Crow Busters Forum

blackcloudsoverhead · Member

Decoy Improvement question

black duck nick · Veteran Member

1st the decoys will work like they are, but flocking helps. 2nd if they see you the game is over! take time to build a nice blind that they can't see thru. 3rd, i did'nt hear you say you use a dying crow sound, great sound! sometimes just that sound brings them in screaming.
but the biggest tip of all has to be HUNT WHERE THERE ARE PLENTY OF CROWS! do some riding around in the late afternoon + find some crows that seem to going somewhere + follow them to their roost.
try to get permisson a couple miles out so as not to breakup the roost. see if that helps.

shaddart · Guru

flocking made a big difference for me, skip the reveille & like Nick said use the dying crow or crow distress. I haven't had much luck with the owl decoy or call, so I really don,t use it much. Crow distress definitely works best for me, they also seem to respond well to crow/hawk fight. Just my 2 cents, I'm far, far from an expert. Jerry

M12Shooter · Guru

If your using an eletronic caller try just plain old crows gathering. Incomers will casually saunter in looking for the source of all the commotion making fo easy shooting.

Too many guys IMO get right into the crows battling or distress calls where incomers will barrel in like crazy. I usually start calling with a mouth call. Just a simple attention getter will often have birds within earshot over your blind.

As for deeks, I never waste any energy carrying them around. Simply tie the first couple shot ones toghther by their necks or feet with some cord and toss the mess up in some branches a few yards downwind.

Ted

Big Honkers · Guru

If you only saw about 50 crows and killed 12 of them I'd say that you are doing pretty good.

BH

jd1983 · Senior Member

Try with out the owl and feeding calls

watch em fall · Senior Member

I agree with JD lose the owl and use feeding calls. Later in the setup try more agressive calls, but not until at least an hour into your hunt. Also I try to keep decoys inside of 25 yards. And by the way 12 out of 50 birds is about as well as anyone will do in my opinion. Make sure you are invisible to the birds,if they or one for that matter sees you it makes for a tough hunt.

Mike27 · Senior Member

Black cloud,
Circling an owl on the ground does not look natural. Get the owl up and some crow deeks higher. You can also hang a dead crow from the bottom of the owl or Buster flapping.

Gadget Bob · Guru

Hi BCOH,

You have gotten a lot of excellent advice here from the guys.

M12 raises a valid point that Skip got us using. Start with less aggressive calling. That being said, we like to hit them with a couple of verses of JS's Owl & Crow Fight at some later point in the sequence. As you start dropping some, switching to JS's Death Cry of the Crow should get some to turn and come in hard.

Also WEF stated, tighten up those decoys. If it is legal where you hunt, adding one or two "flapping" decoys should prove more valuable than flocking for static deks. JD is right about losing that owl. Sometimes they help and sometimes they don't.

Black Duck Nick's advice on getting better spots certainly rings true and lastly, as BH said - you are not doing too bad. Getting smaller groups to respond over a period of a few hours is the key to the biggest numbers.

Regards,

Gadget Bob

blackcloudsoverhead · Member

yeah i did forget about the crow distress. But thanks for all your input. By chance anyone recommend where i can get a flapping decoy or too? biggrin

Mainehunt · Guru

shaddart wrote:
I haven't had much luck with the owl decoy or call, so I really don,t use it much. Crow distress definitely works best for me,

Same here, I agree.

Kev

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Gadget Bob · Guru

Hi again BCOH,

There are various options on "flappers". Here at CrowMart they stock the Buster II and you can find the Edge Expedite Wounded Woodpeckers at Cabela's. A shot of Krylon Fusion Ultra Flat Black on that woodpecker and you have an instant crow flapper.

Regards,

Gadget Bob

blackcloudsoverhead · Member

Ok thanks Gadget Bob. Do you know anything about the assault crow decoy you put on a long rod and it squares up with the wind

Gadget Bob · Guru

Hi again BCOH,

Not really, I have seen some pictures but never used one like that "assault crow".

I think you will find a flapper effective. Another source is a toy or Halloween store, selecting a flapping bird toy and painting it black. Generally those are of lower quality and won't last very long in the field.

Regards,

Gadget Bob

nhcrowshooter · Guru

http://cgi.ebay.com/FLYING-BAT-scary-holloween-bats-halloween-items-supply-/230565555952?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35aec72ef0

With a few modifications this will work fine and lasts about two seasons or one dead crow smashing into it smile

. Wrap the head in black electrical tape to kill the lighted eyes, hang from a tree with a piece of coat hanger wire or glue a spring on the battery cover with a hot glue gun so it can be stuck on a dowel in the ground.

-- Edited by nhcrowshooter on Tuesday 4th of January 2011 08:25:42 AM

Mainehunt · Guru

nhcrowshooter wrote:

http://cgi.ebay.com/FLYING-BAT-scary-holloween-bats-halloween-items-supply-/230565555952?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35aec72ef0

With a few modifications this will work fine and lasts about two seasons or one dead crow smashing into it . Wrap the head in black electrical tape to kill the lighted eyes, hang from a tree with a piece of coat hanger wire or glue a spring on the battery cover with a hot glue gun so it can be stuck on a dowel in the ground.

