The 155 day was shot at a new-to-Jerry orchard near Edgefield that was very active. There was never a lull much over 5 minutes all morning. The special part was that the founding members of "Crow Week" we're all there and in good shooting form. I even made 3 or 4 kills at 55-60 yards (one advantage of #6's if you like the long shots).
A side note is that Crow Week started with three if us shooting for three days (my avatar photo is from that trip). As it got more popular, it grew to three different groups, but in only two-day increments. There has been so much interest amoung friends to hunt crows that I could easily expand it from 6 to 12 days...but I simply don't have the stamina to do it! I even have wives of friends lobbying my wife to mention that they want to be included in Crow Week. It has taken on a life of it's own!
Mark,
Nice story about three century shoots in one orchard. As you know, Jerry is a numbers man...a walking spreadsheet. He even speaks in rows and columns! Speaking of numbers, it occurs to me that there is no other game this side of South America that allows for the volume shooting that we enjoy with crow hunting. I have heard talk of a couple of pigeon or collared dove shooters that have a very limited setup, but crows can be shot by almost any hunter from coast to coast. Doves are great, but you must stop at 12 or 15.
I.S.
-- Edited by Island Shooter on Friday 7th of December 2012 11:13:26 PM
-- Edited by Island Shooter on Friday 7th of December 2012 11:14:08 PM
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The man who thinks he can, and the man who thinks he can’t are both right.
Just got back from our annual trip to the Aiken, SC/Augusta, GA area where we hunted six days with Jerry Tomlin. As most of you know, Jerry is a well known crow guide who works a large network of pecan orchards spanning from Columbia, SC to Moultrie, GA. Hunting is done only with decoys and hand calls...no electronic calls, as this is his "duck hunting method" which brings them in to us in small groups all morning. Jerry typically averages over 50 crows per morning, and is very good at what he does.
Every year I organize a trip for several of my friends, staying at a family-owned property near Aiken. The format is to hunt in two-day increments with three different groups of hunters. After a large breakfast at the house, we head out to whatever orchard Jerry has scouted for good action. Hunting is usually from a blind, but we sometimes will go to an orchard and stand under trees, if time is short. After the feeding activities slow down (usually by noon), we eat sandwiches on the tailgate or back at the house, then head out to a local sporting clays course to shoot 100 rounds of sporting targets. After resting and changing, we head in to Aiken for a meal at one of the nice restaurants. Then the same thing the next day (except each group only shoots clays one day).
This year was a good week, except for one day when it rained all day. Here are the totals:
Monday - 55
Tuesday - 9 (rain)
Wed. - 155 (they were hungry!)
Thurs. - 43
Friday - 37
Saturday- 49 TOTAL CROW COUNT: 348
We had a great group of friends/hunters and everyone had a great time. The "Shot of the Week" was one crow taken down, stone dead, at 78 yards! In the past six years, we have made the Cenutry Club four times.
The format has worked well for me for the past six years and we have already booked Jerry for next year. It is a fun getaway with good friends and, unlike duck, pheasant, goose, dove or any other hunting, there is no limit, and we don't have to clean the birds! Although we have the advantage of a "base lodge," this format would work well from a hotel room. The origins of this format came from some bad experiences my brother-in-law and I had while hunting pheasants in South Dakota. Crow hunting definitely fills our needs and for us is much closer to home. I would encourage you to give it a try!
I.S.
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The man who thinks he can, and the man who thinks he can’t are both right.
Jerry is a good man, I met him in Tennessee years ago at a National Crow Shoot. The both of us teamed up the second day and we both won a Remington 870 for our efforts.
I'm glad you had a great time with Jerry. Thats what it's all about, just getting out there.
Bob A.
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To listen to this radio talk show go to episode 12, Bob Aronsohn
I met Jerry at the Birmingham Deer Expo in 1995. I was walking around the show when I came across his booth. I walked out with the video, calls, and a dozen decoys. Learned alot that day talking to him.
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I hunt therefore I am!
If you are not stepping forward, you are stepping backwards. Time stands still no for No Man.
Island, Excellent post and I'm sure you guys have a lot of fun with Jerry. He is a great guy. (The Crowman).. I've shot with Jerry many times and I will shoot with him again soon in Jan. 2013. Interesting observation is that he is a professional guide and sincerely wants to kill crows to increase his average. Jerry demands the use of numbers 6’s due to the energy they produce and immediate knock down power. Never has shotgun report ever kept a crow from coming to the call or decoys. So any effort to suppress shotgun noise is just a waste of time... I lost a bet with Jerry last year when I bet him we could not kill 100 in an orchard that he already had two 100 + bird kills. It cost me 3 flats of #6's.. Well above his rate for a single gun..It was just he and I and we ended up with 105.. I really didn"t didnt mind the loss. Again, excellent post and darn good shooting!!
Don't forget Argentina...doves by the millions.. pigeons too. If possible, Argentina should be on everyone's bucket list. The wing shooting is beyond description and that is an accurate statement. But as for the USA.. nothing beats brer crow!
Island, You are dead on about rows and colums with regards to Jerry, I can not believe what he remembers about shoots.. TBC, shell count, weather ( wind etc) amazing.. He just texted me the numbers right after you guys shot last week... 52 shoots so far this year... Some of you will do the math....My best guess would be 8320 rounds have been fired within 10 feet of him.. ..~650 lbs of #6's..... Best of luck in future shooting with him or without.. AND yes crows are the best to hunt!! Like AC/DC ( the band) No stop signs, no speed limit...
This does sound like great week. Our hunting areas are simply not big enough to provide enough uneducated birds for a week.
On our weekends we usually hit them hard on the first day, the next two days we have to get the full chokes out and dig deeeep into the bag of tricks to coax them in...
I talked to a friend where we got 280 over three days. The "each one teach one" approach works very well with the locals. Hare and pheasant counts are up because the crows avoid those areas ... Mission accomplished! :)
