Crow Busters Forum

boba · Guru

How is your crow hunting this season?

Lefty2Barrels · Senior Member

Im guilty of being in coyote mode. We only have a couple crow spots so we dont get out to often.

Island Shooter · Guru

Bob,

After reading your post, I cannot get my hat onto my head as it is too swollen! Thanks for the compliments, but they are not that deserved. I try to work hard on things and sometimes it pays off. Been lucky to run into crows here and there this year.

Before seeing this thread, I was about to post about the sudden lack of crows out there now. We shot in two nearby pecan orchards and got a total of 244 birds in one (3 trips) and 219 in the other (2 trips). Scouting around this week, I have visited 3 or 4 pecan orchards, two dove fields, farms and other places we have shot this year and in the past... very few crows now. What happened? Have they moved over to neighboring crops/properties? Have they migrated through and gone? Have they not yet come down?

It's been a strange year for some reason. WHAT IS GOING ON?

Wish I had the answers!

Demi

boba · Guru

Demi,

You have the drive to get out there just like Pete and Butch to scout out any new potential territory. I drove over 200 miles the other day checking a new area but it turned out to be a wild goose chase; but that is all part of the game we play.

Dick and I had two days out of 5 where we shot 14 crows between us one day and 83 between us another day. That is when you get ready to sharpen your dull knife and use it on yourself! Out of the 5 days those were by far the worst. We had another day (out of the 5) where we shot exactly 100 crows between us. Then we had two decent days finally where we shot 239 in the morning and setup at a different spot in the afternoon and shot an additional 401 on a flyway shoot. The last day we shot 384 between us all day long in one spot. The 640 bird day was the best we have done in years!

So the moral to all this is that you take the good with the bad and "you get what you get"

Bob A.

Butch · Guru

Demi,

Called a 2 growers this past week that are gathering nuts and one is very good at estimating numbers, we have done well at his place and he told me he had saw 4 (FOUR) crows all day on a 135 acre orchard. Still not giving up but it's not looking good.

Butch

Lefty2Barrels · Senior Member

See, coyote mode

323yds

.233 Remington

53gr Vmax running around 3536fps

-- Edited by Lefty2Barrels on Monday 4th of December 2017 01:53:07 PM

boba · Guru

Now I know why they call you lefty after seeing your left handed bolt action rifle!

That is a hell of a shot on a coyote sized animal at that yardage with a 53 grain bullet. That bullet must expand very well on impact.

Very nice photo lefty.

Bob A.

Lefty2Barrels · Senior Member

The little .223 cartridge continues to impress me. Last weekend my hunting partner took one at 466yds with the same bullet.
Expand on impact....? Its more like a grenade goes off inside. I dont post graphic pictures of my coyotes. The gore factor is hidden in the picture deliberately. Unfortunately the first shot only anchored him. Shot 2 finished him. But thats how it happens sometimes, cant help that.
Thanks Bob

Mattie · Veteran Member

Just picked up the keys to the pecan orchard and my buddys deer season is soon to be over so hope to post pics. Did pick up a good tip on forum about placing decoys with fiberglassstick with funnel so I'm hoping that will work better than softball and fishing line. Also got a Beretta A300 and watching several videos on you-who about maintance,plug removal,etc. Hope this frontdrives new crows in from North.Mattie

Bob O · Senior Member

My new A300 is awesome!!

But crow season is closed and all the corn is cut so I can't shoot crows on the dairy farm anymore. I was there yesterday to shoot pigeons and sparrows, and there were about 500 crows in a cut field....but I couldn't shoot at them.

Island Shooter · Guru

Bob,

Have you researched your game laws relative to crop destroying and/or nuisance birds? We have a season, but crop destroying birds (including those flying two or from crops) can be killed any time here. Well worth checking and also having discussions with game wardens and/or DNR staffers...they generally don’t give a hoot about crows.

YMMV, but good luck.

Demi

P.S. You’ve now got a really good shotgun!!

boba · Guru

Bob O, you are fighting a loosing battle trying to hunt crows in states like Michigan, Minnesota or Wisconsin. They have the season closed at the best time, my advice would be to find some good areas out of state.

