Crow Busters Forum

Crow Down · Veteran Member

OWL SETUP QUESTION

NGillespie10 · Senior Member

I've never used an owl setup, but I think most people who do use them have something similar to that style of decoy. One thing I keep hearing is to add a dead crow or some sort of look alike near the talons of the owl to make it appear as if the owl has caught and killed a crow. Supposed to anger the incoming crows.

M12Shooter · Guru

Crow Down;

IMO the use of owl decoys when crow hunting is highly over rated. So many have written in books, magazine and such, articles regarding this topic to a point where some assume that deployment of an owl will automatically elevate one to a level of master crow killer.

I use a plastic owl often in the spring of the year as I feel this tactic to be efective only during the breeding season. Further, this decoy must be put high or in a position/location that is highly visable to crows. Also, never place any crow decoys below the owl...unless it is dead... as this would be viewed by all of crowdom as being highly unnatural!

I have "bumped up" an old post titled "Crow Decoy Setup" for your information. Included in this thread a couple photos of my "crow pole" and valuable infromation pertaining to this tactic from myself as well as others. Good luck!

Ted

NGillespie10 · Senior Member

^ nevermind me, better listen to people who have an idea of what they are talking about and not me

Crow Down · Veteran Member

Yea thats what I heard too. I'll deffinately give it a try. Thanks for the input. Haha that's okey, I dont know much about it either. biggrin

Crow Down · Veteran Member

Guru;

I know there is alot on it! Thanks for all your input. Ill start getting everything I need. Is it as effective as they claim?

Julian

Lone Star Phil · Senior Member

Crow Down:

The effectiveness of using an owl decoy probably depends on the answers to a couple of questions.

Are there great horned owls that habitate that area and is their presence known to the crows?

Are you playing "owl-crow fight" calling sequences on your electronic caller?

If you answer "Yes" to both, why not give it a try?!

The TCP shoots mostly in pecan orchards where great horned owls commonly are found. We know this because our calls will occassionally attract an owl or two. Hopefully, when that happens, the owl plants himself in a nearby tree and the action can heat up quickly.

I'm a fan of the owl-decoy-with-the-flapping-wing-Halloween-bat-in-his-talons ploy, since we use the "owl-crow fight call" more than once on a hunt. Match the call to the visual display.

It's easy enough to pound a stake in the ground, mount the decoy assembly and turn on the bat! I've observed such a display will hold the attention of in-bound crows just clearing the closest pecan trees like a magical magnet. Shoot, pump, repeat as necessary.

Crow Down · Veteran Member

Lone Star Phil:

I live in Ohio, and I have never seen a murder of crows and an owl fight, thats why I wondered if it was effective. And I was planning on getting something to play the "owl and crow fight" call on. I know nothing about electronic callers at all. As of now all I have is the cawlin crow decoy for sound, and it works great. But for a more effective call, and wider range of selections i was planning on purchasing an electronic caller. What do you suggest?

Crow Down · Veteran Member

Lone Star Phil:

And since I havent seen such a situation, do you think it would be worth it to ivest in the owl setup? But I still would like an electronic caleer either way.

Crow Down · Veteran Member

Invest and Caller*

Big Honkers · Guru

It seems not shooting the "scout" bird and having an owl set up are the two things everyone (even those that do not hunt crows) has heard about how to hunt crows. I consider both to be nothing but folk-lore.

My opinions:

Does the crow/owl fight sound work? Yes.

Do you need crow/owl decoy set up? No.

Shoot the "scout" bird? Yes.

BH

-- Edited by Big Honkers on Saturday 18th of August 2012 03:00:20 AM

Lone Star Phil · Senior Member

Crow Down:

I don't know Bubba. The entry level price of good Foxpro callers is in the $700 range. Pricey to me. Based on our work in the pecan orchards of Texas, they work like a hose. Gadget Bob and Texas Matt have all the high dollar calling gear - I'm just a trigger man who can do a little soft shoe when the action gets dull! We have worked together a number of years on varous orchards and I can tell you that we are constantly trying new decoy displays, new callers, new calling sequences, new hide technology. That's the fun of the sport, in my mind. Whether you put the crow on the ground is really immaterial; you should be focused on doing what you have to do to getting the crow to wing over and come into the range of your guns.

The smart play is to start out with the low cost technology gear (hand calls) and learn as much about the crows and opportunities provided in your area that you have access to, then, fill in with better technology after you have identified the needs. Take notes. Observe objectively. Determine solutions.

You will know when you have the correct decoy display, call and camouflauge when the crow wings over and dives into the kill zone and you hear yourself muttering, "I have you now, Mr. Crow!" when cheeking the stock!

motiondecoy · Guru

owl decoys work great. they can be used all day long effectively. i have actually used the peregrine falcon decoy too with equal results. I wouldn't use motion decoys until later in the season when every one by now has been using the standard cornfield crow scenario and crows are staying too high up or just ignoring you entirely. Now you might think you are the only one but if you are in serious crow country then I guarantee you are NOT.

When the the overhead cover starts to thin out or vanish now you will have to consider aghillie suit or some kind of a portable blind that matches your surroundings.

M12Shooter · Guru

motiondecoy wrote:
owl decoys work great. they can be used all day long effectively. i have actually used the peregrine falcon decoy too with equal results. I wouldn't use motion decoys until later in the season when every one by now has been using the standard cornfield crow scenario and crows are staying too high up or just ignoring you entirely. Now you might think you are the only one but if you are in serious crow country then I guarantee you are NOT.
When the the overhead cover starts to thin out or vanish now you will have to consider aghillie suit or some kind of a portable blind that matches your surroundings.

MD, you are quite correct in stating that an owl deek can be used throughout the day with good results. But, I have found owl deeks to be effective only during the spring/early summer breeding season. Have tried the owl setup many times in the fall and reactions by crows to the aforementioned are much different at this time than in the spring. Fall crows tend to gain altitude for a look and veer off once sighting the owl prop. I have had them do a few wide circles aroung the setup before picking up the pace and departing as well. It is my opinion that during the fall crows are more interested in feeding and migration that messing with an owl. I'm from Southern Canada and we don't have any huntable numbers of crows during the winter so I cannot comment on crow/owl relations during the winter.

Ted

Bob · Guru

Ted, going back to the days of Fort Cobb, Oklahoma a lot of those guys including my old friend Boyd Robeson and Dick Kilbane used stuffed horned owls with very good success during the fall & winter months. Dick said "ever try and shoot a diving crow going for the owl decoy" it's a very tough shot.

My father used a live horned owl back in the late 40's and early to mid 1950's. He would go to the kosher chicken market and buy 7 chickens each week for the owl! Every night there would be one chicken less! He also trapped live rats for the owl to vary his diet.

Bob A.