Crow Hunting

[bigjake_888]

Can you bait crow?

[Don Becker]

I don't hunt them but a quick check of the regs: . . . page 10 omits crows from its definition of "game birds" and the "Baiting" section on page 11 then would seem not to apply to crows. Don

Oh, I guess I should add that I assumed that you meant for the purpose of hunting them . . . Don

[MossyOarReelCreek]

Hunting crows in a wilderness setting is a challenge. I would think if you brought a little bit of an urban touch.... say a McDonald's bag with some old fries.. you probably would have a pretty good chance

[sliverpicker]

Decoys and calling works pretty well. If you kill one or two and hang them from some limbs, the rest will go nuts and the action can be fast and furious!

Good luck and have fun!

[stlhdr1]

We hunted them in a few spots, they're fairly easy to pattern. We'd set up with a game caller with a dying crow sound as as sliverpicker said, once you kill one they'll be dive bombing to save their buddy.... But they do get educated pretty quickly...

Keith

[nevermiss]

Sometimes they can seem awful sharp--other times not much so. Suppose it depends on how much pressure they've been getting. When I decide to try 'em I just try to figure where they've been bothered little, use decoys and a wounded crow tape and usually clean up! If I'm thinking about eating them I always try to find the youngest ones--they taste a lot better to me.

[Twodogs]

I use decoys and an E-caller and have my dogs with me shoot one and let the dogs get ahold of it and run around and the crows go nuts.
I burn't through a box of shells in about 2 min have to quit and go back to the truck for more ammo.

[bigjake_888]

I'm on it.

[bigjake_888]

Since I know you can bait now I tried the french fry thing. Tied a bag down for movement and spread some frozen french fries around. They were too smart for that.

[Catch 22]

When I was a kid the crows would come in and I could run around and yell and jump up and down. They wouldn't budge. I would go inside and grab a 20 guage and they would fly off like their lives depended on it.
Crows are smart. I believe they are demons brought here to taunt those who dare to go after them.

One thing you can do if your hunting them in a wooded area. Take a group into the wooded area, they will disperse to a distant viewing spot. Have MOST of the "hunters" go back, leaving one or two to shoot them when they think the coast is clear and they return.

I said they were smart didn't I? But they aren't real good at counting.

[Rank Amateur]

You want to see them go ballistic, drop one in a river and flop around, they go crazy! There seems to be a point when they get so mad that they loose all caution, you can really get after them if you can get them to that point.

I have the fighting crows on my FoxPro, brings them right in.

[Mad Mikey]

Oh man does the Foxpro bring em' in, not just crows, all kinds of birds. I even had a couple does come in to my wounded bird call. One walked right up and licked the call!

[Rank Amateur]

Originally Posted by Mad Mikey

Oh man does the Foxpro bring em' in, not just crows, all kinds of birds. I even had a couple does come in to my wounded bird call. One walked right up and licked the call!

You should have hit the cougar scream right about then!

[Mad Mikey]

Originally Posted by Rank Amateur

You should have hit the cougar scream right about then!

Nah, I save that for the folks walking their fi-fi dogs on the road that cuts through my Uncles' property. I'm going to have to video-tape that some time, funny stuff.

(hi-jack over, back on topic...)

[Art Vandeley]

Back when I first started hunting, I was desperate for some hunting close to home that I could do during the week. I used to set a bunch of crow decoys in the field like they were feeding. Then I would put an Owl decoy about 200 yards away on a fence post. I would than get brushed up, and call them in before school. It was tough, but I got a couple to come in and dumped a few here and there. Than I got a life.

Mitch

[steelhead22]

Originally Posted by sliverpicker

If you kill one or two and hang them from some limbs, the rest will go nuts and the action can be fast and furious!

OK, can somebody tell me WHY crows do this.

When I was about 13, I shot a crow with my BB gun in the front yard. I lived in a neighborhood.

The thing fell from the tree and started flapping and sqwaking all over. Every crow for 3 miles converged on my front yard!!! There were literally hundreds! Cars began stopping, and people started getting out to see what was going on.

So, I did what any 13 year old would do. I put the gun away, jumped the back fence and ran to my buddies house. "No sir, I don't have any idea what your talking about, I haven't been home all day."

[Rank Amateur]

I once turned my home made electronic caller on and drove through town, I had every crow in town following behind me raising all heck!

