In the UK we use hide poles, camo netting (sometimes straw/hay bales), branches and hedges, cammo clothing with head gear (usually with a face veil), floater /bouncer poles, "pigeon magnets" (can be used with pigeon OR corvids), flappers, full body and shell decoys (usually "flocked" or covered with "decoy socks").
Footwear is usually wellingtons in wet weather, or heavy "combat" boots in dry weather
And gun wise is usually 12 bore, 20 bore, and the occasional shooter will use a 28 gauge or 410 (on the continent they tend to favour the 16 bore). As far as type is concerned, it's usually a semi auto 3 shot, a pump action, or an over and under, not many use a side by side now exceptfor "game shooting"
if you want to see videos go to YOUTUBE UK
and put in the search bar the following searches
for hide building "pigeon and crow shooting hide building" (crow and pigeon hides are identical, as both are extremely wary birds, and have excellent eye sight)
for flappers put in "FF5 flapper crow" or "A1 turbo flapper" (the FF5 is the best by far, but the turbo flapper is a good second)
for bouncer/floater poles put in "decoy shooting floater bouncer poles"
for or pigeon crow magnets/whirlies put in "pigeon crow whirly magnet"
for decoys (winged) put in "Silosocks hydra flap crow decoy"
that at will give you a large selection of films to view
-- Edited by Redditch on Tuesday 18th of August 2015 01:11:19 PM
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If it moves and is legal but also moral, SHOOT IT !!
Most of this stuff you CAN build yourself, however some bits like the flappers I WOULD advise buying, and the same with the decoys themselves, especially the ones for on bouncers/floaters and whirly/magnets.
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If it moves and is legal but also moral, SHOOT IT !!
In areas where I can't pull right up there with my pickup I will kind of do what you do. Sometimes I have to hike in 100 meters, here are some photos of blinds that Dick & I make on the spot.
In areas where I can't pull right up there with my pickup I will kind of do what you do. Sometimes I have to hike in 100 meters, here are some photos of blinds that Dick & I make on the spot.
Yep, it's quite often I have to "hike in" 100-200 metres, and I used to have to then make 5-6 trips to get all the kit over to where I was setting up the blind/hide.
now I take a wheelbarrow, and that only usually takes me 2 trips and a lot easier on the arms and shoulders :)
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If it moves and is legal but also moral, SHOOT IT !!
Myself I get totally camouflaged or I use someone elses' blind if they don't mind or stand amongst bushes totally camouflaged hopefully of the general landscape...here i will have a nice large cup of hazlenut coffee usually McDonalds' and an egg mcmuffin sandwich or two and some pumpkin pie...an opened box of ammo with about 5 other boxes if needed..rarely these days....several mouth calls when alone...no electronic calls at all....and in the right location calling is not really needed except to answer curious crows out there a few hundred yards or so or sitting in a far away tree waiting for encouragement...
Believe it or not i have talked many a crow into range...you know what call after a little casual conversation then they will go nuts!
Later in the season I use different crow decoys as by now every one has tried it using the standard types and this works great as by now a regularly used area makes them too spooky...they've heard the Johnny Stewart calls, the Burnham Brother calls...same old set up..yeah-they get spooky! Generally ignoring the area outright!
Electronic calls are forbidden for birds in the UK, and in most countries of the EU too (although some do use them, I've found a large variety of mouth calls works well, and have about 13 crow/corvid mouth calls)
Southern Ireland I notice they tend to use electronic calls a lot, but not sure if they are illegal there too (the Irish don't take much notice of laws)
For nourishment, we generally take a thermos or two of coffee or tea, or some small bottles of mineral water (Orange or lemon) or some coca cola or fanta etc.
usually packets of biscuits, but some will take a salad, a burger, crisps, or even a complete "take away" LOL
You can usually guarantee that when you have your hands full pouring a drink or eating, a large bunch of corvid said or pigeon will appear. Quick movement usually results in them flaring away, no matter how well you are camouflaged
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If it moves and is legal but also moral, SHOOT IT !!
You can usually guarantee that when you have your hands full pouring a drink or eating, a large bunch of corvid said or pigeon will appear. Quick movement usually results in them flaring away, no matter how well you are camouflaged
We call this "Murphy's Law." Sometimes when things are real slow, I'll intentionally get almost "too comfortable" and pour coffee, unwrap a snack, in hopes of invoking Murphy's Law; causing a crow to appear out of nowhere. It seems to work, but usually when I'm least expecting it .
