He is from Minnesota and his name is Todd Gifford.
He is coming to my house with a film crew to tour "The Crow Museum" next month.
They are doing an article about my crow hunting from the beginning clear back to 1959. I don't know if it will be on a local or cable channel yet. The article will be in a magazine and the film footage on TV.
He used to post on a Facebook crow hunting page, called himself the Crowman. He sells decoys and calls. He posted on the crow hunting FB page asking people what the best pose for a decoy was. I told him the pose don't matter and pointed out dead ones in a decoy spread were in every conceivable position and they came in to them. He told me I didn't know what I was doing when it comes to crow hunting because I didn't go out and pick up each dead bird after I shot them. He said dead crows in and around your decoy spread would keep crows from coming in. Yup he really knows his stuff lol. The guy is just a self promoter trying to hock his products and he wants you to believe he has all the answers when he still has a lot to learn.
-- Edited by nhcrowshooter on Monday 22nd of July 2019 11:54:01 PM
To start with I agree with you about the dead crows, I have hunted crows in 14 states and never spooked the crows by the dead crows presence on the ground, the more the better! However he did not say the dead crows would not work in other areas, only in his area. I find that hard to believe, perhaps he never really gave it a chance but that is pure speculation on my part.
I had a novice hunting with me a number of years back who said " I'm glad the crows can't see the dead crows in the tall grass " I said " they can see them alright, you are looking from ground level, the crows are looking from above " so he said the same thing as Todd, " I never would have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes " he thought the dead crows would also spook the crows. It all boils down to what experience you have had in the field.
Jerry my hunting partner from Maryland used to setup all the dead crows in natural poses by sticking stiff coat hanger wire underneath there necks and driving it into the crows scull and the other end into the ground. He had some very decent shoots in Maryland of 300 plus crows in a shoot. He even shot over 500 one day in Gettysburg Pennsylvania on a solo hunt and with a 410 gauge model 42 Winchester with the 3 inch shells in 7 1/2 shot; this was in 1982. When he started hunting with me in 2005 he was amazed that the crows would come right in with them laying in every position imaginable on the ground. He said " I have been doing a lot of extra work for years and for nothing " so here again he got good results with his method but could see that it just was not necessary. He never used coat hanger wire again back in Maryland, Pennsylvania or Up State New York !
Please keep us informed as the events unfold with the filming and the presentation of the story to the general public. I'm sure we are all excited! Kinda like the kids are when the circus comes to town. Crow hunters are kids too you know! I'm sure Mr. Gifford will enjoy his time with you, just the same as me and my wife did two years ago.
To start with I agree with you about the dead crows, I have hunted crows in 14 states and never spooked the crows by the dead crows presence on the ground, the more the better! However he did not say the dead crows would not work in other areas, only in his area. I find that hard to believe, perhaps he never really gave it a chance but that is pure speculation on my part.
I had a novice hunting with me a number of years back who said " I'm glad the crows can't see the dead crows in the tall grass " I said " they can see them alright, you are looking from ground level, the crows are looking from above " so he said the same thing as Todd, " I never would have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes " he thought the dead crows would also spook the crows. It all boils down to what experience you have had in the field.
Jerry my hunting partner from Maryland used to setup all the dead crows in natural poses by sticking stiff coat hanger wire underneath there necks and driving it into the crows scull and the other end into the ground. He had some very decent shoots in Maryland of 300 plus crows in a shoot. He even shot over 500 one day in Gettysburg Pennsylvania on a solo hunt and with a 410 gauge model 42 Winchester with the 3 inch shells in 7 1/2 shot; this was in 1982. When he started hunting with me in 2005 he was amazed that the crows would come right in with them laying in every position imaginable on the ground. He said " I have been doing a lot of extra work for years and for nothing " so here again he got good results with his method but could see that it just was not necessary. He never used coat hanger wire again back in Maryland, Pennsylvania or Up State New York !
Bob A.
Hi NH and Bob,
My experience in the field is much like yours. I always figured the bigger the dead pile the more agitated the incomers become. At the same time I'd never try and tell someone how crows act in their area. That being said, and while I don't have any idea where Mr. Gifford hunts, the crows I get to hunt fly through Minnesota. I've never shot crows there, but have hunted within minutes of the border. They don't mind dead ones a bit. I'd guess crows in Minnesota act much the same as they do everywhere.
