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Post Info TOPIC: Foggy Bottom Killing


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Foggy Bottom Killing
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Been trying to respond to a farmer's request to come shoot the crows in his corn field. Rain has cancelled 3 previous attempts but I got out this morning! Farmer called 3 weeks ago, said he had about 30-40 crows using his field. That number is certainly sufficient to get me up in the morning but this morning was not like any other. Fog.

Left home at 0600 it was perfectly clear. I did notice some fog in bottoms driving and wondered if MY ambush site, a bottom to be sure, would be foggy. It was. I parked 150 yds. from where I was going top set up and it was clear there, but looking down at the creek bottom where I planned to hunt, a thick layer of fog covered about half the trees meaning the top half escaped the fog and was mostly in the clear. This is hard to describe...but once I entered the fog I could hardly see in any direction more than 10 or so yards. I was sure I was going to have to wait for it to clear. I placed my single decoy, trimmed the branches around my hide ( a natural bunch of underbrush, etc.) loaded the Max all before 0645. Sunrise was 0714 but no rush as I was deep in fog.

10 minutes after being " at the ready" I heard two crows sort of close by. I said what the heck and tooted them a few times with my Gibson and could hear they were headed towards me but I could not see them...UNTIL they got right overhead! WHAT a nice surprise!!The fog was thick around me, but thin in elevation. I could see the birds beautifully silhouetted against the gray fog once they entered about a 20 yard wide circle directly above me. Never seen anything like this before. Once they entered the "circle" they were easy targets...had to be quick, but shots were "gimmies". I could tell if I connected with the bird but more than half the time, the falling crow fell outside the circle and into the thick fog and out of my sight. BUT.. a dull thud was proof positive: scratch on crow!

I had a killing circular window directly over my head. My neck got sore looking straight up for the 1:15 minutes it took for the fog to lift. All the shots were at or inside 30 yds and get this, I do not think the crows could SEE me either. I think the fog turned the tables on the crow. I could see them maybe before they even had the chance to see me!!! Think about that one!!! A game-changer to be sure.

Fog lifted quickly, sadly and "normal" shooting returned but by then I was aided by the several dozen dead around me: dead crows are good decoys--lots of dead crows are the best decoys!

Action stopped just before 0930...not a crow to be heard. TBC was 67 but that number nor my description remotely describes the remarkable nature of this mornings engagement. Did I mention I love shooting crows?

Skip

 

PS: I forget to mention this!! There was no wind. I don't mean there was a very light wind, etc.. there was NO wind. I love NO wind as the crows can hear my calling 360 degrees for probably 1/2 mile. I really do not know how far they can hear under ideal conditions but 1/2 mile ain't far off. I mention the no wind because when I would shoot a crow... quite a few seconds later...perhaps even 30 seconds, out of the fog would float black feathers. They would just appear out of the soup... floating gently by and land like a mosquito with sore feet! Black rain is a good thing!



-- Edited by Skip on Sunday 28th of September 2014 05:02:20 PM

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Hi Skip,

Some very professional "decrowing" work on behalf of America's Farmers.  The TCP salutes you.  Amazing you are still registering firsts with your decades of crow hunting experience!

My personal experience with heavy fog crow hunting resulted in nearby crows locking up and fearing the approach to our calling.  Just shows you crows behave differently in different situations.  Adding to the challenge we Crowbusters relish! 

Lone Star Phil and I will be "on the job" tomorrow morning, doing what we do to the black winged and ring-tailed bandits robbing our farmers here in Texas.

Take care,



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Skip,

Good work using the elements to your advantage. I generally do not like fog, however, in the situation you described fog is much more manageable.

Thank you for sharing your remarkable morning with us.

BH

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In better days the fog was our best camouflage. Also light fluffy snow gently sailing to the ground. in any case my best shooting figured in foggy days. Fog is always welcomed here. Now I don't know about the thick as pea soup fog but so that everything is light gray. I remember this big ole' buck crow came right in low and slow and i could not believe it. Never had a bad crow shoot in fog ever.

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Skip,

Enjoyed the hunt story, Congrat's on a great hunt.

Butch

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Like the others, always enjoy a first-class hunt and a good story to boot; esp. with a different twist.

Thanks!

Craig



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Very well run operation Skip. Cetainly a magical morning to remember!

T

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Well done sir!! Beautiful memory.. i'd make a comment about the wind... but... well.. it's kinda like the Geico commerical.. Everybody knows.. ( what will happen)..



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cool story. way to clean up



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  Just how I like them "low and slow"



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In my experience fog is not an asset, however one time several years ago 10ga and I were in the right spot and caught an early migration in late September when it was socked in. Memorable for several reasons including running out of ammo

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nhcrowshooter wrote:

In my experience fog is not an asset, however one time several years ago 10ga and I were in the right spot and caught an early migration in late September when it was socked in. Memorable for several reasons including running out of ammo


 In my opinion one has not lived until he has run out of ammunition....BUT... keep in mind, a wise man will not make the same mistake twice!biggrin

 

Ted 



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M12,

I won't to come real close to running out! (lol)

Butch

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I ran out of amo on a hunt last season, I promise I wont run out again. My mec will be working overtime before season this year if I can find powder.

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tennis ace,

Welcome to the forum, fairly new myself.


Butch

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I have not had real good luck in fog either. Much prefer an overcast day with light winds.

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The heading of this thread reminds of this movie which if you haven't seen it is hilarious.



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I will not support any Liberal actors like George Clooney, Shawn Penn, Liam Neeson, Matt Damon and Sylvester Stallone. Stallone is not all Liberal but he is anti Second Amendment! I would not spend one dime on these guys!

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Great story about a great hunt !

 

We had a great hunt in the fog last fall. Same thing happened to us, that did to you. The crows had to come in under the fog to see what was up........and it was then to late for them to return ...........

The farm we were hunting at, the owner had called me a few days before and said they were having issues with the crows getting into their ag bags, wanted to know if we could come up and help them out..........................dam I love those kind of calls !!!

We took around 40 crows that foggy morning, and his crow problem went away. He called me last week, and has the same problem this year. We took 21 on Monday, but did not have the fog to help. We will look again next weekend, and hope for a foggy morning. Still lots of crows in that area.



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Hey Skip -

Great story, ably told!  Saturated air probably attenuated that loud shotgun too. 

It would have been fun to deploy a metro barrel in that scenario especially if the tip of the five-foot barrel would have just cleared the fog blanket spitting fire!

Your tale made me think of a time I went duck hunting with a friend on a glass smooth lake and through a thin but dense layer of fog covering the water about two feet thick.  But for the puttering of my little Yamaha, it felt like we were gliding along on top of a cloud.



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Darn,I thought this was  going to be a Political discussion obout the "State Department"..........confuse



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In England years ago Stallone was asked about him making movies with guns all the time if he is so against guns?" Stallone replied:'There has to be accountability!"  Indeed- we know "exactly' what you" mean"; spoken like a true LIBTARD!!

 Also Stallone wanted to do  a movie involving "machine guns" in New York City...he found out he couldn't- He was SURPRISED! The point here is he is fed excessive propaganda and outright Bull Sheet from day one! As  far as libtards go-there is "no" gun laws because they were told so by the 6 o'clock news!



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Good one Shane!



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