Crow Busters Forum

The start of my annual crow hunting is normally a trip to the Aiken, SC/Augusta, GA area under the guidance of Jerry Tomlin.  We have been hunting with him now for 9 straight years.  I arrange the hunts to be with several different people, organized in four 2-day hunts of 4 hunters (me, and 3 friends, plus Jerry).  We hunt primarily in pecan orchards set up in a blind, vs. R&G.  This is one way I can repay various friends for being invited on dove hunting or other trips.

Crow hunting is not our only activity.  We combine hunting with sporting clays, cooking fine breakfasts (shrimp & grits and crabcake Benedict this year), eating at great restaurants and we fill in between with a moderate dose of appetizers and good beer & wine.  We base ourselves out of a family property and stay in an old camp/house that my grandfather built over 100 years ago.  It is all pretty well organized and everyone loves the "Crow Week" experience.  My only problem is that I am unable to accommodate everyone who wants to get in on the fun!

Back to this year's excursion.  Jerry does a great job of scouting out orchards and has over 50 to choose from ranging from Columbia, SC to Moultrie, GA.  If we run into call-shy birds, he will normally move us to another nearby orchard to save the day.  Jerry works hard scouting the best places and normally has his blind already set up the night before.  Typically we meet him at a pre-arranged address or gas station, then proceed to the orchard.

Jerry's daily average is normally over 50 birds, but this season is starting slowly... don't know if the migration is late or what, but they are definitely fewer in number this year.  In the 8 hunting days we had as many as 91 crows, but had a couple of slow days (rain, fog and/or wind) were we ended up with 11 & 13 birds.  But as mentioned, the slow days were bolstered by the other positive activities.  Our sum total was 356 crows, or as Jerry puts it...a daily average of 44.5 dead bandits!  Crows or not, we all got a shot at 100 clay pigeons at one of the Palmetto Shooting Complex courses: https://www.facebook.com/PalmettoShootingComplex

Here are a couple of photos from the hunts.  First is our high bird day of 91, then the next is when my wife joined me to hunt with another couple and we shot 76 crows.  A great experience for all who attended and it has really gotten me in the mood to increase the total count to see if I can best last year's total of 1,400 birds (blind count).

Good Hunting,

Demi