Last year I read where someone used a Halloween bat that flaps it's wings as a decoy to put against a plastic owl decoy to make it look like the owl captured a crow and the crow was in need help. What a good idea! So I just ordered 2 off ebay. For you who use this how do u attach it to the owl? Any other setup where u can use this bat? I really like it. It almost looks like it's quivering.
Also the eyes glow red..how do you cover that up? The wings look more gray than black. Sparypaint?
I recall this topic on this forum, and I did a search (click above). Some guys just used electrical tape to cover the eyes and flat black paint to modify the bat.
As far as connecting it to the owl, I'd say just wire it somehow.
Keep in mind that there are 63 pages of topics on this Forum dating back to 2010, and various articles (beginner and advanced) on this site, so there is a ton of information on here.
Plus, you always have Buster II on the Crow Mart Store. Mine stopped working, but I might get another one. I also modified it per the instructions in an article here and made a remote switch for it.
You do not have to attach anything to the owl..basically all you got to do is put them somewhere near the owl if you think you must. I think crows know what owls are all about. all you need do really is to mount the owl up high or veryr visibly under a flyway if you are not doing any calling and you'll get a"victim" soon enough to enhance your set up if at all necessary
I see where people are putting out animal remains or roadkill and so forth. it all works period. And all you might need is ONE decoy at that. I love the different techniques but much of it is over kill but they all work. I call that type "signature crow hunters' like myself. i am very partial to motion decoys because i have competition and I must go to areas already worked over.I must offer something DIFFERENT. And even so that area might be so badly burned that nothing will entice them in unless I can borrow an anti-aircraft gun or a friendly surface to air missile somewhere as they will nOT come down but circle around high overhead cawing away!
when going hunting keep notes on the numbers of hawks frequenting that area too. If you start seeing goshawks then keep moving. No crow is going to be that crazy knowing a visit to that field will guarantee a "hello" by a goshawk or its' smaller cousin the coopers' hawk which are primarily bird eating hawks and crows alone don't stand a chance against them; and they get sick and tired of battling hawks when they want to eat. The peregrine falcon while a summer resident in most parts of the country has larger winter cousins from the north with very similiar appetites and very dangerous to the crow as well.
And if you seem them chasing red tailed hawks or similiar soaring hawks then you got to know that field won't be worth crap either. The crows will be harassing the hawks instead of visiting your set up. happened to me a lot last season this year. In one case it was a golden eagle! Other times it seems the crows were always harassing red tailed hawks so all we could do was to sit and watch from a quarter mile away was the closest they came. Eventually the crows got sick of it and left the area drier than the saharan desert!