Bob A.

Old Artilleryman · Guru

Bob O wrote:
My new A300 is awesome!!

But crow season is closed and all the corn is cut so I can't shoot crows on the dairy farm anymore. I was there yesterday to shoot pigeons and sparrows, and there were about 500 crows in a cut field....but I couldn't shoot at them.

Big Honkers and me too--Drives us nuts down here in SWMI.

Merry Christmas!

M12Shooter · Guru

I had an great fall on the crows. Many 20 plus shoots within 15 mins of my home. Shot over 400 this fall alone. Crows here generally are all but gone by the third week of October. Had a couple good northern mallard shoots and sniped a few coyotes as well....

Ted

-- Edited by M12Shooter on Thursday 7th of December 2017 10:48:27 PM

nhcrowshooter · Guru

boba wrote:
Bob O, you are fighting a loosing battle trying to hunt crows in states like Michigan, Minnesota or Wisconsin. They have the season closed at the best time, my advice would be to find some good areas out of state.

Bob A.

The avid crow hunters in those states should let their wishes be known about changing the crow season to include the best times for crow hunting. Most wildlife agencies give little to no thought to crow season and you might be surprised to find they are willing to make changes.

Lefty2Barrels · Senior Member

Nice lookin coyote M12! What model rifle is pictured?

-- Edited by Lefty2Barrels on Saturday 9th of December 2017 08:07:20 AM

Bob O · Senior Member

boba wrote:
Bob O, you are fighting a loosing battle trying to hunt crows in states like Michigan, Minnesota or Wisconsin. They have the season closed at the best time, my advice would be to find some good areas out of state.

Bob A.

I don't have the money or time to travel to shoot crows, and the wife won't move so I'm screwed. I'll just wait til next August when the crows come back.

Between now and then, I'll be busy doing pest bird control on starlings, sparrows and pigeons at the dairy farm. Lots of fun with the air gun. And I can do it all winter long from the car, except for shotgun of course.

I'm trying to get a sister city to where I live to let me do some feral pigeon shooting in abandoned buildings at night. I used to work for that city so it's not that much of an uphill battle.

If I can break into the pest bird control "business" where I live.....no one does it, that will keep me very busy. I'm about to drop $1,500 on a nice airgun setup. My current air rifle is entry level-budget and has already served it's purpose by allowing me to learn the basics of air rifle shooting, and allow me to shoot while researching what I really want to spend high dollars on.

I already have a $500 scope on the way.....that was an easier choice than the new rifle, which I haven't quite pulled the trigger on.

-- Edited by Bob O on Friday 8th of December 2017 03:33:17 PM

Bob O · Senior Member

Island Shooter wrote:
Bob,

Have you researched your game laws relative to crop destroying and/or nuisance birds? We have a season, but crop destroying birds (including those flying two or from crops) can be killed any time here. Well worth checking and also having discussions with game wardens and/or DNR staffers...they generally don’t give a hoot about crows.

YMMV, but good luck.

Demi

P.S. You’ve now got a really good shotgun!!

Yes. In fact I shot crows several times out of season at a dairy farm under the Federal Depredation Order. But the corn is all cut and there's snow on the ground so there's nothing for them to damage.

Unless they start attacking the silage bags or causing other damage to the livestock feed, I can't shoot them just because they're there.

-- Edited by Bob O on Friday 8th of December 2017 02:25:53 PM

Old Artilleryman · Guru

Bob O wrote:
Island Shooter wrote:
Bob,

Have you researched your game laws relative to crop destroying and/or nuisance birds? We have a season, but crop destroying birds (including those flying two or from crops) can be killed any time here. Well worth checking and also having discussions with game wardens and/or DNR staffers...they generally don’t give a hoot about crows.

YMMV, but good luck.