My experience in the field is much like yours. I always figured the bigger the dead pile the more agitated the incomers become. At the same time I'd never try and tell someone how crows act in their area. That being said, and while I don't have any idea where Mr. Gifford hunts, the crows I get to hunt fly through Minnesota. I've never shot crows there, but have hunted within minutes of the border. They don't mind dead ones a bit. I'd guess crows in Minnesota act much the same as they do everywhere.
Randy
It goes to show even crow hunters have to deal with poor advice given by the used car salesmen of their sport.
What little experience I have only hoppers spook incoming birds, and I’ve had to leave the blind and go several hundred yards to dispatch the problem in 2 foot of snow. Even hoppers in the woods will call and give instructions to incoming birds to go away from its location.
What little experience I have only hoppers spook incoming birds, and I’ve had to leave the blind and go several hundred yards to dispatch the problem in 2 foot of snow. Even hoppers in the woods will call and give instructions to incoming birds to go away from its location.
Crowpocalypse,
Don't think I've had a hopper that spooked an incomer. We do try to dispatch them before they get too far away, as crows may hang up on them on the way in. They'll do the same on dead outliers, so we bring them in during lulls. Add them to the spread.
What little experience I have only hoppers spook incoming birds, and I’ve had to leave the blind and go several hundred yards to dispatch the problem in 2 foot of snow. Even hoppers in the woods will call and give instructions to incoming birds to go away from its location.
Crowpocalypse,
Don't think I've had a hopper that spooked an incomer. We do try to dispatch them before they get too far away, as crows may hang up on them on the way in. They'll do the same on dead outliers, so we bring them in during lulls. Add them to the spread.
Randy
That's been my experience as well over many years, hoppers don't spook incoming crows they are a distraction and incoming birds will circle them but will almost always abandon the hopper after a short time and head to the sound of the calling. We do the same as you, pick up the dead ones that fell out of range during a lull and "tighten" up the decoy spread. Anytime we can dispatch a hopper we do. Amazing thing, no matter how long the lull is when you step out of the blind that is when more come, works almost every time lol.
Pete here is a photo that captures what you are talking about; look at the crow coming in with his wings set when all I had was dead crows in one hand and my 35mm Olympus in the other! The second photo is of me off to one side of the blind in this photo. Both photos are from the same shoot.
What little experience I have only hoppers spook incoming birds, and I’ve had to leave the blind and go several hundred yards to dispatch the problem in 2 foot of snow. Even hoppers in the woods will call and give instructions to incoming birds to go away from its location.
Crowpocalypse,
Don't think I've had a hopper that spooked an incomer. We do try to dispatch them before they get too far away, as crows may hang up on them on the way in. They'll do the same on dead outliers, so we bring them in during lulls. Add them to the spread.
If i'm blind hunting in a less populated area I often employ a 22 semi auto to dispatch hoppers. Only when the cover is sparse as in spring shooting or out on open farmland. Saves chasing them down, rather quiet, and with open sights I can nail one well out to 75 yards... may take a few shots though ...
Ted
Randy
That's been my experience as well over many years, hoppers don't spook incoming crows they are a distraction and incoming birds will circle them but will almost always abandon the hopper after a short time and head to the sound of the calling. We do the same as you, pick up the dead ones that fell out of range during a lull and "tighten" up the decoy spread. Anytime we can dispatch a hopper we do. Amazing thing, no matter how long the lull is when you step out of the blind that is when more come, works almost every time lol.
__________________
Life's tough... It's even tougher if you're stupid. John Wayne
Gentlemen, it was my first hunt. I was wearing a Tyvek suit laying in 2 foot of snow. I had very little experience, no blind and 1000 birds coming into my location. I had let the hopper go several 100 yards away. I had the wrong choke , the wrong shot size, and my shotgun kept jamming. Every rookie mistake that could be made I made it.
The hopper that was in the woods, I made the same mistake and let him hop. This location was at a chicken dump site. He kept calling and calling. Birds would not fly to my location and go 1/4 mile around me. You had to be there to fully comprehend the situation I put myself in. I’m a rookie!
