Crow Busters Forum

TEXAS CROW PATROL INVITATION

No doubt the high point in November, heck, for 2010, for me was responding to an invitation to visit/hunt with the Texas Crow Patrol. Gadget Bob was kind enough to invite me down and expose me to all things Texas and all things Texas Crow Patrol! I disregarded warnings from my wife and virtually every other person whose opinion I value and headed to the Lone Star State the week before Thanksgiving. My greatest fear: I would not be able to take or handle enough "gadgets" for me to qualify as a real crow hunter by TCP standards and by the gadget man himself: Bob Irving.

Unfortunately, my plane was 4 hours late in departing (navigational issues) and we missed the Texas BBQ Bob had planned with all three members of the TCP( Gadget Bob, Texas Matt and Lone Star Phil ) plus others who have applied for membership but whose applications are still pending. I am very sorry events did not allow us to make that dinner. Perhaps next time. I was greeted, however, at the airport by Gadget and Jonathan Greig, a good friend of Bob's and I could not have gotten a warmer welcome.

As for my fear of being "under-gadgeted" suffice to say when we departed the next morning for pecan orchards unknown, the bed of Gadget's Toyota truck...Toyota One..was full to the brim with equipment (read 'gadgets') I could not imagine would ever be used to kill a crow. I felt insecure immediately. There were going to be 3 of us hunting. Packed in the bed of the truck were 11 guns. ELEVEN..and I did not even bring one of my own. My mind was racing..trying to figure out if, but worse, when I would be required to use several guns at one time! I mean why else would we have 11? You can imagine my anxiety. Eleven guns for 3 shooters...good grief. I further stressed that one of those guns might be a double barrel loaded with #6's..but little did I know a more sinister plot awaited me: the use of the Metro.

We departed Gadget's very nice home at 0540 hours and was told we were meeeting our 3rd guy, Matt Hunt (Texas Matt) at our first orchard several hours away. When we arrived, I could hear crows in the orchard but then I heard shots!! The shots were coming from our 3rd hunter and I thought how inconsiderate! Matt had arrived first and commenced shooting, a cardinal sin, before the "guest"..me.. had arrived. We found out quickly he has spotted a coyote and had taken a few shots with his AR-15. No joy, but shots were fully excused. A few minutes later, I was being equipped for my first action with the TPC. It was still early, but I could see the gun I was given was unlike anthing I had ever seen before.

A cammoed Browning BPS 12 gauge pump with a 3-foot barrel extension screwed in where the choke should be was thrust into my hands. The barrel extension was perforated along it's complete length with 4 rows of small holes at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock. I filled my pockets with "Metro" ammo Bob has specially loaded for that gun and headed towards where we were going to set up. I had not walked 3 steps when I felt something pushing my arm backwards. It was the barrel of the Metro. I had stuck the muzzle in the ground picking up dirt/leaves. I quickly learned that if you carry that gun like you would a normal gun, you will stick the muzzle in the ground about every other step. Matt said "yeah, this happens a lot. We should have warned you." I should have interpreted my first Metro experience as an omen. Omens, as I have seen in several movies tend not to be good things.

Replete with my face mask, gloves, leafy camo all on, Snow Crow Fox Pro at the ready, I found myself under a pecan tree with about 70% of it's leaves still in place. Crow music started and we immediately had 25 birds headed straight towards us...about 25 yards up..perfect shots I was thinking.

I tried to swing the Metro at overhead birds only to have the barrel bump low limbs/leaves. I tried to swing on close-in passing birds, easy shots normally, but suffered from rookie mistakes learning how to maneuver the 5 foot barrel. I tried to figure out just which crows I could shoot but frustration quickly overloaded me. When I finally did fire I was so engaged in trying to manage the Metro, I forgot my gun would not shoot again without some mechanical action. The specs on the ammo Bob gave me pegged speed at 975 fps, subsonic, low recoil ( I should say NO recoil) and very low noise. I missed the ones overhead, I missed the ones to my right and I missed the ones to my left. But I did not engage to ground again: a victory of sorts. I did eventually kill 12-13 crows that morning with 2,653 shots ( well, it seemed that way) and when they fell no one was more amazed than me.

The sole purpose of the Metro is low noise coupled with the thinking it scares fewer birds therefore increases your TBC. If this is actually true, then this is a positive: the only positive in my view. Otherwise, range is limited to 25 yards, perhaps 30, leading a fast flying crow is near impossible, catching up with an evasive crow is impossible, the device an only be employed properly somewhere on a football field with NO obstructions within 30 yards in all directions. Further, I think the barrel "droops" as it get hot giving the shooter an aiming plane like a bamboo fishing pole and I am sure the continued use of it would cause emotional issues (psychotic gadget collecting, for example) and no experience I have ever had with any kind of weapon even approaches the frustration I had while in action with the Metro. If anyone ever suggests you try a Metro gun, run, move, change your address, change your name, falsify your death certificate. Metro "Verboten" got it!!

Now all that aside, we did kill crows both days. I am forbidden by TCP protocol from revealing numbers but there are fewer crows left for seed for next year. Bob was kind enough to let me use his Maxus and regular ammo the rest of the trip. We even went on "night ops" with Bob armed with his 10 gauge and night lights. Several fur bearing animals met a grim demise via that weapon. Night ops...was new to me but part of most TCP outings I learned.

Before departing for home, I was humbled by the presentation of the "trophy you see pictured here. In essence, I received the Texas Crow Patrol's "Blue Max" award as a "Hero of the Crow Struggle". I think I am the first recipient and I am sincere when I say this was an honor. The "patriotic" bird sits on a block of solid pecan, wearing a custom made leather WWI helmet hand made by Phil Masters-Lone Star Phil and a replica of the "Blue Max".



Anyone remembering the movie "The Blue Max" knows the significance of this award that gained fame courtsey of the creation of aeral combat in WWI through the exploits of those daring pilots. Thousands of soldiers down in the trenches watched in awe the dogfights overhead. To earn the Blue Max a pilot had to have 8 aerial victories which was later changed to 16. The first pilot to win the medal on Jan 12, 1916 was the German Max Immelmann. The second was Manfred Von Richthofen, known today as the Red Baron. My trophy is indeed a fine award and it stands proudly in my Crow Hall of Honor. My grand kids are already lobbying to have me leave it to one of them. What more can I say. I was humbled.

Bob has many orchard owners who value his services and who genuinely like and appreciate what Bob and the TCP does. He is a credit to the Texas Crow Patrol and to Crow Busters as is Matt Hunt and Phil Masters. I strongly encourage anyone who might be invited to hunt with them to accept the invitation. I could not have been treated more kindly or considerately. It was a trip and an experience I will forever remember. Thank you Bob, Phil and Matt. You have a standing invite to hunt with my A-Team here in North Carolina...anytime.