Demi

P.S. You’ve now got a really good shotgun!!
Yes. In fact I shot crows several times out of season at a dairy farm under the Federal Depredation Order. But the corn is all cut and there's snow on the ground so there's nothing for them to damage.
Unless they start attacking the silage bags or causing other damage to the livestock feed, I can't shoot them just because they're there.

-- Edited by Bob O on Friday 8th of December 2017 02:25:53 PM

Why not? They're always plotting mischief about how to further defile the farmer's land/crops/storage, and thinking bad thoughts--probably about us as well.

"It was self-defense, Your Honor!" wink

You've got snow already? In the U.P?

Bob O · Senior Member

Oh yeah, we've been getting snow for a few weeks. It was all gone two days ago but it's back and tonight we're in for 3 to 10" of lake effect.

Also it's been cold for a few days, highs only in the low 20's and lows around 10. Wind chill factors aren't fun at all.

Butch · Guru

O.A.

We got 8 inches here in my area of Bama today, don't see how you guys deal with ith for long periods. Hopefully it will be gone tomorrow afternoon. And maybe that's it for us for the year and it stays up North where it belongs biggrin

Butch

Lefty2Barrels · Senior Member

8 inches Butch! Man oh man, we didnt get a single flake in my area.

Old Artilleryman · Guru

Butch wrote:

O.A.

We got 8 inches here in my area of Bama today, don't see how you guys deal with ith for long periods. Hopefully it will be gone tomorrow afternoon. And maybe that's it for us for the year and it stays up North where it belongs

Butch

Couple of alternative methods--shovel or this,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvR-eaKUVqU

As with crow hunting, one needs the right equipment. biggrin

Butch · Guru

Lefty,

Yes, we hit the lottery here on the snow bands that came thru. Now we get to deal with solid ice on the roads for a while.

O.A.

Gotcha biggrin Thankfully we don't deal with these events often. Funny thing is down here only preparations folks make is they buy all the milk and bread that is in the stores. Do folks do that up North or is it a "Southern Thang" ?

Butch

Old Artilleryman · Guru

Butch wrote:

Lefty,

Yes, we hit the lottery here on the snow bands that came thru. Now we get to deal with solid ice on the roads for a while.

O.A.

Gotcha Thankfully we don't deal with these events often. Funny thing is down here only preparations folks make is they buy all the milk and bread that is in the stores. Do folks do that up North or is it a "Southern Thang" ?

Butch

Naw, never. We're ready, lotsa crow in the freezer. But only for desperate emergencies. biggrin

Gotta go now to watch Army-Navy. Army is on a 1-year winning streak! Yahoo!

Assassin79 · Veteran Member

I have been far too busy hunting waterfowl this fall/winter and trying to sneak in as many hunts in as we can until it closes at the end of the month. Once that happens we will be after the crows as I have already seen quite a few big flocks near traditional roosts.

Elkhunter · Senior Member

I haven't found enough birds to hunt yet.

Ben · Veteran Member

Been after deer but have harvested 487 crows thus far with a little time left.heading to a new location Saturday.hope to have a picture then

boba · Guru

So what is the latest update on your hunts?

Any improvement on the numbers of crows you are seeing or shooting?

boba · Guru

Any improvement on your success in January so far?

So what is the problem? Not enough birds in you're hunting areas this season because of lack of food to hold them? They just never came in the first place?

How is your season going "Big Honkers and Gadget Bob"

camo · Senior Member

Bob, i think you may have already killed most of them !!! LOL.

Mainehunt · Guru

Our season up here doesn't open until a week from tomorrow.

killer Crowalski · Senior Member

Mainehunt wrote:
Our season up here doesn't open until a week from tomorrow.

