Crow shooting thoughts

[Geezer in NH]

Late 60's early 70's crow shooting was the best. I lived in the city but had an older friend who took me crow shooting at a pig farm in Carlisle MA. An old 45rpm battery phonograph player and horn and 75-100 decoys.

There would be 6-7 shooters including a reporter from the Boston Globe who was a regular of the shoot. Bag would be 100 plus crows and 40-50 pigeons spooked out of the feeder barns.

A different farm there would be shot each week till it went around again to the first one.

I would use up all the leftover shells from the last hunting season plus a case of target rounds on these hunts/shoots

The farmers were very happy with the results as it kept the birds out of the feed, and none of the birds shot went to waste as they fell in the pens for the hogs to clean up.

Today the lands are all subdivisions and a gun shot would get one arrested.

[missionary5155]

When I was growing up in SW Michigan the feller across the road had one of those record player / horn outfits. Crows would come in attacking the the horn. That is where I got my start popping crows. Set up the portable blinds, fire up the record and stay alert.

[farmerjim]

The crows will walk down the sweet corn rows just as the plants emerge and pull them up and eat them. I sneak up on them with a 12 ga and shoot them just as they lift off. I hang the dead crow from a 6 foot stick. The other crows see this and give a danger call and turn around and leave.

[Rapier]

I usually just ignore them until they get to being crows and start aggravating or killing stuff like baby birds, ducks, etc., and then we have a reduction in their ranks. I use my Beretta 391 20ga from the edge of the trees, my 22-250 AI when they retreat to a field or pasture. They will run off and not return for 2-3 months if you kill a few in a single day.
They do keep the hawks and owls down to a medium roar on my farm. Only reason I allow them to return.

[YippyKiYay]

I remember hunting with a 881 Daisy, a SS 22 was cheaper and I begged Dad for it, but he thought an 8yo didn't need a 22. I killed my share of birds, sparrows were in serious trouble.

A few years later Dad traded for a SS 12ga long tom; 36" full choke. I recall as a teen I was feeding the stock and a crow was cawing from a tree in the yard. Dad opened the door with his long tom and the crow took flight. Dad had to wait for the bird to clear several trees before he got a good shot at it, about 70 yards. I muttered something like, he'll; never make THAT shot as the crow flew up and towards me at an angle. I was well over 100 yards from dad.

A giant unseen hand slapped the crow in mid-flight from behind, the bird turned tail over head through the air and was falling to earth as the boom reached me. I've sat in blinds and shot them with shotguns and rifles, but I will never forget THAT shot Pop made.

I miss you Dad.

Yip

[Geezer in NH]

They certainly know the difference between my wife's truck and mine. They skedaddle when they see mine.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

Crows are smart, they remembered your Plate number.

[Bazoo]

First and only crow I have shot was with a 30-30. He was bout 125 yards. As much luck as it was skill. I didn’t feel right bout shooting him so I ain’t shot any others. A 30-30 will flat anchor a crow.

They come to the birdseed we spread in the drive now. Neat to see them.

[YippyKiYay]

Dad said when he was young they would trap an owl (dont try this at home), tie it to a pole and set it up in a field. He said if you killed the 1st crow to come to it you saw no more crows that day. You had to wait until they got to diving on the owl and he flapped his wings at them a few times, then he said you could get a shotgun hot.

He spent much more time on the woods than me.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Often, when I drop a pidgeon or starling with my pellet guns a crow will spy them dead on the ground and eat the breast off them. Years ago I would have then shot the crow.

[missionary5155]

Decoys.. When I go out in the before dawn to pop crows I have 2 black plastic decoys that get set up out front and downwind. In our area when they leave their roost they fly up to 70-100 yards with the wind. So by the time the first few see the decoys out in the field or bush they have to come back up wind a bit and usually drop down to 30 yards to check out "who is talking". I normally use a 40 some year old Outers all in full camo. If no others have turned the first ones get popped and set up as decoys.
Groups are normally a few minutes apart. Then I add to the ground decoys until there are maybe a dozen out front or the flights stop coming through.
Normal morning goes about 10-15 in a 30 minute span.
Best mornings are fog or falling snow. Their vision is well impaired and they fly low coming to the call slow. Shots can be under 15 yards or some land in the bushes close.

[centershot]

I used to shoot the odd one as a kid, but living here in retirement on the farm, I have come to realise that "crows. ravens, rooks or whatever name they are called" are part of nature. We have a long term nest not 50 yards from the house and I've watched them through the spotting scope for several seasons feeding young with grasshoppers, catapillars, beetles etc. but never a sheeps eyeball!

I know the call can be anoying buy still no reason to shoot them.

Oh, yes, my friend, there is - When a 75 gr. Speer HP from my .243 slams into them at 3200 fps, they make the most beautiful black cloud of feathers! It's a joyful thing!

[warren5421]

CROWS are TRICKY TARGETS https://gunsmagazine.com/wp-content/...8/12/G0457.pdf page 18

[missionary5155]

I do agree with that statement. They are manuver Masters. They flip flop and change directions fast as any bird.

[warren5421]

I grew up in Southern Ohio 5 miles from Minford, Ohio. Had lots of hills with small (15-20 acres) flats between them. The farmers would plant corn and the crows would come in and eat the corn. The farmers around me would allow me to shoot with a .22 at the crows. I got real good with it out to about 100 yards. One day my dad, a truck driver, was home (about every 2-3 weeks) setting on the frount porch and a crow landed on a tree limb 137 yards away (surveyed several years later) , dad turned to me and said hit that crow and we go to the Deary Cream. I had been asking for ice cream. I picked up the rifle and using what we called Kentucy windage, only had factory sights on it, I shot and the crow dropped, no wing movement. Walked to where it was on the ground and there was a small hole just under one of it's eyes. Dad took mom, my 3 siblings at that time, and me for ice cream. That was the best ice cream I ever had! I shot that little rifle so much that if the target was under 100 yards I could hit it. Wish I could shoot like that now. My shooting cost $0.35/box or $0.01/ shell at the local general store. Wish I could do that now.

[Rapier]

Crows live to 80 years of age, so they get real smart. They have their own language and if you study on them, you can duplicate their calls, just make sure you do not duplicate the “danger-get out of Dodge” call.
Most amazing is the hawk/owl fight, they will come, like the Lone Ranger to the rescue. Just get cameoed up with an owl decoy out a bit and sit still until they get right on top of you.
If your state allows recorded calls, go to a crow lovers web site and record the calls as MP3s, make yourself a CD, get a cheap remote controlled boom box.....It is a bit easier than learning the hand calls. I have a large nylon bag of decoys.
Get setup on the edge of a crow fly way. When they stop coming, move to another location.