I went out hunting this past weekend and nothing seemed to respond to me. While I was in the blind I was the main caller, and the crows would come in to about 60 and not close in on the decoys, normally I just use the come here call and it gets them in for a shot. But this time only one came in, landed in a tree about 200 yards away, tried the come here call and it came right in, landed in the branch right above me (tried to get the guest a shot at his first crow, but he wasn't quick enough on the draw so I had to shoot it). Ended the short morning with 1 bird.
The real reason I start this new thread is because we found a farm that had atleast 60 crows in one tree and 50 more on the field down the road. They land in the field to feed every morning, so should I even call if they come to eat on the seeds? Or should I just wait until shooting cools down to start calling? And when I do start calling what should I use?
Basically whats your favorite call to bring them in?
I do have Bob's crow calling CD and I can practice, I have the Gibson Short Mag crow call. Still new to crow hunting shot my 8th crow of my life just last weekend. My call sounds good, its just I don't know which to use and at what time. Any help is appreciated.
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Duce, it sounds as though those crows are smart to your setup. When they start sitting in trees a distance away or stay out of shotgun range they're most certainly educated. The crow that landed above was likely a dumb one and I'm sure became a victim of natural selection. My belief is to always go where the crows want to be. Not always an easy proposition in populated areas I would think.
Ted
-- Edited by M12Shooter on Tuesday 13th of March 2012 02:15:15 PM
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The Forum says that I'm a veteran member, but I'm still just a Rook-ie. Sounds like you're hand calling only, is that right? I would go easy on the calling with some soft calls just to get their attention and then let the decoys work. But, I'm not the best caller and I have been having some of the same difficulty. I have turned the volume way down on my e-caller once I get a response, and used it sparingly. Sounds like they may have heard that tune before and are call shy.
Good hand calling like anything else takes lots of practice. This has nothing too do with crows but it does have something too do with practice. I also play pool and carim billiards and I am on a table 4 to 6 hours a day playing. Now it will take you a good year before you get the hang of hand calling crows. It does not come over night, but if you stay with it the rewards are wonderful.
The soft calls like "The Come Here Call" and "The Recognition Call" work in feeding type situations. You use the feeding call once and let 10 seconds go bye and do it again, you use it sparingly.
The hard calling like "The Fighting Call" or "The Distress Call" you have to use a pounding tempo with a lot of emotion in the sound you are creating for the crows. I use these calls when the birds are trading around from one field to the next.
There are no set rules as to which calls to use at any particular time, but I will say this, the hard calls work the best in just about any situation.
Here is a photo of a pecan orchard hunt where just a hand call was used, the birds were coming into the orchard just a few at a time over a period of 5 hours.
Rook: yeah I only use a hand call, but I'm thinking of getting a crow fighting tape or an E-caller this summer.
Bob: I will have to practice more. And see what birds will respond to in certain areas and wont respond to. It sounds like its just something you pick up with experience.
M12: I think you're right, I have a hunch it was hunted a couple weeks ago, birds sparingly came in within 100 yards.
Thanks for the advice.
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A man can be beaten in two ways... he gives up or he dies.
