Feeding the Crows and Ravens

[Cosmic_Charlie]

It's the season for blasting grey squirrels off the bird feeders. I slice them open and toss them up on the garage roof for those birds to peck at. I tell myself that they appreciate it but my wife thinks it's gross. Those crows are smart birds. They will chase the squirrels into the road so they get smashed by the cars and are easy to eat.

[n9tkf]

We don't have ravens here. The turkey vultures will get the road kill before the crows.

[Charlie Horse]

"Those crows are smart birds. They will chase the squirrels into the road so they get smashed by the cars and are easy to eat."

Wow. You are very observant. I once watched a crow dip stale donut chunks in a mud puddle the same way we dunk them in coffee.

Once, I had a group of 3 or 4 very young deer bed down right under my tree stand. They were there for about 1/2 hour. Then a big old doe showed up. She stood about 70 yards away and looked at the fawns, then up at me, then back to the fawns, then back to me... Then she came in, and quickly gathered up the little ones, then beat feet out of there. It was amazing. Animals are smarter than we give them credit for.

I'm sure those crows appreciate the fresh meat.

[DougGuy]

Michigan has hawks galore. You NEVER see a squirrel, anywhere!

[Thundermaker]

That's some perfectly good Brunswick stew meat you're wasting.

[WRideout]

Squirrel in mole sauce with rice and beans is food for the gods.

Wayne

[Minerat]

If I threw them my roof they would stink up the neighborhood as they decayed. Or SWAMBO would have me sleeping in the dog house.:grin:

[missionary5155]

Personally I would thin the squirrels but also the crows.

[CWME]

I have a pair of gray fox that come and dine on them from time to time. Had more than one bald eagle swing in for a quick snack. Nothing will touch the chipmunks though. My old bird dog would get excited at the shot, run out and pick them up, and then proceed to spit them out. He always gave me a look of "why would you do that to me". Guess they taste bad??

[elmacgyver0]

I don't need to eat tree rats, I can still afford beef, but if we get much more inflation reduction legislation, I won't rule the rats out.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I used to eat them but they are a pita to skin. I recall that Earnest Hemingway used to kill pigeons with a slingshot in Paris and eat them when he was a poor, unpublished author. The crows make short work of them too.

[TNsailorman]

I was squirrel hunting with my Dad by the time I was 6 years old. I had m own shotgun to hunt them with (a Savage 410) by the time I was 7 or 8(can't remember exactly). We hunted to put meat on the table. We went into the woods before daybreak and I have seen Dad on more than one occassion skylight squirrels against the sky before the sun krept up over the horizon. We did not leave the woods until both of us had our limit, even if Dad had to help me with mine. We fished when squirrels and rabbits were out of season. Times were tough just after WW II and hunting and fishing served a purpose. Later we hunted more because tree rats and rabbits were very tasty when fixed right and my granmother who lived with us was a great cook. She would even can squirrels and rabbits for the off months when we couldn't hunt. Those were gret days and I really miss them. I still have that 410 and there is not enough money in the world to buy it. I started my son out with it also. He will get it soon and he will pas it to one of his boys. Those were the days, james

[elmacgyver0]

My Dad liked pidgeon soup.
My Mom used to make it with big yellow dumplings, it was very good.
The pidgeons looked like little chickens floating around in the soup.