hey gang...got out today for a solo hunt....weather continues to be down right WACKY....with temps now in the MID 70S!!! ( week ago it was 2 ft of snow and 20 degrees)....i normally dont hunt the same locations more then once every two weeks.....but with the temps rising and all the fields i have permission to hunt turning into giant seas of black muck that swallows everything in sight.....i had no choice but to hit up the meth lab blind today....it has been 6 days since i hunted with my buddy there and i thought that would have been enough time to let it rest....it turned out to be a slow pick of single birds...who sucked into the rig amazingly well today....giving me chip shots at 10 yards.... i went 15 dead crows in 15 shots( cant miss em at that range) but the action slammed shut around 10am....i was concerned that maybe the 5 days of temps between 50 and 80 degrees sent some of my birds north....but upon packing up and driving home...i crossed a large hill that breaks up the valley i was in and saw a large concentration of crows in the fields on that side of the valley.....my best guess is the jig is up and the crows snuck in the back door to the valley and around me from roost....that said there is with out question 30-40% less crows in the area then last week so...im wondering if its combination....i really hope that i didnt blow up my blind today....because getting permission to hunt those fields on the other side of the valley is going to be tough....any constructive advice is welcome....going to try locally on long island next weekend...
-- Edited by BAYMAN718 on Friday 24th of February 2017 09:28:35 PM
Since you saw 30 to 40% less birds at your spot from last week's count I would say they found another feeding area. At this time of year things can change from day to day because there is not much feed for the crows to eat.
Why is it a problem on the other side of the valley?
BOB.... not just at my spot...im talking the entire county...
they are in the same fields as last week....but seems like they bypassed my location this week to get to them...as my blind is between the roost and the farms...
as for the that side of the valley....its owned by one dairy farmer who his not known for being hunter friendly cause some deer hunters shot 2 of his cows once....
-- Edited by BAYMAN718 on Friday 24th of February 2017 10:26:49 PM
-- Edited by BAYMAN718 on Friday 24th of February 2017 10:28:04 PM
-- Edited by BAYMAN718 on Friday 24th of February 2017 10:31:42 PM
