
 
doublelung said:
So you are saying that crows can identify people that have done them wrong in the past and will intentionally seek them out to cause them and their property damage and or be a general nuisance to then all the while leaving all the other humans in the area alone???

Although I would agree that crows are fairly smart for a bird..... I wouldn't quite go that far...
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I've seen it.
 
doublelung said:
So you are saying that crows can identify people that have done them wrong in the past and will intentionally seek them out to cause them and their property damage and or be a general nuisance to then all the while leaving all the other humans in the area alone???

Although I would agree that crows are fairly smart for a bird..... I wouldn't quite go that far...
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I used to walk through a park on the way home from the gym when I lived in town. Being a smart alec, I decided to play some crow fight calls on my phone loudspeaker one day while I walked through the park, to see what they'd do.

The birds flew overhead, even after I shut off the call, followed me all the way home, then sat in a tree outside my house and watched me through my window.
 
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