Good morning, the Amish community has no issues with crow hunting. Thank you for the advice gentlemen.It will be no problem finding new Crows. My 870 is jamming again no matter what manufacture,loads. I don’t want to shoot $30 box’s. So I’m shooting low end shells. The problem is a manufacturing defect, I’ll have it ready by Friday. I need more practice shooting anyways so I plan to build great blinds and just go and listen to them caawing . Does anyone have pictures of light weight blind frame? As the ground here is rocks and froze, it’s difficult to drive T post. I’m constantly moving my blind to new locations each day after my morning hunts.
Here are a few pictures of my blinds.
-- Edited by Crowpocalypse on Monday 18th of February 2019 11:38:02 AM
-- Edited by Crowpocalypse on Monday 18th of February 2019 11:38:54 AM
-- Edited by Crowpocalypse on Monday 18th of February 2019 12:10:00 PM
I don't have any pictures, but it seems like I saw some here. Use the search feature and I'll bet something shows up. I know some guys use PVC.
I bought a couple Ameristep hub style panel blinds on clearance a few years back. They were half price but still close to forty bucks. We use it for our frame. Three sided, each panel is 57" square. You can fold the panels together and use whatever it takes to make it blend in. Makes a nice tight hide for one guy. I wish it was a little taller, but it doesn't take much to get it to the right height. They fold up and fit in a nylon carry bag and weigh less than ten lbs. They're advertised as seating two hunters comfortably, but if we're going to be in the same blind we squeeze two together.
Randy
-- Edited by Granite Jaw on Tuesday 19th of February 2019 04:21:07 AM
While maybe not the best in the world, I made an easy and cheap folding blind out of "Handy Panels" from Tractor Supply. They are essentially lightweight hog fencing panels. After hinging various lengths of sections together with zip-ties, I covered them with camo fabric. It is quick and easy, but still needs to be brushed. Here are a few pictures to see if it would work for you. You can make any size blind that suits you.
Hope this helps.
Demi
Picture 1: Brushed blind ready to hunt.
Picture 2 & 3: Framework set on ground ready to brush.
This was my first posting for my current blind in its first form. I no longer use the top section. Though it worked well, it was not needed. Since these, I always heavily brushed the exterior with white pine boughs making it very well camouflaged. i.e., camo nets were not enough.
Probably the best photo of it in action are below.
I'm in the construction phase of a new concept (for me) for this year's blind, made from pre-brushed folding panels -- the ultimate in portability and speed (again, to me). More to come later.
Hope this helps.
Craig
-- Edited by Old Artilleryman on Thursday 21st of February 2019 01:20:16 AM
The ground is totally saturated here, I can only walk in to the blind location. My only means of transportation is a 1ton duelly. So light weight blind is a necessity . I’ve found my two 20 ft cable dog leashes, clothes pins and 2 camo burlap canvases work very good with local vegetation to blend it in. When I break it all down I harvest all the seeds form the grass type vegetation I used and Broadcast it around the outside edge of the blind. Hopefully it will germinate and grow to make a better natural Blind. Some of my blinds looked great to me, but the crows didn’t like it. With only 1 blind and 3 days to hunt here there isn’t enough time to let it sit so the crows get used to it. Then high winds, snow disassemble it sometimes. Season is almost over now so I’m not an investment.
Lancaster was busy with Crow activities today, never a dull moment for them, as all the cities are having problems with the birds here in Pa. Winds were high today 50 mph and more. As I walked through the parking lots I imagined drawing a bead on each one that crossed my path. Bob a head shot is the key to dropping them. As I played it back in my mind it’s the perfect shot. As they fly straight at me I could see him fold. Then his buddy turns in the wind and turns away from me I can see his back side would not be the perfect shot. Just like everyone that got away.
The Amish farmer called to say the Crows are everywhere here, can you come shoot them. 8 inches of snow and season isn’t till Friday. I don’t want the neighbors complaining and draw attention to the farm was my reply. Gentlemen it’s like stepping back in time 200 years ago when dealing with the Amish. Think I’ll become a horse trainer/Traider
The Amish farmer called to say the Crows are everywhere here, can you come shoot them. 8 inches of snow and season isn’t till Friday. I don’t want the neighbors complaining and draw attention to the farm was my reply. Gentlemen it’s like stepping back in time 200 years ago when dealing with the Amish. Think I’ll become a horse trainer/Traider
That would be an awesome experience with the Amish. We have Hutterites up here in Manitoba. They live in a colony situation segregated from mainstream culture as well but have adopted modern agricultural practices...actually very mechanized. Good people for the most part. I often ask permission to shoot crows on their farmland and Hutterites always tell me to shoot every crow I see.
Ted
__________________
Life's tough... It's even tougher if you're stupid. John Wayne
Hutterites sounds very similar to Mennonite, as their culture is all mechanized. But similar to the Amish. Here they drive cars and truck with the condition it must be black.
We have many Mennonites here as well. Quite religious but live within mainstream culture. Hutterites on the other hand generally were very plain clothing and have no property ownership as all is provided by the colony. Hutterite women wear long dresses whereas men generally wear black pants with suspenders and a black or plaid shirt. Married men grow a beard, single generally clean cut. All have roots in Russia or former Soviet Union. Many were persecuted by the communists and left for more peaceful countries.
Ted
__________________
Life's tough... It's even tougher if you're stupid. John Wayne
Went back to Lancaster county, got my old lot back at the campground. The neighbors said the day I pulled out about 30 Crows landed in my lot and made various calls like they had never heard from Crows. I thought it must be a coincidence. But she stated it went on for 30 minutes before they flew off.
