Crow Busters Forum

Chrisnick · Member

Tough day

Old Artilleryman · Guru

It happens. I was skunked twice here during AUG-SEP. Once, really bad. Excellent cover/blind in an area with crows all around during recons; had hunted a couple of miles from there and killed crows; yadda-yadda. Even had a relative along who had never hunted crows, to give him a "good experience."

Fired up the caller and they came storming in (we could hear them) BUT, they screeched to a halt at the tree line immediately to our rear, remaining out of sight, cussing us out. Only thing that I can figger' out is that they were extraordinarily well-educated. Since I was on the southern edge of Big Honkers AO (area of operations), I blame it on him. furious

However, I took him out a couple of days later in another sea of soybeans and we got a five with him getting one. He was happy. smile Photos from that hunt below. I was so disgusted on the Super Skunk trip, I took none.

It happens... disbelief

-- Edited by Old Artilleryman on Thursday 27th of October 2016 05:06:22 PM

stone-age · Veteran Member

You and I can probably help each other, as I am also a newby. Decoys? I'm now using a few FUDs as in this area it seem like there are always a few groups of 5 or so, almost never bigger than that. And I believe they have busted me by seeing me from directly over head a few times. I now cut my way in under a cedar tree. On one hand I have to be able to shoot, but on the other hand they won't come near me if they can see me from overhead. For whatever reason these birds will respond to soft calls but not hard calls, go figure.

Old Artilleryman · Guru

Recommend you do a few searches on this website for insight on a given topic, such as "decoy." Try it, you'll be immersed in wisdom and some BS (from BH, at times biggrin ).

Chrisnick · Member

I am not using decoys. I am still waiting to start my new job so $ is tight. I can't spend any money on fun stuff. I got kids. Lol

I am using a Wildlife Technologies E-caller. Which only uses real animal vocalizations so that usually tricks just about everything I want to call. I won't use anything else. When I got the caller I wasnt into crow, just coyote, fox and Deer. So I only have 4 crow vocalizations on it now. But getting more crow sounds are on my short list, Wildlife Tech is based out of Manchester which is only 20 minutes away. When I can afford more I will go up and have Bill add some more.

My sounds are:
Crows mobbing
Crow and owl
Young distress
Crow alert.

Mobbing usually pulls them in, but not today.

I think most my problem today is that I am hunting a power line stretch. It is multi use so shooters, ATV'ers, other hunters and you name it goes on out there. As I said, I need some fields to hunt which we have a bunch of fields and farms around here but the thought of hunting and shooting around here has changed lately.. A lot of snooty people and Mass. people have moved in so hunting isn't a huge pastime here like it has been. And a lot has been developed. But hey, being out in nature sure beats doing nothing!

I will take any tips anyone wants to share....

-- Edited by Chrisnick on Thursday 27th of October 2016 05:34:36 PM

stone-age · Veteran Member

3 of my decoys are made from a black trashbag and a wire coat hanger. (learned from Utube) I bend the wire into the silhoutte of a crow with the hook straightend out to stick in the ground. I cinch the neck area with some black tape and tape around the foot area to hold it together. The extra plastic bag is cut off and stuffed inside to give the decoy some thickness. The main thing I am trying to accomplish is give the crows something else to focus on instead of looking around and spotting me.

"Mobbing usually pulls them in, but not today." I have to wonder if they are educated.

nhcrowshooter · Guru

You have a lot to learn Grasshopper (dating myself with that phrase). I don't know anything about the e-caller you have and the sounds that are on it, what I can tell you is the Johnny Stewart sounds are the gold standard in the business of shooting crows, especially Crow Come Here, Crow Fighting Owl, Single Excited Crow and Crow Death Cry. Find out if MP3 files can be loaded on to your caller and then go look for J/S sounds. First thing most new crew hunters don't do right is camouflage, you should be wearing camo head to toe and you should be in some kind of blind made from natural vegetation, a good blind see pictures on this website. Stay hidden and don't move until you go to shoot when crows are coming. Decoys, Flambeau hard plastic works OK, they sell for $7.99 a piece, buy one now and then as you can until you have a half a dozen. You will need a bag to carry them, used nylon GI duffle bags work great, Army Navy stores or Ebay has them. Find a cut cornfield or cut grass field that crows are using or flying over and set up in a hedgerow, watch the wind direction, crows will come in or turn into the wind to come into the decoys. Get a decent mouth call to go with the e-caller, better yet get a couple because they will stick with spit after awhile when in use. Haydel's is inexpensive and always works, Mallardtone and Faulks C-50 are good choices too. Use the mouth call along with the e-caller when crows are coming toward you but far out. Use it quickly after you shoot, it often turns other crows back to you even though you shot. I think you said your gun was choked modified, that will work on crows out to 40 yards, the sweet spot for shooting them is 25 to 30 yards IMO, IC is a good choice for that. But sometimes no matter how good the set up they just don't come down. If you don't reload use trap loads, 3 dram 7.5's. Get out at dawn and don't quit too soon. When crows are migrating through NH, the peak being the last week of October, they sometimes don't start moving until 10AM. Practice your shooting in the off season, shoot clay pigeon games as you can afford to.

