Crow Hunting

[reddog]

Better in the spring when the young ones are on the nest,the call really works wonders,also an old long departed friend told me back in the " good old days" he used to bring the family cat with ,put him in a tree and start holllering on the call ,said he couldn't reload fast enough....

 

[huntingike]

I plan to get a half dozen "stuffers" from the taxidermist for this winter. Apparently they work amazingly.[/QUOTE]


take your regular plastic crow decoys and get yourself some of the flocking which is used for goose decoys. Amazing difference and cheaper than stuffers. Also a heck of a lot more durable.

 

[bill c68]

take your regular plastic crow decoys and get yourself some of the flocking which is used for goose decoys. Amazing difference and cheaper than stuffers. Also a heck of a lot more durable.

I have some flocking, I amy just try that. The main reason I wanted to try stuffers, is the option of various poses. I want one crow to be kinda lying low, looking up with one wing sticking out (wounded bird) and another in a pose fighting with him.
I think the taxidermist told me around $150-$200 for a half dozen. It will likely be more for the one with the "broken wing"

 

[gth]

Also, I noticed a good question in some of my "crow" searches of the forum but I havent found an answer.

Being in Northern Ontario my small games license is not-valid from June 15- Aug 15, does this mean I'm out of luck for shooting crows in the summer or are is there some sort of "Pest" privision that will let me hunt them in the summer??

Straight from a C.O.

The small game licence is invalid from June 16 to August 31 in northern Ontario so no small game hunting is permitted. That includes grackles
and crows.

Thank you for your enquiry.

nric web reader - lm

 

[bill c68]

Went on my first crow hunt of the year yesterday. About 50 plus birds between 3 guys. Some were Ravens (legal here). We retrieved 45 birds so we figure another 10 or so couldn't be found.

What's your favorite loads? Two of us were using target loads (8s) in 20G and 12G and the other was using steel 2s and BBs

 

[huntingike]

My favorite load is 11/4 oz #5 lead. I know it's overkill but it works wonders on those high flyers.
A 45 gr hollow point from a 223 also makes a real nice POOF .

 

[bill c68]

My favorite load is 11/4 oz #5 lead. I know it's overkill but it works wonders on those high flyers.

I may actually try loading some 1 oz 6s or 4s. Why? well because I have a buddy with a progressive press already set up for 1oz 8s, I just have to change the shot. I can likely load about 500 shells in an hour. You would be amazed at some of the shots made with target loads though... although the last time out, I was amazed at how many crows did not die!!!

 

[JDForBrkFst]

Well, I've been sold, I'm going to do my CORE then start crow hunting. One question though, is the CORE course the same across Canada? I'm from BC and am moving to Alberta in the next few months.

 

[mdbuckle]

I usually shoot crows in my backyard with a pellet gun...

 

[cdn_guide71]

One of the only seasons open

After the deer season, I now focus on coyote and crow hunting. I have found that aging table scraps work well for bait, the awful smell of rotting meat leftovers brings crows in. I have used a handful of plastic decoys to get the initial lure but I have learned to use them with a call to ensure I can get them coming in again and again for what they think is a free buffet.

I'm using .22 hollow point and find if I aim at the top of the breast or base of the neck I can bag them quite persistantly. Using the above mentioned method I have shot one and the rest have scattered to only return a few minutes later after a little calling. I have been asked why I hunt crows, in NB we have a huge abundance of them, some of them near the costal inlets can be as big as southern wild turkeys (well not quite but they do get to be quite a size). Our grouse population has been declining, which they should be taking off with the mild winters we have been experiencing in recent years. The grouse nests are hard hit by crows in the spring time I have seen a few nests totally destroyed by a murder(group) of crows.

I don't know if anyone uses harvested feathers for tieing flys but if you do let me know.

Cheers, and good hunting.

SJV

 

[black_bear]

To tell the difference between a crow and a raven:
Ravens are generally bigger, have a much larger wingspan for their body sixe, if you're close enough they have a curved beak (much broader than a crow's), and ravens have a much different vocalization - rather than a 'caw', they produce a much more hoarse 'croaking' sound that is easily distinguishable from a crow.

BTW, if you want to really get into crow hunting, Cabela's carries Greenhead Gear fully flocked crow decoys! I am going to be picking a few up for myself, but only after I get my e-caller this spring, so that I'll be ready for the snows.....

 

[Jamie]

I use a simple $10 reed crow call.QUOTE]


ditto


call them,they land shoot them.....I hide under a old hay waggon and put out decoys...use the call... works every time


Jamie Barkwell

 

[KDX]

The only good crow, is a dead crow. Check out Crow Busters and read the hate mail section.

 

[1shot]

I got into one today, in full camo I put up a garden owl in a tree and called for a few minutes.. Two came in and started to circle at 40 yards (ish) I smoked the one with a stiff dose of #4 but missed the other which got out of dodge in a hurry!

Crow hunting is great, any time of year and you don't need big $$ to do it.