..and you folks are in for a real treat with that freaky weather here in new england! As long as it don't snow you'll clean house better than before!

killer Crowalski · Senior Member

Yes. In fact I shot crows several times out of season at a dairy farm under the Federal Depredation Order. But the corn is all cut and there's snow on the ground so there's nothing for them to damage.-Bob O.
Well I had repeated requests to shoot the crows at this one farm due to crop depredation-the crows eating the newly planted corn-but there was no way to get them. I needed decoys and calls which are forbidden under the law. So ....and the area except towards the north east wasn't safe for rifles and the crows were too far out for .22s....so Bob O. if you can do it I salute you!
However this year when the crows attack the ripening vegetables I just might...basically now I am the only one who can do it or does it in this area...probably only get one or two. N ot a bunch around but one crow can do massive damage. Don't forget they annihilate songbirds.I have witnessed it first hand. Nest after nest was raided;red wing black bird(You southerners call it the ricebird I think-not sure)grackles-not boat tailed ones-too far north- (who cares) and robins...one after the other!

boba · Guru

Bob O,

I don't know if this is a fact but they say the model 300 Beretta is very similar to the model 391's that I use. The A - 400 Xplor Beretta is working with out a hitch now. It turned out ok so I will keep it.

Mainehunt · Guru

killer Crowalski wrote:
Mainehunt wrote:
Our season up here doesn't open until a week from tomorrow.
..and you folks are in for a real treat with that freaky weather here in new england! As long as it don't snow you'll clean house better than before!

My biggest kill numbers are shot on days when it's snowing pretty hard.

killer Crowalski · Senior Member

Mainehunt wrote:
killer Crowalski wrote:
Mainehunt wrote:
Our season up here doesn't open until a week from tomorrow.
..and you folks are in for a real treat with that freaky weather here in new england! As long as it don't snow you'll clean house better than before!
My biggest kill numbers are shot on days when it's snowing pretty hard.

Oh yes those big half dollar sized slowly descending fluffy snowflakes...

y snowflakes in dead calm...or a slight breeze...certainly!

Mainehunt · Guru

killer Crowalski wrote:
Mainehunt wrote:
killer Crowalski wrote:
Mainehunt wrote:
Our season up here doesn't open until a week from tomorrow.
..and you folks are in for a real treat with that freaky weather here in new england! As long as it don't snow you'll clean house better than before!
My biggest kill numbers are shot on days when it's snowing pretty hard.
Oh yes those big half dollar sized slowly descending fluffy snowflakes...
y snowflakes in dead calm...or a slight breeze...certainly!

Or some wicked, thick fog.

killer Crowalski · Senior Member

FOG- tastic shooting in fog! I got great memories there too! Like that big ole' buck crow that to my amazement came into my calling...he was so close he looked like a WW2 bomber coming in for a landing!

Dixierunner · Veteran Member

Just got back from Valhalla where the nasty boogers seemed to be everywhere. Was able to get a few but I believe they remember when I was there in Sept. Did some pest control (snakes and armadillos), was able to get a nice deer, and a few wood ducks, so all was not in vain. Now that I'm back in the Republik of MD, I'll have a chance to finish the nasty booger season that ends in March.

BobA, was wondering if you've seen a Cajun Calls C-302 Crow Call? It brought those North Louisiana nasty boogers out of the piney woods in a heart beat. Didn't work at Valhalla, so I'm wondering if it'll work in MD. Will find out next time out here.

boba · Guru

When you used the Cajun crow call were you shooting fish crows or common crows?

Dixierunner · Veteran Member

That never crossed my mind! Common in North LA and Fish in East Central LA. I would venture to say that there is probably 95% Fish Crows in the area where Valhalla is located, and none would come to that call. confuse The nasty boogers were everywhere! None came.

boba · Guru

Dixie, years ago I used to hunt crows in central Louisiana ( 1980's ) and in one spot the lady said just leave the dead crows for General Lee! I asked who General Lee was and she said it was a gator who lived in the swamp I was hunting close too. In that particular area it was all common crows no fish crows. I used to hunt around Alexandria and Natchitoches.

Dixierunner · Veteran Member

Valhalla is on the other side of the state from where you were. Between Sicily Island and Clayton. Catahoula Parish, just north of the Atchafalaya Heritage Area. Plenty of gators but no tags! wink The nasty boogers were there, just couldn't get them to come in, one here, one there...

Glad to see that your new shotgun is working out!

