Crow Busters Forum

GEORDIE TOM · Member

OWL Decoy Advice.

KenCrow · Senior Member

Gordie...I have hunted crows since 1967, and have never found crows having any interest in a owl decoy. I have used a owl many times, and found that crow decoys are much better, and always reliable. If there are no owls in the area that you hunt, then crows may not even know what a owl is! But they always know what a crow is.

KenCrow

Old Artilleryman · Guru

I have had pretty good responses using the "owl-crow fight" as the first call in the morning. Around here I have also been answered by other owls several times. This has 6-7 series of hoots followed by crow fighting racket, interspersed with hoots. I'll usually reset the call following the final hoot to run 3-4 sets of hoots then the crow racket when it's light enough (morning twilight).

I used it during the day during a dull spell to draw a dumb young one out of the tree line and he rocketed right in to meet a load of 6s. BTW, no owl decoy in use during any of these occasions.

So, yeah owl sounds are effective. Owl decoy as the main draw, not so certain. I used to put it out on top of my specially-designed owl pole (got the idea years ago from M12shooter). But now, I always put a Flambeau crow on top.

10gacrowshooter · Senior Member

I had a mounted barred owl years ago and it worked great! Had to get rid of it ,the game wardens did like to see it. I mounted it from a road kill.

scott

GEORDIE TOM · Member

Thanks for replies i was beging to think it was just me, i have had them come by stoop down lower for a look but the mobbing i have never seen them do anything resembling that, but i have seen crows hassling a owl in a tree before so can see how the idea comes from. I will give the fight soundtrack a go see if that gets a response on my ground.

nhcrowshooter · Guru

In my experience a plastic owl decoy is just another piece of gear to lug that doesn't increase the chances of shooting more crows. A mounted Owl is effective and a live one was even better when it was legal to use one.

Crowpocalypse · Senior Member

Thanks for the information, I won’t waste my time or money on a Owl decoy.

GEORDIE TOM · Member

Yes just Mirroring what crow apocalypse said thanks i will retire my owl decoy to yard art/ garden ornament status. can be a talking point for visitors if nothing else.

GEORDIE TOM · Member

AH well i just found this video on here, i did a search on guns see what you all were hunting, i came across a thread Dedicated crow gun. This video was linked off that thread by a member.

youtu.be/txN0X-DWKPQ

Old Artilleryman · Guru

You must admit, that's a really great decoy owl and well-placed. It might make a difference if one like that--feathers and all--were used instead of the garden variety plastic ones we use.

Good video, but too short. Love to see the sassy ones get nailed while cussing out a decoy.

Thanks.

Kevin Burroughs · Veteran Member

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGfdqlKLu6M

That is my owl decoy and the flapping wing crow has been replaced with a better one. Deadly

jacobhwrd · Senior Member

I’ve tried every way I can think of to use an owl decoy. Most of the time they don’t seem to care much. But then I started using it at the end of my sets with great results. When I was about done for the morning I would reset my decoys in a semi circle or full circle surrounding the owl on the ground. I would then place a dead bird in front of the owl (wings spread) at the feet of the decoy and use the Bob A mourning and distress call. It would drive them nuts a good bit of the time. It was the only tile I had actually seen then swoop at it. On a good day I would get another 10+ birds. Bad day I would get about 5 more. Hopefully you can try that and it might work out.

M12Shooter · Guru

I've shot crows over an owl deek many times. Just a simple plastic horned owl which I mounted on a 6 foot pole. Placed a dead crow below on a fish hook screwed to the base of the owl. Only really effective in the spring of the year and to a much lesser degree in the fall. Would I lug an owl around when running and gunning, not a chance.

Ted

Gadget Bob · Guru

Great photo, NH! Love the Poly choke technology, too!

boba · Guru

My father used this stuffed Horned Owl for hunting crows during the fall and winter in the 1950's.

It had a timer where the owl would turn his head and move his wings every 15 seconds.

killer Crowalski · Senior Member

Wick cool BobA...