This being the final weekend of our MI season, I was enthused today over trying out a new location. The owner, a blueberry farmer with many properties, took me on the tour for turkey and crow a week ago. I’ll check the turkeys out later, as we have until 14 NOV for them; I already shot one turkey this fall season on one of his other properties.
Google Earth shows the set up (pic 1, star) on the W side of the pump house which shaded me from sunrise, facing W (pic 2). Weather at sunrise was 60 deg., wind from the east, 3-5 mph, sunny, but misty on the ground which burned off about quitting time. Beautiful day. No one had hunted crows here according to the owner. Since the birds were used to vehicles and equipment nearby, I couldn’t beat the parking situation (pic 3). Perfect—uneducated birds! Fired up the caller with owl-crow fight which begins with 7 series of hoots then crow racket. They went nuts! At least a dozen in the tree line to the SW (pic 4). Several came in low and slow and I quickly downed two, then another two, with one landing in the ditch to my left (south, pic 5); he required a second shot then had to fish him out later. Another large pond to the n (pic 6). Lost one hopper in the bushes and recovered another. One rookie, boneheaded moment on my part was when the hopper required a second shot and being distracted by something, I forgot to cycle the action resulting in the next low and slow one getting away as I was trying to break the trigger off the receiver (“No Shootie”). They continued to scream and holler from the SW tree line making a huge noise with the occasional excursion resulting in one more down. Then things slowed down. Got one more low and slow a bit later and by 0830 things stopped. I’m showing the clothing store “hook” I use to place silhouettes in the trees. It’s about 20’ with 5 sections—also good for fishing dead crows from their watery grave (pic 7). Still lots of blueberries left (pic 8) but all the big ones are gone. Finally, if you’re ever later on the hunt than you told the wife you’d be, wildflowers always work* (last pic)! Good way to end the season: action, uneducated bandits, adequate crow carnage, and fine weather.
*NOTE: Flowers are also a good follow-up after she finds the two crows in the freezer you were keeping for another property owner who wanted one for the taxidermist .
-- Edited by Old Artilleryman on Sunday 27th of September 2015 06:06:16 PM
Great hunt! Report was excellent and those pics of your M12 and crow carnage just say "Huntin" to me as do Teds. And good tip on the wife.
Do they give y'all a reason for closing your crow season? Sorry if I have already asked this but this time of year it seems it would be good for crows there.
OA,
Can't you extend your season with crop deprivation birds such as these? This is from the MI DNR website:
"Crows may be taken outside the open season during hunting hours, in compliance with federal regulations, if these birds are causing a nuisance or creating a health hazard."
Demi
__________________
The man who thinks he can, and the man who thinks he can’t are both right.
Great hunt! Report was excellent and those pics of your M12 and crow carnage just say "Huntin" to me as do Teds. And good tip on the wife. Do they give y'all a reason for closing your crow season? Sorry if I have already asked this but this time of year it seems it would be good for crows there.
Butch
We're stuck with our seasons like everybody else in the country. Few up in Lansing (the Capital and font of all wisdom) care about crows; deer hunting (turkey also) is the big bucks item (note the clever pun ). Big Honkers will vouch for the fact that October is when the large groups (for around here, anyhow) begin to appear. It drive us absolutely nuts!
Ted was the one whose M12 was the cause of me snapping up an oldie when one appeared at a great price (due to the Poly-Choke). I used to try to use the Mossberg 500 when it had a scope base on it (deer and turkey gun) and it simply didn't sight right--no surprise.
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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
Re. logistics, you should know how much I enjoy "roughing it." I actually had to haul stuff as far as 10' or so and then park the truck behind the shed; in darkness, no less!
__________________
"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, Can't you extend your season with crop deprivation birds such as these? This is from the MI DNR website: "Crows may be taken outside the open season during hunting hours, in compliance with federal regulations, if these birds are causing a nuisance or creating a health hazard." Demi
Yeah, I went through that bit of research with the DNR. Tiz possible. To do it "within the law" the owner must obtain a special permit and then, the shooter must catch them "in the act" of being a nuisance or public health hazard, etc., etc., BS, BS, etc. A little difficult being "spontaneous" with crows--in the act, wouldn't you agree? Now for a guy like Redditch, who's a PH, it's less of a problem.
__________________
"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
Great hunt! Report was excellent and those pics of your M12 and crow carnage just say "Huntin" to me as do Teds. And good tip on the wife. Do they give y'all a reason for closing your crow season? Sorry if I have already asked this but this time of year it seems it would be good for crows there.
Butch
We're stuck with our seasons like everybody else in the country. Few up in Lansing (the Capital and font of all wisdom) care about crows; deer hunting (turkey also) is the big bucks item (note the clever pun ). Big Honkers will vouch for the fact that October is when the large groups (for around here, anyhow) begin to appear. It drive us absolutely nuts!
Ted was the one whose M12 was the cause of me snapping up an oldie when one appeared at a great price (due to the Poly-Choke). I used to try to use the Mossberg 500 when it had a scope base on it (deer and turkey gun) and it simply didn't sight right--no surprise.
Butch:
Recall the two maps explaining the Michigan Crow Flyways and how they change during the year:
-- Edited by Old Artilleryman on Sunday 27th of September 2015 09:40:15 PM
Thanks for refreshing my memorie, it's a shame that they don't recognize when hunting is best for y'all.
I hope the map is correct and they head this way I am way ready for "crow snow" "thumps" "carnage" "cart of death" you get the picture. Will finish planting deer plots in the am and then it's crow only for a while "Good Lord willing"
Great to see that old M12 killing blueberry thieving crows! What choke setting do you use OA
Ted
I've never measured with calipers to determine the true chokes on this Poly-Choke. It is marked with six settings: FULL, 5, MOD, 3, IMP CYL, and 1. , I usually begin at MOD and if they are not coming in close, I tighten to FULL and hope for the best. Mod worked pretty well this past Sat. on the half-dozen "low and slow" uneducated bandits--exception being the one time I forgot to reload .
__________________
"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
.
). Big Honkers will vouch for the fact that October is when the large groups (for around here, anyhow) begin to appear. It drive us absolutely nuts! 
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