-- Edited by nhcrowshooter on Tuesday 4th of January 2011 08:25:42 AM

We must think alike. Charles and I have done this exact thing. He got a deal on eBay and got 6 of those flapping bats for very cheap.

I covered the glowing red eyes with hot glue and added a long black beak. (black plastic water pipe cut in a long "V" made a good beak) I finished it with a coat of flat black spray paint.

As long as we were gentle with them, (HA!) they lasted pretty good.

Kev
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nhcrowshooter · Guru

Mainehunt wrote:

We must think alike. Charles and I have done this exact thing. He got a deal on eBay and got 6 of those flapping bats for very cheap.

I covered the glowing red eyes with hot glue and added a long black beak. (black plastic water pipe cut in a long "V" made a good beak) I finished it with a coat of flat black spray paint.

As long as we were gentle with them, (HA!) they lasted pretty good.

Kev
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I am not aware of any crows noticing the lack of a beak, if any of them did notice they were well within shotgun range when it happened biggrin

-- Edited by nhcrowshooter on Tuesday 4th of January 2011 02:34:36 PM

chip · Guru

Hey Cloud, First of all I think you are maybe being a little aggresive too early. Lately I have gotten much more conservative with my calling. Find a place where crows are feeding. Get about a 1/4 or half mile up wind of them if posssible. Leave the owl decoy in the truck. Its best if you do that in a wooded area. Never put your crow deeks on the same level as the owl. Always use the fight sequence as a last resort, you dont want every crow in the area on you all at once and that is exactly what you will get. Yesterday I shot five crows in about 25 mins and never called a bit. They were sleepers that just came in for a look. I will tell you this about the assault crow system. Shanedog and I have come up with a combination that is out of this world. That decoy flat ass works!!!! Its the closest thing to a live crow that I have seen yet bar none. Flock them deeks,,,If you don't have time now do it in the off season, visit wwwfowlflocking.com they will have what you need at a fair price. Feeding sets is the best way to go in my opinion for numbers. I'm at 906 for the season and that is with only 2 fly way shoots. Just take your time to GET HID!!! And try to learn something everytime you go. Remember them crows will always be smarter than the hunter, Forever, Thats the only reason I hunt them so hard, Read all the post on this site that have to do with technique and methods, then go to the doc and get a prescription for anti depressant. Sounds like another one bites the dust, hook line and sinker biggrin

ublycrow · Veteran Member

If you saw 50 and killed 12 you did awesome. The black rats usually get smart after you drop 3 or 4. So 12 is good success.

When i use DEATH CRY on the caller the birds tend to get very mad...I can usually bang on them alot harder before they lay far away in the trees.

The biggest thing to killing your day is if they see you. I do not accept any barrel glare. I keep everything in full camo..and minimize movement until the bird is on me and I pull up to shoot.

Mainehunt · Guru

nhcrowshooter wrote:

Mainehunt wrote:

We must think alike. Charles and I have done this exact thing. He got a deal on eBay and got 6 of those flapping bats for very cheap.

I covered the glowing red eyes with hot glue and added a long black beak. (black plastic water pipe cut in a long "V" made a good beak) I finished it with a coat of flat black spray paint.

As long as we were gentle with them, (HA!) they lasted pretty good.

Kev
<>

I am not aware of any crows noticing the lack of a beak, if any of them did notice they were well within shotgun range when it happened

Yeah, I know. :) I just like to putter in my shop/man-cave. I have a TV out there hooked to my satelite so when watching the Red Sox or hunting shows I need something to do. Usually just mess around, like putting beaks on bats. biggrin

Kev
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shotgunshooter12 · Veteran Member

i know alot of different thoughts are out there about -weather 2 OWL or not 2 OWL . has anybody tried the 18'' ROTATING-HEAD OWL made by Darlen . just wondering if that extra bit of movement would make any differance.

Mike27 · Senior Member

sgs12,

Any movement would have to be a good thing.

Big Honkers · Guru

I am using fewer and fewer gadgets these days. I have not used an owl in 2 years. I did not even set out buster this past season. I have not noticed a dip in my success. IMO scouting and the selection of the best blind location on a property will drive success more than any gadget will.

Bob · Guru

BH,

Now you're beginning to see!

Bob A.

SHANEDOG · Guru

I never use an owl,feeding set ups for me,locate where the birds are working trhough all day long and have a good blind. smile

blackcloudsoverhead · Member

Thanks everybody for the tips. One more question..... In alot of the photos that I see on here from ppl shooting crows is they just leave the dead ones on the ground. Dead crows dont flare ones that are coming in ?

Lone Star Phil · Senior Member

BCOH:

Nope. Crows are a gregarious, clanish bunch.

To in-bound crows, dead ones on the ground probably look like feeding crows, spectators at an owl fight, unsuccessful participants at an owl fight or a family reunion.

Phil