-- Edited by nhcrowshooter on Thursday 27th of October 2016 07:43:32 PM

Chrisnick · Member

NHcrowshooter:

The E-caller I have is a closed system. No non WT sounds can be added. I was camo'ed from head to toe. But I was not in a blind. Maybe I will take some supplies with me to make a natural blind next time I go out there. I do plan on picking up some decoys as I can. BPS has some that get good reviews. I do have one mouth call for crow (many for coyote) it is a Quaker boy "crankin crow" a cheap plastic one. Although I have read bunches on this site and all over the web, can you explain quickly how I would use a mouth call in conjunction with the E-caller? I figure let the E-caller do the work lol. Yes I used a modified choke yesterday and knocked down one. Today I was using a light full choke, but never took the safety off, so I haven't seen a difference. I have done years and years of sporting clays and always did pretty well at it. All,I need is the crows in front of me and I should be able to knock some down!

I appreciate the replies, just like coyote, crow seems to have a big education in hunting them.

nhcrowshooter · Guru

Your E-Caller I can not comment on I have no experience with it. Camo clothing is good but a good blind is really necessary, (I am a duck hunt style of crow hunter, run and gun guys don't use blinds). The best tools to bring is a folding limb saw (be sure it's OK to cut brush and trees) and long zip ties. Crow decoys do not need to have a great level of detail, just about all commercial crow decoys will work. I would advise you stay away from the foam decoys with a clothespin on the front. They are junk and the seams will soon split in cold weather. Place your decoys in the open about 25 yards downwind of your position, if you can get a decoy or two up in a tree limb or on a pole that is helpful too. When you blow a mouth call in conjunction with an e-caller you are adding another dimension of sound, more caws, a different volume and not in sinc with the caller. It just sounds like more crows to the inbound crows. There is a point of commitment on the part of the crow where you can stop but the idea is to get them diving into the decoys. I like to use long drawn out caws after the shot, a pleading call if you will to have survivors return for another look. Sometimes it works, some times it doesn't. When crows hear a crow call they come looking for what is making the noise, decoys give them something to look at which can distract them and keep them from seeing you. Without decoys they are looking hard and may have an easier time spotting you.

-- Edited by nhcrowshooter on Thursday 27th of October 2016 09:15:14 PM

Chrisnick · Member

Awesome! Thank you! What part of the state ate you in? I am south of Manchester off of 93

Old Artilleryman · Guru

Chrisnick:

You can save some $$ if you like working with wood, with the result that your decoys will cost next to nothing. I did, and they seem to work fine around here, combined with max-camouflaged blinds and zero movement until the bandits commit it took me a while to learn the latter two factors (Thanks BH). Take a look at this: Only costs are some glue, flat black paint, and clips. 1/4 " plywood is free for the asking at most building sites and you could probably scrounge the clips from somewhere. I made twenty 3-D and 15 silhouettes.

Pattern: On p. 61 of the SEP 1936 Popular Science: http://www.popsci.com/archive-viewer?id=WCgDAAAAMBAJ&pg=59&query=Crow%20decoy

Take a look also at this Crow Busters thread: http://crowbusters.activeboard.com/t52762745/home-made-plywood-decoy-project/?page=1

As for the "Grasshopper," usage, NHCrowshooter is your your Master Kan or Master Po character to listen to here (from the Kung-fu series), as his words contain much wisdom (BH's also, though I hate to admit it smile ).

Most of all, have fun.

nhcrowshooter · Guru

As far as the advice of not over hunting an area by going back to the same blind too soon, it's good advice when all you have are native/local birds but that rule does not apply when crows migrate through the state which has been intense this week. The crows we shoot at continue south and are long gone by the next day and the migration assembly line brings new uneducated birds into the area the next day. I believe you could hunt a single location nearly everyday from around 10/15 to 11/3 or so and have new birds coming into the area each day. Maybe just few some day but other days it will be hundreds if not thousands moving through the area at the peak of migration.

Chrisnick · Member

Great info. Thanks. Good to have someone in my State with so much knowledge.

Chrisnick · Member

Speaking of needing a blind to be successful, has anyone ever used one of those portable ground blinds? I wonder if they give enough field of view and shooting room for crow..

They seems to be cheap enough to try.

boba · Guru

Chris,

Pete (NH crow shooter) gave some very good advise. You might want to look at Old Artilleryman's photos of both his and Pete's types of blinds to give you a visual of what a good blind should look like.

Big Honkers · Guru

Chris,

The waterfowl-type layout blinds will work for crows. BUT, you give up 360 degree shooting range and more often than not you'll be shooting at heavily flaring birds as you rise to shoot. I avoid them for those reasons.

BH