Hey guys I am new to Crow hunting and I just became a member of this site. I have invested in two hand calls which I just received in the mail. A Gibson long range and a Mincey, I can't believe how realistic they sound. I also ordered 6 decoys which haven't arrived yet, it takes a while for things to come here from the U.S.
I got into crow hunting unexpectedly, my main hobby is farming and I am also a firearms enthusiast. I have a friend who owns.a farm nearby my house and he lets me use an acre of his land to grow food. Well in 2016 I had a really nice corn crop growing, the best I have ever had. I put a lot of work and love into that corn patch but one morning when the corn was in the milk stage I approached the patch only to see a flurry of black bursting out of it. I was heartbroken to see that a group of crows had devastated the crop. I grabbed my .22 out of the shed and picked a young one out of a tree at about 50 yards. They kept coming back and wised up enough that I could not get close enough or sneak up on them with the .22. I was complaining at work and a coworker leant me some decoys and an old mallardtone call and gave me some tips. I hid in the shed with my over/under before dawn after setting out the decoys. I managed to call in four crows that morning and killed two. I am hooked! I can't believe the rush I got when I fooled them to come in. I learned how incredible their eyesight is when I was stalking their perch with a .22. I look forward to many more hunts in the future.
Gibson and Mincey! Tough to beat that combo I guarantee! Hope you spend the time learn to mouth call crows. It will pay dividends your entire crow hunting life. Electronic calls are excellent... do the job, etc. but the electronic call will not make THE call you want... when you want it!! The best calling technique is a combination of both. Either one is great, but using them together properly is the ticket!
Skip
KT: Do not be reluctant to remove the mouth pieces ( in addition to just needing to clean them). If you are getting sounds that are too high or low pitched for you... move the reeds slightly. Further out will produce lower tones and the reverse higher pitches. Might I suggest you have one tuned lower and the other higher as it provides two different sounds for the crow to hear AND the higher pitch can be heard at longer distances if the need be!
I hunted Saskatchewan for 20 years straight... chasing Huns and Chickens! Nothing like it!! One of my fondest memories!