I hunt the farm I manage it is about 1.9 miles long on a fairly large shipping river in TN with rocky bluffs of hardwood forest across the road and river with the river bottom on both sides being cropland. I always have between 50 and 300+ crows on my farm daily. At almost exactly 2 pm every day I can look around and it goes from crows all around flying and feeding to nothing. I normally hunt only in the mornings and have good success (in my opinion 15-50 per time out) I tried going in the evening both Friday and yesterday about (3pm- dark) I hear the crows across the river and see them occasionally flying they answer my calls whether mouth or electronic but no luck on getting them back across the river. (For more information in the mornings almost all of the crows come from my side of the river from the bluffs across the road. Also the river is to the North side of my farm flowing from east to west the bluffs are to the south across a rural hwy.) So I guess my question is why are they going across the river every afternoon/evening but roosting on my side of the river?
TN,,,,,,,,,, After 230 pm those birds have one thing on thier mind and that is staging for the roost. 8 is right,,,, They usualy stage within 1/4 to a mile from the roost. I believe of course only a crow knows,,,, they are reorganizing family members and murders. I've watched birds stage for hours. I have seen a pair or a single flying over a field with a 1000 birds in it. Then just drop out of the sky and join a small flock in the middle or on the edge of the field. I also believe they have a pecking order to the roost, youngest birds roost the lowest. Ihave killed a lot of young birds and some times I think I have a piebald he has so much crap on his back. Rarely see that on adults.. I think each crow has its own distinctive voice, thats why a bird can pick a family member out of hundreds. Also the calls we use electronically mean danger to a crow that has been educated. The same sounds are used nation wide. They aint stupid