I’ve been scouting around and the only Crows I’m seeing are paired off or small family groups. I heard the krunk krunk krunk call and watched the lonesome crow. As another approached it flew through the woods and the single fallowed it. I believe the krunk call is a mating call.
Pennsylvania has just passed a Sunday deer hunting law. As the law is written here any game that is in season while crow season is open , crows can not be hunted. This now protects crows for nearly 5 months of the hunting season. Also Crows season dates have been reduced by 30 days here. I’ve research how crows find mates and build nest and raise chicks. It takes an estimated 16 weeks to complete. So I believe the change in the hunting season gives the parents time to complete raising their chicks. Researchers have found offspring can and will stay with their parents for up to 7 years and help raise siblings.
With all the research by Government grants and private funding on Crows, they have found Crows are moving into cities as they have somehow figured out they cannot be hunted as guns cannot be used to hunt in cities. Large numbers of Crows are now causing problems and local city agencies are trying to scare Crows away with no results.
Between the new law on Crow season and they’re canny ability to outwit humans the problem will only continue to grow out of control. Hopefully this isn’t happening across the country!
Pennsylvania has to be different I’m told by Commissioned Conservation Wardens , as they have two types of Wardens Water,and Land. Each type doesn’t know the Laws pertaining to the other type and needs the regulations to recite the laws.
Pennsylvania has just passed a Sunday deer hunting law. As the law is written here any game that is in season while crow season is open , crows can not be hunted. This now protects crows for nearly 5 months of the hunting season. Also Crows season dates have been reduced by 30 days here.
Please provide a reference to the law(s) where these restrictions you stated are cited.
I didn't see nothing in the 2019 -20 season that changed on deer except a sat. opener and no deer hunting on sun? crow still fri-sun from July to April.
Unless I missed where they posted it ???
-- Edited by 10gacrowshooter on Wednesday 1st of May 2019 09:00:17 AM
Local news channel had information on new deer season Guild lines , where they got their information is unknown. project workers had discussed it during breaks and lunchtime. Sunday is a religious day set aside to worship not hunt. I’m moving to New York to work now, so regardless of any change it will not affect me. In the future I will not provide any information without documentation to support it.
Just to update everyone, the last two weeks I’ve noticed single crows across the landscape. No caws anywhere these days. Occasionally a hawk pestering song birds with a crow on his tail , driving him away. Hatchs should be taking place soon. It’ll be easier to locate nest once chicks squabbling. As soon as I see more birds present, I’ll start scouting.
Update, winds are 15-20 mph here this morning and 5 crows flew about. Every little tit bird within eyesight was chasing them. 33 days until Crow season opens here in Pennsylvania.
While driving to the local Amish hardware store for supplies to doctor a mild case of Canker on a horse, I noticed dead crows in the road. Although a single was a 100 yards away it appeared to be a young bird. My observations would lead me to believe a house owner dropped the young birds. Now I seen this in two separate locations 5 miles apart. If I were in the Deep South and seen this every mile I’d know what this sign meant!
Yesterday evening I had to pick up my Amish friend, they were hoeing the newly planted tobacco fields. Crows were calling all around in every direction. Being harassed by tit birds, less then 30 days until season opens. I need to assemble the skeet thrower and head to the field and practice with my new upgrade shotgun. This should be fun, hunting uneducated young birds. Any advice on calling young birds will help.
Had a light breeze blowing and seen a Crow trying to fly into the wind. It could only get 20-30 foot then would land and try again. The Crow repeatedly attempted to fly in the wind. I’m guessing it was a young bird, as the other Crow flew diagonal into the wind with great ease. 27 days until season opens. Crows are scattered here now so running and gunning will be the tactic.
Winds are up to 15 mph here, I could here a Crow complaining and then seen an osprey trying to get away. It was fallowed by 5 Crows. Once the Osprey came over the tree line the chase was off. The Crows continued on over the trees to a crop field. This is a good sign as season opens in a few weeks.
Took the Benilli out to down a box of skeet. I’m very impressed with its performance . Needless to say even a 12 year old Amish boy with no formal background with a shotgun could powder the clay targets. Although it was pushing him backwards each shot. This opportunity opened a invitation to hunt ground hogs. Guess the 22-250 gets to come out and play now.
While helping hoe tobacco yesterday with my Amish friends, I heard 4 Crows talking. An old raspy hen, a big Bull and 2 young hi toned crackle crows trying to mimic their parents. After we reached the end of the field near the tree line they broke and flew around us. The hen came first then the big Bull who was a fat sloppy flyer. He tried to keep up with the hen , he flew low and looked as if he couldn’t manage the flight. The three young birds flew 200 yards from us as instructed by the parents. They all went to the opposite end of the field. Later that evening I went to Dr a horse with canker at another Amish friend. I was granted permission to hunt Ground Hogs. So off I went to scout the grounds and look for holes on the woods edge. While walking a few Crows in the freshly cut alfalfa field took off for the trees. With all the sightings of family groups and plenty of foliage on the trees and shrubs, running and gunning will be my tactic.
Went out this morning, only a few Crows calling. Family groups. All locations are where 100s we’re hunted this past winter. With these recent observations, they led me to believe they all group up in the winter and forage together. That equate to 20 family groups Per 100 . But this is just a guess.
Seen a hen with 3 young birds on the edge of a corn field. As I approach she flew off to the trees, her young only flew 20-30 yards and lite . The hen went crazy calling trying to get them to come . They refused. Season is in here but I’ve yet to hunt.
