As the title states, crows up here are already starting to gather. Many of this seasons young have fledged and the lions share will be aloft soon.
Was having a couple cold Canadian beers on a colleagues home and patio deck the other evening. He lives a short distance from the my home and I couldn't help but notice hundreds of crows fun and frolicking at sunset over a woodlot about half mile from his home. Him not being a crow hunter or seasoned bird hunter of any sort showed interest in shooting some crows.
Short of it, we set up in a small opening yesterday evening and had a decent summer shoot by my standards...Him 7 KIA's and myself 19 KIA's. His words were something like "I have never had so much fun hunting anything like this" and "i can see how this can be so addicting".
Text message short time ago from this guy as he informed me there was a bunch gathering over the woodlot again this evening. Looks as another sortie will soon be in place.
Pics below of a pair I shot this evening 10 minutes from my home. Took the dog for a leisurely walk and packed a shotgun with a few shells in my pocket. Dog was ecstatic, looking at me like I was a dead fish on the beach and I was too...
The Michigan season starts in August and while the weather may not be ideal hunting conditions, like you observed, the crows do group up a little. I've had decent shoots in certain situations at that time of year.
Summer crows, 27 on a p.m. hunt. Wow! Done gave me the itch, so it's time to start piddling with the gear and get everything ready for fall. Congrats and as always great pic's
Summer Crows!! I can hardly remember when I ventured out in the heat of July...with the chiggers, ticks, snakes, heat, bugs, etc. but am doing so in the morning! A farmer called two days ago..said he had 200-300 crows in his crops and both he and the crops needed relief! So, am guessing the 200-300 birds are in reality 25+ ( but am thinking positive ) so I made the 22 mile trip to his farm, made basic blind from bushes in the area and am headed out at 0-dark-30 in the morning with trusty crow gun and crow loads at the ready! Even in the heat, one cannot dismiss out of hand... a 200+ bird report! Report tomorrow!!
Skip
Arrived at 0550, stuck my "flapper" (no crow mounted yet ) in the ground about 25 feet in front, placed FX3 5 feet behind and started in with some light mouth calls. In .00005 seconds, two eager beavers presented and were downed. I ran out, grabbed one and mounted it on my battery powered flapper device--took about 7 minutes--and I promise there is nothing better than a dead REAL crow flapping to attract family members to the picnic. It was warm--76 degrees, high humidity but NO wind--still as a tomb meaning birds could hear me 360 degrees! I like that! For the next 2 hours, I had beautiful bird "presentations" with 1's and 2's and 3's... largest group was 5 and we all know how super this is vs. educating large groups at one time. Shooting Nitro 27's in 7 1/2's, I had just plain super shots!! The birds came in on a string...straight line right at me... no rudder controls needed, no wind, they had no chance! Well...not much of a chance! Two hours, 67 KIA's and 100% satisfaction! Have killed more, but not sure I ever enjoyed a hunt more--and that is the name of the game!
I tried my best to uphold the finest traditions of a Crow Buster member!!
Skip
-- Edited by Skip on Friday 14th of July 2017 05:53:51 PM
The Michigan season starts in August and while the weather may not be ideal hunting conditions, like you observed, the crows do group up a little. I've had decent shoots in certain situations at that time of year.
Keep up the good work!
BH
Used to be lots of crows around in-say-late August but those days are llooonngg gone! Now however I have heard of crows in another part of this state in numbers however!
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Top Cat Statutes never replaced or rewrote the constitution!
Great report but as they say "Without the pictures it didn't happen!" Do you have any to post? If not, we will trust you...This time only!
A hunting buddy must have felt the activity on this site brewing. Just got a call saying a melon farmer on John Island needs our help! We are planning to hunt on Monday morning. Haven't seen the site, but it sounds like a concealment challenge. The only tree is a single palmetto tree with minimal brush to hide us.
Will add my report if things go well. Can only hope we get half the crows you did!
Demi
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The man who thinks he can, and the man who thinks he can’t are both right.
Good hunt brother! I'm picturing lots of poof shots. Like!
I think the most amazing thing about your story is you found a land owner who can count and/or estimate bird consentrations. That is a rarity in my experience.
Keep up the good work.
Demi,
Good luck! Looking forward to the report...even if it does not go as hoped.
Spectacular job!! I have never heard of that kind of shooting around here by anyone! This means in this state particularly. That type of shooting is often unavailable until migration due to the general lack of crows and the circumstances don't really exist here for that type of shooting. None the less-keep up the good wok!
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Top Cat Statutes never replaced or rewrote the constitution!
TC: You are entirely correct! This time of year we have zero migratory birds.. only our peanuts and pecans when ripe suck in the larger gangs and they are not ready in July!! I have NO clue what these birds were eating. The only thing planted in and around the blind was soybeans. Not sure I have ever seen a crow IN a soybean field or pulling up the plant like they do corn once the plant emerges. But we most certainly saw a total of 80-90 birds that morning... a very rare July surprise.
I can remember when I had the push that you do now going out at this time of year for crows.
Now at this point in my life Bert Popowski's words of wisdom ring true to me when he said in later years "use your head instead of your legs" and that applies to the heat during the summer.
Those words ring true Bob. I still have a good bit of boyish enthusiasm left though. Breaking clays all summer long doesn't quite do it for me... Nice to get out and mess up a few dozen crows, a good dose of " Crowzac" as Skip would put it does wonders!
Ted
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Congrats on a great "July" hunt!
Spectacular job!! I have never heard of that kind of shooting around here by anyone! This means in this state particularly. That type of shooting is often unavailable until migration due to the general lack of crows and the circumstances don't really exist here for that type of shooting. None the less-keep up the good wok!