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"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
OA mentioned about when birds seem to appear out of nowhere when you are pouring coffee or getting rid of coffee taking a leak! We have all had that happen, especially hunting waterfowl on an overcast day, you just turn your head and a moment later you turn it back and there they are cupped up right over your decoys!
Many times I have had ducks come right in while I was walking around moving a few decoys out in front of the blind; it's the movement that gets there attention.
Many years ago I was out hunting ducks with my father and his friend. A pair of black ducks lit 100 meters up wind of our blind. My dad's friend said to get ready when he fired a shot in the air! The pair jumped up into the wind but quickly rode that wind down wind right over our blind and my father and his friend got the pair; I will never forget it! It was just a matter of knowing the birds habits and a little luck!
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To listen to this radio talk show go to episode 12, Bob Aronsohn
I carry everything in one trip and it's getting harder to carry it all in one trip (by the end of this season I doubt I will be able to anymore). The farthest I have to carry it all is about a 1/4 mile if I set up in the far part. I carry 25 shells on my waist in a belt band and 100 more in a ammo case. A decoy bag with 12 FF decoys and a triple play motion decoy. My foxpro crossfire and camp netting in a large foxpro carry bag and my 3 leg chair clipped to it. I keep my gun carry case now since I have to carry it all. And a lanyard of mouth calls around my neck incase my bartered die.
I carry everything in one trip and it's getting harder to carry it all in one trip (by the end of this season I doubt I will be able to anymore). The farthest I have to carry it all is about a 1/4 mile if I set up in the far part. I carry 25 shells on my waist in a belt band and 100 more in a ammo case. A decoy bag with 12 FF decoys and a triple play motion decoy. My foxpro crossfire and camp netting in a large foxpro carry bag and my 3 leg chair clipped to it. I keep my gun carry case now since I have to carry it all. And a lanyard of mouth calls around my neck incase my bartered die.
Ya know, I only began this addiction 3-4 years ago and I started by walking it all in with a backpack and the Spitfire in my jacket pocket; feeling particularly proud of being so self-reliant and "Light Infantry"-like, walking it all in to destroy the wily black bandits.
That soon evaporated when my 5-decoy spread bred to become 35 decoys, then a Hotstick, then a giant (to me) decoy bag including a place to put the owl or hawk, plus its stand which doubles as the Spitfire stand, and "crow sticks' and the portable blind(s), a silhouette placing collapsible stick, and camouflage. So, I acquired a beater 97 Ranger to become my hunting vehicle and acquired even more "necessities." Big sigh..... The saga continues as I build a Whirley with two flapper decoys. STOP THE MADNESS!!!
(Just kidding )
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"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
Lol that is some collection. I do worry about how many decoys I will end up with. I started with 3 and it quickly went to 12 stand alone and 3 on the triple play. Every time I go I always think......man I would like just 2 more and I will be done. I would say I will he at around 20 this year and HOPEFULLY it's enough. I only regret having a lot of stuff when I hunt public land and can't drive right up to where I set up.
Lol that is some collection. I do worry about how many decoys I will end up with. I started with 3 and it quickly went to 12 stand alone and 3 on the triple play. Every time I go I always think......man I would like just 2 more and I will be done. I would say I will he at around 20 this year and HOPEFULLY it's enough. I only regret having a lot of stuff when I hunt public land and can't drive right up to where I set up.
It's too late. No exorcism will relieve you of this. Just git the stuff you'll need--you'll be happy and satisfied--until the next need pops up. Ask Redditch: he must be supporting half the U.K. economy by his kit!
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"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
Hahaha, I have 40-50 corvid decoys, and 20-30 pigeon decoys, 3 magnet/whirlies, four flappers, pole decoys, pole extended crop decoys, flying/flapper/bouncer decoys, 3 nets, 16 hide poles, 3 seats, 3 different pop up hides, not counting the buster II's and the crow and pigeon carousels :)
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If it moves and is legal but also moral, SHOOT IT !!
Gentlemen I have done it correctly just buying what's needed and staying light, no really I've had to buy a 4 by 6 trailer to carry every thing that won't fit in the truck bed ! Like OA said "git the stuff you need you'll be happy and satisfied"
Gentlemen I have done it correctly just buying what's needed and staying light, no really I've had to buy a 4 by 6 trailer to carry every thing that won't fit in the truck bed ! Like OA said "git the stuff you need you'll be happy and satisfied"
Butch
Plus, you have "The Cart of Death" inside the trailer; Good Golly, a trailer inside a trailer just to haul the bodies away!