M12Shooter · Guru

Lefty2Barrels wrote:
Nice lookin coyote M12! What model rifle is pictured?

-- Edited by Lefty2Barrels on Saturday 9th of December 2017 08:07:20 AM

Lefty, the rifle is a Sako AII medium action chambered in 22-250. Bought it new right after high school n 1981 and have probably shot a pickup truck full of dogs with it. Have been shooting the same load Hornady 52 gr HPBT match at ~3500fps for decades... very, very fur friendly. Coyote pictured will bring about 150 bucks at spring auction if prices stay strong. Coyotes are really high last couple seasons

Mainehunt · Guru

M12Shooter wrote:
Lefty2Barrels wrote:
Nice lookin coyote M12! What model rifle is pictured?

-- Edited by Lefty2Barrels on Saturday 9th of December 2017 08:07:20 AM
Lefty, the rifle is a Sako AII medium action chambered in 22-250. Bought it new right after high school n 1981 and have probably shot a pickup truck full of dogs with it. Have been shooting the same load Hornady 52 gr HPBT match at ~3500fps for decades... very, very fur friendly. Coyote pictured will bring about 150 bucks at spring auction if prices stay strong. Coyotes are really high last couple seasons

What powder is pushing that bullet? My favorite load in my .223 Wilde is 24 grains of IMR 3031 under a 52 gr. Nosler Ballistic tip with CCI primers.

FarmerScott · Veteran Member

Still very new at learning how wary and observant crows are. Adjusting my ways a step at a time as I go along. Got my very first crow on a brief and focused hunt in the early afternoon of the 29th of January. Snuck in a hunt for about 45 minutes before a meeting. No decoys. One guy, one old FoxPro call, grey gloves, old camo jacket and the shady side of a cedar tree for concealment. Had a handful of 28 gauge shells in the right front pocket of my blue jeans. Not a crow in sight or in earshot at the start. 20 minutes of patient calling ... was rewarded with my first crow. I wasn't imagining big numbers at all - I just wanted to get one to get started. Marinated in Italian dressing overnight, pan fried in garlic and olive oil. Taste reminded me a bit of liver. Looking forward to the next hunt!

-- Edited by FarmerScott on Wednesday 14th of February 2018 08:36:34 PM

Dixierunner · Veteran Member

Went out today to try the Cajun Calls Crow Call here in the Republik of MD. Nothing. Went back to my other mouth call and had 3 Fish Crows (nasty boogers) come in and stay in the upper reaches of the atmosphere to check things out. CCCC going back in the box till I figure out what's up with it. Looks like I have my work cut out for me this off season! wink

killer Crowalski · Senior Member

Lefty2Barrels wrote:
The little .223 cartridge continues to impress me. Last weekend my hunting partner took one at 466yds with the same bullet.
Expand on impact....? Its more like a grenade goes off inside. I dont post graphic pictures of my coyotes. The gore factor is hidden in the picture deliberately. Unfortunately the first shot only anchored him. Shot 2 finished him. But thats how it happens sometimes, cant help that.
Thanks Bob

The .223 impressed a lot of Viet Cong too!!

Mainehunt · Guru

FarmerScott wrote:
Still very new at learning how wary and observant crows are. Adjusting my ways a step at a time as I go along. Got my very first crow on a brief and focused hunt in the early afternoon of the 29th of January. Snuck in a hunt for about 45 minutes before a meeting. No decoys. One guy, one old FoxPro call, grey gloves, old camo jacket and the shady side of a cedar tree for concealment. Had a handful of 28 gauge shells in the right front pocket of my blue jeans. Not a crow in sight or in earshot at the start. 20 minutes of patient calling ... was rewarded with my first crow. I wasn't imagining big numbers at all - I just wanted to get one to get started. Marinated in Italian dressing overnight, pan fried in garlic and olive oil. Taste reminded me a bit of liver. Looking forward to the next hunt!

-- Edited by FarmerScott on Wednesday 14th of February 2018 08:36:34 PM

Congrats on your crow.

Please, please tell me the details on your beautiful double gun.