I usually put mine close to decoys, sometimes between me and the decoys, but never right by me. I want the crows looking at the decoys or for the sound, not looking at me swing a shotgun.
For me its a calculation involving these variables: blind placement, amount of surrounding vegetation/trees, expected bird arrival direction, and most importantly wind speed/direction.
My ideal set up is with decoys real close to the blind and the e-caller behind (upwind) of the blind and decoys. I like to keep both the wind AND the e-caller at my back if possible.
Now, that is my favorite way to set up but it doesnt always work out that way. I would prefer, however, to keep the caller close to the blind VS 15 yards out front of the blind....keeping the caller a good bit in front of me is something I never do.
The secret to shooting decent numbers of crows I believe is to get them in close as possible. Therefore, I always place my caller and deeks tight to my hide. As BH stated wind, weather, cover, etc... all play a role in placement as well. One thing to remember though, despite all the decoys one can muster up...crows will always home in on the source of calling like bloodhounds.
Ted
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How true M12shooter...I have seen them ignore two dozen decoys to fly right at me in the blind(i wasn't seen however)...eventually my partner took a really long wire and rigged up an Burnham brothers or Johnny Stewart call so the speaker was set out about 30 feet(?) or so and then put some natural vegetation about the speaker (they did in the past get a little wary about that odd object suddenly popping up in their field) and this can be corn cob or cornstalks or whatever makes it look like it belongs there...even a small pine bough..after all do not branches blow down all the time? Whatever you like? Here we have used camo face netting as well...you could also paint the speaker but still..there's that somewhat odd shape that suddenly becomes suspicious if you must shoot up the same place all the time..a completely new area and all you will be concerned with is the shine factor...this is remedied by using some flat clear pain found at the hardware store or just painting it with some basic brown coloring as you might be setting it on the ground?
I always put my caller and decoys in the same area. I ALWAYS put them up wind, so the crows have to cross in front of my blind going to the caller. Wind is so important, we always like to have it at our back unless we have a cross winds in which case I place the caller and decoys up wind. I never hunt spots when the wind is in my face.