Reconned a favorite spot yesterday, a week following the rains, and was pleased to find it passable, unlike the mire it was a few days ago. So, I set the blind up last night to save some time. This place is in a large, open cornfield, about 6 miles E of town on a main road. While setting up the blind yesterday afternoon, it was quite windy (15-20 mph) and I wondered if it would be there the next morning (it was). BUT, off in the distance in this large field, a group of 50-70 bandits were feeding; changing positions periodically. They continued for the hour I spent setting up. So, I was hoping that they were intending to be temporary residents on the tree line to the south. I informed my friend, Larry (The Master Machinist), that we had a good chance to once again see his creations at work in the morning. He agreed to meet me at the usual time—well before dawn. Setup photos do not show all decoys, as many are difficult to see among the corn stalks. I had 10 silhouettes hanging in the tree along with the sentinel on the hot stick. Oh yes, we had to walk a whole 250 yards to the trucks—not like last week where it was only 50 feet away.
Well, not much happened. Larry got one and I missed a couple. Then it went silent. So, we left most of the equipment and blind and tried a “Run & Gun” over to the island in a nearby lake a couple of miles away, where we’ve often shot bandits. Again, Larry got one and I missed. After these very educated birds shut down—which only took a half hour—he drove me back to the morning position. I decided to wait for the feeding flock to return (?) and he left, having other matters to attend to. I wish he’d stayed. I had sporadic activity for the next three hours and knocked down nine more for a day’s total of eleven, counting Larry’s two. Had he stayed, we would have had more I’d wager because (a) he’s a better wing shooter and (b) the birds invariably came in groups of two to four which kept me way too busy. Never saw the larger group from yesterday. Perhaps these small groups were remnants. Sun was out. A beautiful day. Last photo is of the load being taken to the Acme Crow Recycling Facility, owned and operated by Wily E. Coyote.
Couple of afterthoughts: Wind was from the W to WSW and the bandits were coming in mostly from the east, which hindered several shots as they were coming in from the sun's direction. Also, the "sunball" (Thanks, Bob A.) is a super-valuable, must-have accessory under these conditions. I had it this trip and it helped a lot, though it does not show in the photos. Prior to the next hunt, I've got to get the thing mounted on a "painter pole" to be able to adjust its height as the sun rises.
-- Edited by Old Artilleryman on Tuesday 27th of February 2018 12:54:27 PM
-- Edited by Old Artilleryman on Tuesday 27th of February 2018 12:55:43 PM
Nice report and great photo documentation! Sorry to hear the birds did not return.
A similar situation has happened to me two or three times a few years back. Everything looks great, but the late birds seeing the blind/setup activity apparently spooks everything. Can’t say it is directly related, but I‘m now convinced it has something to do with the low counts the next day.
Since those poor early hunts, I’ve made it a point to wait until all birds have gone to roost before the blind building starts. The low number hunts are now the exception for me. Your mileage may vary.
Hope this helps,
Demi
P.S. Pack your flashlight for those final details.
__________________
The man who thinks he can, and the man who thinks he can’t are both right.
Nice report and great photo documentation! Sorry to hear the birds did not return.
A similar situation has happened to me two or three times a few years back. Everything looks great, but the late birds seeing the blind/setup activity apparently spooks everything. Can’t say it is directly related, but I‘m now convinced it has something to do with the low counts the next day.
Since those poor early hunts, I’ve made it a point to wait until all birds have gone to roost before the blind building starts. The low number hunts are now the exception for me. Your mileage may vary.
Hope this helps,
Demi
P.S. Pack your flashlight for those final details.
Demi:
Your point on building blinds when you are "under observation" is well taken. Thought of that once or twice. But, since I was likely shooting at "locals," I wonder.
Around here (I think Big Honkers would agree) we hardly ever see big numbers, defined by me as double digits, because we have no large roosts in the vicinity, except for transients as I saw on Sunday. A good day, however.
Thanks,
Craig
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"Arms are the only true badges of liberty. The possession of arms is the distinction of a free man from a slave." -- Andrew Fletcher 1698
Since I tend to look at things analytically, consider the following.
Let's take the high end of your estimate of seventy birds. You guys killed ten at the blind site and they came in groups of two to four. Then there were the groups shot at and missed and those that may have been on the way and educated while you were shooting. Add those numbers and I'll bet you're getting close to seventy. One variable is you probably called some in more than once. I'll also bet if you hadn't shot that morning you'd have seen fifty to seventy birds feeding in the cornfield or close proximity that afternoon.
Ten out of seventy is 13% killed. Would've you shot five more if your partner stayed? If so, that's over 20% of the flock killed. I'd say that's a darned good job of getting most of the birds into range.
We often find, then hunt those same numbers mornings before chores. If we kill a dozen or fifteen, I'm pleased. Then there's the days we get beat.
Crows are so used to activity it probably doesn't matter if they watch you set up the day before. I still avoid it if possible. It just feels like I'm telling them where I'm going to hide.
Since I tend to look at things analytically, consider the following.
Let's take the high end of your estimate of seventy birds. You guys killed ten at the blind site and they came in groups of two to four. Then there were the groups shot at and missed and those that may have been on the way and educated while you were shooting. Add those numbers and I'll bet you're getting close to seventy. One variable is you probably called some in more than once. I'll also bet if you hadn't shot that morning you'd have seen fifty to seventy birds feeding in the cornfield or close proximity that afternoon.
Ten out of seventy is 13% killed. Would've you shot five more if your partner stayed? If so, that's over 20% of the flock killed. I'd say that's a darned good job of getting most of the birds into range.
We often find, then hunt those same numbers mornings before chores. If we kill a dozen or fifteen, I'm pleased. Then there's the days we get beat.
Crows are so used to activity it probably doesn't matter if they watch you set up the day before. I still avoid it if possible. It just feels like I'm telling them where I'm going to hide.
Thanks for the photos and story.
Randy
P.S. I got a chuckle out of the bumper sticker.
Makes sense.
However, I did not see a group that size feeding and I stayed until almost 2:30 pm for that reason alone. That's why I believe they were transients. No complaints. Ordinarily I pack it up when things in our part of Crowdom usually slow down--say 8:30-ish.
I agree with the activity part, as there are almost always farm workers moving and driving about. I always check with the landowner to ensure that there won't be any activity on a given morning at a field on which I want to hunt.
Bumper stickers available at www.patriotshop.us
Thanks,
Craig
__________________
"Arms are the only true badges of liberty. The possession of arms is the distinction of a free man from a slave." -- Andrew Fletcher 1698
You could very well be correct and those you harassed were locals and the larger group transients. I was just thinking the ones you shot in the AM could have been most of the flock you'd seen the afternoon before, just spread out and would have been grouped up later had you not put the hurt on them near their feeding area.
Looks like you have fairly dry ground conditions. Our snow is mostly gone as we had a warm spell and some rain, but the frost keeps it from soaking away. Makes for a greasy mess, especially if the ground has been worked. We're a long way from the frost going out and it doesn't look like it will get cold anytime soon so it looks like some tough walk ins for the next couple weeks.