This is why you are one at the height of Crow-dom.
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"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
Does that four wheel drive serve as a family car as well? The reason I ask is because if you mainly use it as a hunting rig why not invest in a four wheel drive pickup with an 8 foot bed and put a topper (or shell on it) on it? This way you don't have to pull that trailer ?
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To listen to this radio talk show go to episode 12, Bob Aronsohn
Wow and I thought I had a lot of stuff. I can safely say I will never have that much stuff. Well.......maybe I can't say that.
Print this posting. Then put it away until next year and do another gear/paraphenalia inventory. Odds are you will have more stuff. Important stuff, but more.
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"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 still cannot get over the size of those fields...I was thinking that if the crows hung out where you shooting at them then no casual roadside observer will ever see them!
No pheasant hunters will casually walk upon your blind area! No walkers or hikers, complete privacy
Lol yeah I will surely eat my words on that one. Am I the only one who always seems to be buying a bigger bag for gear? I started am on my 3rd decoy bag now and getting another soon. I think I might be better off just buying one that will carry 24-36 and still be fine when I finally fill it up. It seems like I buy the bag to carry exactly what I have and as soon as I get more stuff the bag becomes useless. Or just buy 2 bags for 24 decoys each.
Lol yeah I will surely eat my words on that one. Am I the only one who always seems to be buying a bigger bag for gear? I started am on my 3rd decoy bag now and getting another soon. I think I might be better off just buying one that will carry 24-36 and still be fine when I finally fill it up. It seems like I buy the bag to carry exactly what I have and as soon as I get more stuff the bag becomes useless. Or just buy 2 bags for 24 decoys each.
Just buy a deep wheelbarrow LOL, makes life so much easier. Chuck it in the back of the trailer (if you don't have one you will sooner or later) or in the back of the 4x4 and when you have to "hike in" load it up and wheel it across :)
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If it moves and is legal but also moral, SHOOT IT !!
I used to use one of those double bags for decoys but soon realized i didn't need so many dekes ;a combination of pigeons and crows and an owl...not really...every notice it's always one hawk getting mobbed by a bunch of crows up to practically a hundred or every crow within hearing distance?!
Easier to lug out as few decoys as possible...in my views...why make it os much work? Now in the UK I noticed a lack of calling so -yes-you might just need a few dozen decoys to attract them..luckily i don't...I have done so depending upon the circumstances, someone had hit the area before and cleaned house so I sure didn't want to look like the bushwhacker is back!
Newcomers to the sport often hunt crows like ducks-they think that is how you do it! NNOOOOO>...it is the worst way to do it around here or practically anyplace else! But what doi they know? Their mouth calling is lousy, their shooting a bit ridiculous...hardly any camouflage all...face not covered...this style i call scare crowing..!!
When you mentioned not wanting to carry many decoys it reminded me of a hunt many years ago. It was a very wet year so I had to hoof it 200 yards through ankle deep mud to my spot. All I walked in with was one 20 gauge pump, a flat of ammo (250 rounds) my bucket that I sit on and two Mallardtone crow calls. Once I got to my spot I made a tumble weed blind and used the dead crows as I got them during the morning hours. By 10:30 a.m. I was out of ammo so I walked to the pickup and got another flat of ammo; by 2:00 p.m. I was out of ammo again and did not want to hoof it back to the truck for more ammo, I was worn out! My point is that I just used the dead crows as my decoys and had a very decent hunt.
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To listen to this radio talk show go to episode 12, Bob Aronsohn
Does that four wheel drive serve as a family car as well? The reason I ask is because if you mainly use it as a hunting rig why not invest in a four wheel drive pickup with an 8 foot bed and put a topper (or shell on it) on it? This way you don't have to pull that trailer ?
Yep, although I live alone, sometimes I have friends that come shooting, but don't drive, so I have to go and collect them from the train or bus station.
Also sometimes my mother and one of my sisters comes to visit, and they like to sit in the back LOL
having a seven sitter means a pretty big boot with the two rear sets folded, and space on the rear seat (with cover) for a dog or shopping, or extra shooting kit :)
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If it moves and is legal but also moral, SHOOT IT !!
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The saga continues as I build a Whirley with two flapper decoys. STOP THE MADNESS!!!