 

[LONEWOLF]

crow hunting

Well was out at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning at my brother farm to bust up some crows.Got out into my blind and got the decoys set up.Waited till I heard my first bunch of crows turned on the caller.With in 5 minutes had about 25 crows flying over top of me.They were long ways up there,through in 2 -three inche mag number 6 shot.Really should not have been shooting them up that high way out of range.But put one of them down,lucky shot.Anyways for the next hour everything that came into me flew in real high out of range.I hate days like this,lots of crows but always out of range.It was nice calm day,some days when windy I have noticed they fly alot higher.Anyways got total of 9 that morning.alot of singles and doubles came later in morning that came in lower.

Do any of you guys have those days when they come in high and how do you bring them down within shooting range

 

[gitrdun]

I was out crow & raven hunting today. The closes I could get was 383 yds (got a Leica LRF900 for Xmas). I shot two birds with my 22-250, but that was it. Once they're onto me, they're extremely spooky. I think they even know my truck now. Once I shoot one bird, they go nuts over the dead bird, so I usually have one more opp. but that's it. Two down and off they go.

Does anyone have any good hunting tips for longrange shooting them, I don't want to use a shot gun.

 

[bill c68]

I was out crow & raven hunting today. The closes I could get was 383 yds (got a Leica LRF900 for Xmas). I shot two birds with my 22-250, but that was it. Once they're onto me, they're extremely spooky. I think they even know my truck now. Once I shoot one bird, they go nuts over the dead bird, so I usually have one more opp. but that's it. Two down and off they go.

Does anyone have any good hunting tips for longrange shooting them, I don't want to use a shot gun.

Animal carcass... that'll keep them around.

 

[bill c68]

Well was out at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning at my brother farm to bust up some crows.Got out into my blind and got the decoys set up.Waited till I heard my first bunch of crows turned on the caller.With in 5 minutes had about 25 crows flying over top of me.They were long ways up there,through in 2 -three inche mag number 6 shot.Really should not have been shooting them up that high way out of range.But put one of them down,lucky shot.Anyways for the next hour everything that came into me flew in real high out of range.I hate days like this,lots of crows but always out of range.It was nice calm day,some days when windy I have noticed they fly alot higher.Anyways got total of 9 that morning.alot of singles and doubles came later in morning that came in lower.

Do any of you guys have those days when they come in high and how do you bring them down within shooting range

If they are staying high, they are probably "Wise to the rise in your Levi's" They have likely spotted you or something is out of place.
I have found with crow hunting you have to be more careful than duck hunting.

Sometimes, they'll come in high, circle around for a bit and slowly drop in.
If you have a good blind, good camo and a good spread/call, just be patient, they'll come.

AND remember, crows are in the air, they can see you from up top, get some kind of cover over your head or position yourself in away that they don't fly over you.

 

[LONEWOLF]

crow hunting

If they are staying high, they are probably "Wise to the rise in your Levi's" They have likely spotted you or something is out of place.
I have found with crow hunting you have to be more careful than duck hunting.

Sometimes, they'll come in high, circle around for a bit and slowly drop in.
If you have a good blind, good camo and a good spread/call, just be patient, they'll come.

AND remember, crows are in the air, they can see you from up top, get some kind of cover over your head or position yourself in away that they don't fly over you.

Well I have been hunting crows in the area for the last 12 years.Most of the days they will come in low to the point they are dive bombing decoys are wounded or dead crows I have out.It can get fast and furious some days.MY reloading has greatly improved with my o/u remington.Yes when I see a crow slightly turns its head I know it has made us.They are smart bird and I know they can see you from long distance.The blinds we have are made with wire fencing shape in a circle with goldenrod and purple loosestrife woven in between them and then we build brush up all around them.We usually try to put them in swale separating feilds.Know we don't have an overhead but have found out the trick when calling crows in is to spot them coming first before they spot you.Then you can get under cover sit really still till there directly over top ,then time to prove who the best shoot in our blind.Yes we are in full camo with face mask on unless one forgets there mask.
They did not see us the other morning because most of the time we could them lifting of the pine way in the distance come towards the calller, it was a case they were just fly high,why don"t know was hoping for someone give answer to why certain days they do this.After the first hour and half they started to come in low to the point that I shot one 10 yards above me.I actually ran out of ammo that morning.Only took 25 rounds out in a belt had to back to the truck,on the way back I pick up some of dead crows hung them in trees.Well I am getting my ammo out of truck freind drives in were talking.Next thing I see about 50 crows in the back feild where crow blind is and dive bombing over my crow blind at those dead crows hanging in the trees.I often thought they fly high they are going to there feeding grounds have there mind set on where there going.

What kind of blinds do some of CGN crow hunters use and where do you set up.

 

[1shot]

I use an Ameristep "doghouse" pop-up blind on nearby crown land with a plastic owl. Then a $14 mouth caller to bring them in close.

Firearm is a Mossberg pump, #4 through modified choke but I'm experimenting with #7.5 now.. Perhaps fine shot for the first close target followed by progressively larger shot up to #4 for runners?..

I'm in the states most weekdays, I'll bring back a bunch of crow decoys and see how they work out.

I learned from the crowbusters website that a very fast decoy setup is important, as if you get seen word somehow gets out and its time to move location.

This is seriously addictive!