There are two basic types of caws. Context calls and companion calls.
Context calls are a broad category of calls that can be linked to specific events taking place in the landscape. Food scorce, a hawk, an owl, fighting, Danger, etc.
Companion calls (Non-Contextual vocalizations) usually 1-9 Caws. Companion calls are extremely common with crows. Just normal activity. These calls are unstructured calls or caws as we refer to them. No pattern/ but can be linked to specific events and locations. These calls can and will vary in tone.
Both type of calls Context and companion calls have a Long -Range communication system.
For example 1 caw means “where are you” 2 caws mean,”There’s something interesting over here” 3 caws mean,”let’s meet at the trail junction.” For more information on this subject reference Nature-mentor.com
I was listening to Brian Mertins and he is a good speaker but when it's all said and done the crow hunter only needs three calls to kill a mess of crows. They are "The Fighting Call" the "Distress Call" and the "Mourning Call" because those are the calls that rile them up where they can't wait to get right there in the thick of things with you, sometimes point blank.
The soft calls such as the "Recognition Call" which are non threatening can be used with some success in areas where you know they are coming to feed.
Bob as a new member my first interest of the sport was what are the crows saying? To better understand their language I’ve been reserching bird watching websites. I feel we can gain a larger membership interest as we have many guest here . I did the same thing . Looking at the subject matters and then trying what I read. Interaction as a member helped me tremendously.
I start each hunt with the mourning call, that brings in 3-6 waves of 3-6 birds. All resident local crows within earshot of my location. Then I switch to crow revelly , then excited crows. Form there I typically call with fighting crows fallowed by death of a crow. By then things start to calm down and I use the Recognition call, this will bring a Bull to a Sentry post. From there I’ll mimic him and the others while the fun and frolic call is playing on low. This will bring in the next several waves as I’m on a flyway.
Bob I’m guessing this forum will slow down as the season is about to end. The season has 6 weeks to go here in Pa. I know there’s other Crow hunters here within a few miles of me as I can hear them shooting. I’ve yet to met any.
That is instresting, I’ve got a small farm to hunt. I’m thinking of hitting it Friday morning,It’s close to the highway. In your opinion which location looks the best Bob? As you look at the picture the sun rises on the right. There are houses close to A
I’m headed over there now to walk out each location and see how the Crows fly in.
A is on a incline, B has the tree line to add Sentry post decoys, C is in the wide open. But then C is a established Goose blind and I’m not hunting Geese. Both A&B have low branches that hang out from the pine grove. I can build my blind out from them on the edge. I’ll know more in a few hours.
things didn’t go as planned, it snowed 3-4 inches, birds came off the roste early as the snow brightened it up, they were flying by 6:30am ... needless to say they were headed to a feeding area 1/2 mile away, and in a hurry.
Yellow dots are Crows
blue is flight patterns
-- Edited by Crowpocalypse on Saturday 2nd of March 2019 12:45:14 AM
Well it snowed another 3 inches, I had to fill out background paperwork for the next project, after yesterday morning I decided not to hunt. Good thing, around 9:30 am I went for a drive. No Crows calling around the campgrounds. That’s odd, then drove to the backside of town 15 miles away. 1 crow fly the entire trip. I had to pat myself on the back I made the right call.
I just learned a new companion call. The crow was in a old growth Hardwood grove of 10 trees. As approaching crows flying within his sight. He would make a low tone krunk, krunk, krunk. The passers by would caw, and continue on. He would then change locations in the tree grove and wait until he see more corws passing by. He repeated the kronk, kronk, kronk. They would then returned his call with a caw, of 3-9 caws And continue on their flight path. He again changed location deep in the tree grove. I couldn’t see him but I cou hear him. He again made the kronk,kronk,kronk, call as 3 crows approached his location. But 1 posted himself 100 yards away on the highest tree. This bird returned his call with a CAAWW . As the other 2 continued on their way. The single crow joined the crow that CAAWWed and off they went to catch up to the other 2.
Bob can this companion call be reproduced with a mouth call? Is this a tree call? Why would he hide in the tree grove where he couldn’t be seen? Any information on this will help me understand their language.
Just walked outside to hear another companion call . Again it was The KROONK , KROONK sound, but at a higher tone and longer sounding call. Again the crow was hidden deep in the hardwoods where he couldn’t be seen. As a crow flew by at about 40 foot off the ground passing by, it turned and flew to the tops of the trees Where the hidden crow was calling from. The crow in the woods flew up to the other crow and they flew off together.
