SB, to answer your questions, yes the bat toys will work without an owl decoy. They can be very effective but they are also a bit fragile (so is the Buster II). You need cover up the glowing red eyes, I use black electrical tape wrapped around the head. They can then be hung up using wire or some zip ties. I hot glued a spring to the battery cover to accept a dowel which can then be stuck in the ground putting the flapper in the middle of the spread.
As Bob said your local birds will get educated to your tactics but if you get crows migrating south through your area as I do, you will have uneducated birds arriving and passing through for a few weeks. That is when I get my most intense shooting. Hunt as much as you can during the migration.
-- Edited by nhcrowshooter on Sunday 23rd of September 2012 10:09:36 PM
I was in the local dollar store a few days ago, they had a big supply of full bodied plastic crows, they are full size and looked good, think I will pick up a few, can`t imagine finding them any cheaper.
I`ve read about these halloween bats that flap their wings, being used in conjuction with an owl...have any of you had sucess just hanging one in a tree without the owl deek?
I often have crows that circle high, 50-60 yds they seem to need more of a visual stimulation. In my area there are not huge numbers, often only 1 or 2 in a group, very seldom more than 8-10...on rare occasions I have seen 30 or so feeding in a field, but mostly they are in smaller groups. I`m sure the survivers have become educated as well. I have a few different farms to hunt, but they are all in a 5mile radius.
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There`s room for all god`s creatures...right beside the mashed potatoes
If all your farms that you hunt on are within a five mile radius then you are pretty much hunting a lot of the same crows; only from different locations. Thats a tough nut to crack unless you can branch out within at least a 40 mile radius.
Bob A.
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To listen to this radio talk show go to episode 12, Bob Aronsohn
