Really wet fall up here. Lots of crops will go unharvested this fall making for a smorgasbord of food choices for the crows. Received several calls with desperate pleas from sunflower growers as crows have targeted these fields with a vengeance. Yesterday morning at first light amid 600 acres of featureless standing crops I propped up a blind and covered it with sunflower stalks.
My effort and anticipation was rewarded with almost instant action. The crows wanted in and I wanted to kill them. Shooting was good for upwards of an hour but my skills were somewhat lacking this day. Didn't take long though for the crows to gather and watch from a river bottom a mile away. This was an indication that the shoot was for the most part over at this location.
Finished with 21 KIA at the field and 6 from a location upwind of the river bottom...making for 27 KIA's and a couple probable. Further I must say that my shot to kill ratio would have struggled to meet 50 percent...just one of those days I will blame it on the wind which was a bit too gusty for my liking. Attached a photo of my blind and a few of the fallen for your enjoyment!
Ted
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Life's tough... It's even tougher if you're stupid. John Wayne
I traveled into CA two years ago and saw huge flocks ( murders) of crows.. it was almost to Granby, Quebec.. I traveled from Montreal to Granby..Saw as many snow geese too.. I was traveling with a guy from france he couldn't understand the passion / obsession about me looking and watching at the crows.. keep up the good work!!
-- Edited by Mark on Wednesday 1st of October 2014 07:47:06 PM
Thanks for the kind words fellas. Actually slapped the whole affair together in the dark. Improved it by adding material once the sun got up. Shot so very poorly that it haunts me still. In retrospect, I should have place the deeks and caller about 20 yards upwind and slightly to the back of the blind. This would have given me a better chance at the crows as it was very windy. Had at least 20 groups come in, in numbers from 2 to 50 or more I would estimate. Didn't get one double as at the first shot remaining birds opend their wings and the strong wind had them out of range in seconds. Should have had 40 birds down in that field.
Ted
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Life's tough... It's even tougher if you're stupid. John Wayne
Is that a 12ga M12 or your 16ga? I see a red high brass hull on the ground which usually means a 12ga but purple is not as universal color for 16's as SAMMI would like it be.
12 gauge that morning. Those hulls are Federal heavy loads, 1 1/8 oz 7 1/2 shot. Picked up a few flats some time ago as they were priced not much more than cheap promo loads.
And yes your right. Most of the 16 gauge ammunition in my locker is the distinctive purple colour...less a few boxes of Remington and older Winchester fodder.
Ted
__________________
Life's tough... It's even tougher if you're stupid. John Wayne
I will blame it on the wind which was a bit too gusty for my liking. Attached a photo