I remember when I first joined crow busters reading post that down played the use of layout blinds. I didn't use one for 3 years. I came across a 200 acre corn field that was a staging area about 3/4 miles from the roost. Corn was cut and had been for a while. I tried it and it worked great! I had birds close enough I cud see their eyes. 10 15 yard shots. First time I actually had to take out my jelly head and screw in my modified choke. I've used it several times since then with outstanding success. Granted I spend lots of time on camo in the field. Anybody else use them?
If I had a washboard stomache I wouldn't hesitate to use one considering how much mud I'd be laying in but a blind that looks like a pile of brush or similair out in the middle of field would work-just ask Bob A
If you get the right kind there's no need for the wash board belly. I only use them in a huge cut corn field where there is no place to build a hide. If you are like me Bob it wouldn't kill you to do some sit ups😜
I have used layout blinds some. I dont really do it any more.
Do they work? Sure. Can you decoy birds super close? No doubt.
Here are some layout blinds shortfalls IMO: lack of 360 degree shooting, not much room for hunt inventory, and if you are on a really good shoot it is much tougher to keep up with the pace.
I much prefer other methods but wont knock a guy for using one. It just depends on the situation.
One early spring I tried to get this farmer to dig up this snow banking and we'd have a really below the horizon blind but he wouldn't do it...damn..it would have been a once in a lifetime as he moved into another state and his location was one of two hot hot hot locations in that time period for crows...which as anyone knows by now is total history!
I keep them in the bed of the pickup and they go back in when I am done hunting for the day.
Bob:
It just blows me away every time I see your photos of a vast expanse of nothingness with a "wart" of a blind sticking up out of the ground surrounded by piles of crow "carcae." I can hear them saying as they spot it from 2 miles out: "Gosh, Joe, what do you think about that? A bunch of our buddies hanging around that cluster of real short trees!" (Joe Crow says in return), "Hey Moe, let's go take a look and by the way, the rest of you guys behind us follow me--there must be something really cool down there to eat and it sounds like all our bros' are having a great time.""Tally Ho!"
You must have some special crows out that way.
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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
It's funny that you mention "vast expanse of nothingness" I got a chuckle over that, Jerry Byroad who is in the photo to the right always used to say to me "how on earth do you remember where to go out here, it all looks the same" Jerry was always getting turned around in this country. Jerry was from the state of Maryland and used to spend almost a month each season out here with me hunting crows.
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To listen to this radio talk show go to episode 12, Bob Aronsohn
It's funny that you mention "vast expanse of nothingness" I got a chuckle over that, Jerry Byroad who is in the photo to the right always used to say to me "how on earth do you remember where to go out here, it all looks the same" Jerry was always getting turned around in this country. Jerry was from the state of Maryland and used to spend almost a month each season out here with me hunting crows.
I picked up that descriptive phrase from 86-90, while assigned to the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, CA; adjacent to the Death Valley National Monument. Talk about moonscape. Barstow was the "Big City" in those days (Insider joke). I worked there as an "Observer/Controller," helping to train brigade-sized units that trained there for 21-day "rotations."Two photos of the days when we used jeeps and then transitioned to "Humvees." Note the vast expanse of nothingness in the jeep photo background, all 1,000 square miles of it.
Incidentally, there were large amounts of ravens and crows there, naturally attracted to the piles of (usually) mess hall trash waiting to be hauled out by GIs from the visiting units. Every once in a while when nobody was around (often) I took a shot at one with my "pyro pistol" (40mm flare pistol) with an air burst round. Never got one with it, but sure annoyed the bandits. I guess I enjoyed that so much that when someone suggested going crow shooting a few years ago, it awakened an old grudge.
Oh yes, the animal rights crowd out there in CA were faced with a great dilemma. First of all, they were always griping about how GIs were killing the protected desert tortoise or otherwise "stealing" them to make pets of them, and they wanted us to take all measures to protect them by not running over them with M1 Abrams tanks and lesser vehicles, etc. That didn't work real well. However, their beloved migratory birds, the ravens (and crows), learned pretty quickly that a baby tortoise had a soft shell and was pretty tasty. So all they had to do was peck through the young'uns shell or flip one over to get at the soft underside. The animal rights crowd's heads exploded over this one--fun to watch, as the ravens and crows refused to listen to them.
I thought about getting one around the end of last season. I had read that for the cost it wasn't worth it and I decided against it. If I can find a good one on sale then I will probably get one and try it out.
Yes. What we commonly called a Pyro Pistol (pyrotechnics), as we used it to simulate chemical (smoke round) and artillery (air burst round) attacks on the training units. Lots of fun to use, except that every once in a while there would be hangfires, misfires, and the occasional self-destruct of a very old piece. A wise O/C would fire the thing with it over his head (Helmet) with gloves on and eyes closed. Lots of fun, however. I'd probably get into big trouble if I had one now.
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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
You hit it on the head honkers. It limits your ability to use all your paraphernalia. I don't use them a lot but just when conditions dictate. I love the look on their face when u pop up and the bird is 10 yards. Priceless!!!!
You must have some special crows out that way.
