I saw this happen a couple of years ago or so...about late November a river of crows with but two days to end the NH season....all the mean whiles we had to plug away and be ever vigilant which is hard to do given that my areas often require a couple hours or so one way...when I saw that particular river of crows it was in no mans' land but I was still wicked surprised to see crows like that which must be a very common sight in the dakotas or the general plains....but these were the crows we'd see gradually filtering down not all together like that...!! It was great to see that but on the other hand.....!
One area i went to today had not only been hit before but there was a goose hunter in the field and you could hear other hunters in the distance blazing away at something 2 miles out in the forested horizen...although some were obviously target practicing versus know hunter style firing..no idea what they were otherwise shooting at though...even heard a distinct explosion way,way out there too!
(My feelings told me not to go there today..oh well..live and learn!
There will always be some waterfowl hunting as no one will mess with the water ways too much and the forests generally will be available unless this becomes a demeroid "paradise' but I learned 20 farms shut down this year...very bad news indeed!
The newest things popping up in this state are veterinary hospitals and rehabs for drugaholics and alcoholics and million doallar homes and carpet bagger polititians trying to save granite staters from ours selves and lower taxes and our constitution-they'll show us how to "live" all right!
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Top Cat Statutes never replaced or rewrote the constitution!
The NH crow season in southeastern NH was completely normal and predictable. We started to encounter pockets of migrants on 10/12. From that point on until the last week of October hunting was hit or miss depending if migrants were going through. The last week of October birds moved in good numbers and steady shooting was to be had every day. We were hampered by a 5 day blow with higher than normal winds reducing the effective range of our callers and a couple days of drizzle or rain during the big push of birds. As if on cue when the calendar turned to November shooting dropped off and became hit or miss again with only pockets of migrants moving about for the first week. Now the shooting is much like September where the wait can be long with only a few crows to be seen or taken. This is pretty much how it will happen next Fall because this is how it always happens in this part of NH.
-- Edited by nhcrowshooter on Friday 11th of November 2016 09:00:11 AM
Sounds very similiar to the old southwestern days in the connecticutt river valley in the 70s. Again-from previous posts -that no longer exists. But it's encouraging news about south eastern NH however...I sure hope you don't lose it. You'll be on a major bummer big time.
It was incredibly shocking to see it all gone. An interesting note was you could actually go up the road practically within shouting distance to be at the next farm where you could shoot and it all depended on the farm manager whether or not that individual allowed it. But her again there was shootable acreage-still there but no crows.
Another item; gee Mr NHCrowshooter you said things were very slow so I offered my insight. Now you say thing s were normal. Okay I'd rather that happened than what you were saying. I love reading your reports as it reminds me of the days of yore..where I go now is nothing like the old days. It almost isn't worth going getting right down to it. In this part of the state all "my" crows are hanging out in no mans' land. At one time rte.91 in Vermont along the Connecticutt practically split the huge corn fields there once...it was amazing but I wasn't there at the time to see them. But day I just wanted to watch them as I strongly suspected from an individual at your Holderness class said they "can't get at them!" True enough to say nothing of all the grass fields once corned....I am not lying-I saw a huge river of crows but the only one that day. I can just imagine what those house looked like the next day as the roost included many big dollar homes. I swear-I saw a huge flock or river just as the sun went down and the local crows-hundreds in fact-were stopping at their grouping area before going to the roost. I know this is hard to accept but I hik I shared this with you in a pm. Even though no one can shoot up there; just for the experience of seeing such a gigantic roost in NH might be interesting? I don't go to watch anymore. There's no place to go up there. Anyways one shot at that farm and they would all arise at once and laters gaters! The usual crowd is about 2,000 give or take peak migration of which many if not most are until the food runs out. So you just imagine some 15-20,000 more joining in for a bite to eat? That farm must have buried the next day with these hungry crows. But I wasn't going back to see it the following day. Unable to shoot at them and the property owner is a very nasty arrogant broomstick rider. Her hubby is respectful but his wife is straight out of hell and has no problem telling you off because she thinks her doo doo don't stink . I often wonder how in the dickens did he ever wind up with her. Totally dominating. And I am sure you got a few out your way too.
The difference is of course you still got quality and quantity. It is very difficult to rack up numbers here. I was getting about twenty crows each time out in "my" area but others go there too. Yes the same exact location. I have to gamble the geese kept them occupied so no interest in the crows. But I also went during the weekday which hasn't proven the safety catch I'd known before...
As for the crows in no mans' land they all ate at this one farm. They'd all leave in bunches to the grouping area then -satisfied they got it all clear-would go to the roost. The roost changes every year. Nobody loves that shower every day. So-again-I don't go up there. If I cannot get at them I don't go. If that farm wasn't there they'd not hang around. Still it's sad to see what was cornfields all gone but for the grass.....that'll go too when the developers build it all up too anyways.
Eastern Nebraska is going to the birds too-I saw where they had built houses right in the cornfields how ever it won't go as quick as here those..the last gasp before sinking is already in progress here....
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Top Cat Statutes never replaced or rewrote the constitution!