Has anyone tried making there own decoys? I came up with an Idea and have tested it. I think it will work great. I made some decoys out of sheets of duct tape folded to look like a crow. They are light weight. fold up, and easy to pack. Check out my idea and if any one has any other ideas or ways to improve my idea please let me know.
http://youtu.be/uuUenyKfM_8 click or cut and past the link to see my 1st video of a 3 part turorial on making duct tape crows.
Hi, I'm new here too, but I've been killing crows as my primary hunting effort for several years. I've never had any guidance or training, so I've had to progress on my own imagination. I've never had the funds to buy too many of the plastic decoys, but I've found that dead crows make the best decoys. Besides arranging them in a rough, wide circle around my plastic owl decoy, I cut suitable limbs with twigs to hold crows more or less upright when inserted into the ground. I've even used a short stick to spread their wings, and suspend them by mono fishing line from nearby trees with overhanging limbs. Nothing excites them though like a mass of dead crows spread in front of your blind.
__________________
"When you have shot one bird flying, you have shot all bird's flying. ...the sensation is the same, and the last one is as good as the first." E. Hemingway "Fathers and Sons"
How do you prepair these crows. Do you stuff them, dry them or what? Its a good idea because nothing looks like a crow like a crow does. Let me know. Thanks.
If you are somewhat handy with basic wood tools you could try this. Works for me and it's nearly free and fun to make. Only costs are some glue, flat black paint, and clips. 1/4 " plywood is free for the asking at most building sites and you could probably scrounge the clips from somewhere. I made twenty 3-D and 15 silhouettes.
Pattern: On p. 61 of the SEP 1936 Popular Science: http://www.popsci.com/archive-viewer?id=WCgDAAAAMBAJ&pg=59&query=Crow%20decoy
Take a look also at this Crow Busters thread: http://crowbusters.activeboard.com/t52762745/home-made-plywood-decoy-project/?page=1
Have fun.
43 days and a wake-up to MI crow season # 2.
__________________
"Arms are the only true badges of liberty. The possession of arms is the distinction of a free man from a slave." -- Andrew Fletcher 1698
I primarily shoot in cool or cold weather, because I can no longer stand heat. After the days shootings, I usually gather up 10 or more crow carcasses, and hang them inside a 55 gal. barrel(so the foxes and racoons can't get them), and save them for the next day. In cold weather, they will keep as long as a week.
Your question did stir something in my memory, however. I believe you can actually "skin" a crow, then
__________________
"When you have shot one bird flying, you have shot all bird's flying. ...the sensation is the same, and the last one is as good as the first." E. Hemingway "Fathers and Sons"
Whoops! Sorry about that. My big, club fingers hit the wrong key, and submitted my unfinished post by mistake. As I was saying, salt the inside of the skin well, and stuff it with corn shucks. Sew it back together with a sacking needle, and allow it to dry. Try to keep the skull and beak attached, and salt well. Wings will need to have as much bone and meat removed as possible. Hmmm,,,you would almost have to hate crows as much as I do to put that much work in it. Just gather up the dead ones after the first hours shooting and use them for quick decoys. I may need to seek professional help.
__________________
"When you have shot one bird flying, you have shot all bird's flying. ...the sensation is the same, and the last one is as good as the first." E. Hemingway "Fathers and Sons"
Very funny crow187. I think I will give my duct tape oragami crow decoys a chance and see how they do. I have tried it out and have gotten a few in close for clear shots. Just practice no shooting. Still not season.
generally all you might otherwise need is a plastic owl or hawk with dull cote on it and that flapper crow sold on here somewhere and you will be good to go in untouched areas until later in the season depending upon how you are shooting meaning if you are using a feeding set up then naturally you need more and more crow decoys as the season progresses or your kills will get less and less.
Thanks to everyone for your helpful hints since I am new to crow hunting. I dont think frozen crows will last quite as long here in florida unless I put it in my freezer but ill give it a try. Would anyone like to let me in on the hawk and owl decoys? What are the used for. And how?
Well most garden stores have a great horned owl decoy. All you have to do is put dull cote on it to kill the shine. basically you can put it on a fence post and if wind is a problem attache it somehow. many plastic owls have a hole on the bottom. You would stuff a long p[ole up the center and put it where crows will spot it. even an old tree limb and set it near a tree or where it will stand out. initially on the ground with decoys will work but i prefer the tree branch to look more realistic. You can hang it too. Sometimes a very good stand is to just cut or break off the top of small or short tree and stuff the owl right on top. You can put it between the fork of branches in a tree too. The same idea with a decoy red tailed hawk. The mojo motion decoy hawk works exceptionally well with the flapping wings mounted on a nice pole. But the regular hawk decoys will do just fine but don't forget to dull cote it.
One other thing-you probably don't want to face it into the sun as no owl would do that. ideally you would also sit about a quarter mile under a flyway to attract crows headed for the roost too. Do not shoot up the roosting birds or you will have to look around for the new roost which is a huge pain in the keester. One good reason is what is they now head for the roost over no trespassing property? Goodbye big bird kills!