[sliverpicker]

Originally Posted by steelhead22

OK, can somebody tell me WHY crows do this.

When I was about 13, I shot a crow with my BB gun in the front yard. I lived in a neighborhood.

The thing fell from the tree and started flapping and sqwaking all over. Every crow for 3 miles converged on my front yard!!! There were literally hundreds! Cars began stopping, and people started getting out to see what was going on.

So, I did what any 13 year old would do. I put the gun away, jumped the back fence and ran to my buddies house. "No sir, I don't have any idea what your talking about, I haven't been home all day."

Sounds like a scene out of an old Alfred Hitchcock movie. Especially if they converge on you and peck your eyeballs out!!!

[MossyOarReelCreek]

I have experienced the same thing. Wound a crow and more will come from miles away to caw over the body. It is eery. Crows being # 7 on the smartest critters on the planet would lead me to think that they are being opportunistic and plan to make a meal out of the unfortunate victim. Or they could just be hungry scavengers? Maybe an animal behavioralist would know.

[sliverpicker]

Originally Posted by MossyOarReelCreek

I have experienced the same thing. Wound a crow and more will come from miles away to caw over the body. It is eery. Crows being # 7 on the smartest critters on the planet would lead me to think that they are being opportunistic and plan to make a meal out of the unfortunate victim. Or they could just be hungry scavengers? Maybe an animal behavioralist would know.

Now THAT'S a pile of crows! You give those to Bill Monroe, I hear he likes eating them?

You need to come up east of Sandy, we have several thousand that fly by our place at daylight and sundown. I thin one out now and them when they stop in one of my trees.

[BrianMaguire]

Originally Posted by bigjake_888

Can you bait crow?

Use an Owl decoy, that gets them all worked up. Put an owl decoy in a field with a dead crow/decoy right in front of it.

[Old Goat]

I got a couple of crow decoys and plan on using crow calls and a fawn decoy on predators. Thinking of laying down the fawn decoy on its side, starting with fawn bawls and placing the crow decoys nearby. Then going to crow calls. Hope this draws in bobcat, cougar, bear and maybe even coyotes? Going to give it a try.

[Santiam338]

Extra points for this one...

Just took this pic last week...

[Dextreme]

Is a Raven considered a crow, or anyone know if they are protected in Oregon? I have always wondered...

[sprigkiller09]

Originally Posted by Dextreme

Is a Raven considered a crow, or anyone know if they are protected in Oregon? I have always wondered...

Ravens are protected species.

Santiam338: That is an awesome bird.

Crow hunting is a good time. I would recommend it. E-callers are the way to go!!

[Bill Monroe]

Originally Posted by sliverpicker

Now THAT'S a pile of crows! You give those to Bill Monroe, I hear he likes eating them?

You need to come up east of Sandy, we have several thousand that fly by our place at daylight and sundown. I thin one out now and them when they stop in one of my trees.

I do NOT want my grandson to see that...Promised him a Benelli semi-auto if he could shoot two dozen crows in a day.

http://online-cookbook.com/goto/cook/rpage/000D8C

(They taste like duck)

[Rank Amateur]

Originally Posted by Old Salt

I got a couple of crow decoys and plan on using crow calls and a fawn decoy on predators. Thinking of laying down the fawn decoy on its side, starting with fawn bawls and placing the crow decoys nearby. Then going to crow calls. Hope this draws in bobcat, cougar, bear and maybe even coyotes? Going to give it a try.

That can be the ticket, I have had success calling in dogs on several occasions when I knew a mob of crows were within earshot and once I started my series I would throw in the crow fight and have the mob decend on me and raise all heck. I think the dogs really key in on a scene like that.

[handsmellikenet]

Originally Posted by BrianMaguire

Use an Owl decoy, that gets them all worked up. Put an owl decoy in a field with a dead crow/decoy right in front of it.

The best thing is a owl decoy and I have a tape of crow attacking an owl. you just set up your owl decoy and put five or six steaks in the ground around the decoy and put some black rags on the steaks the wind will give the affect hit play and you will have more crows than you can shake a stick at in no time.

[Muddy Water]

I use the owl decoy and crow tape when hunting, but also set it up for halloween at the house. My non-hunting neighbors, which is probably all of them, must think I'm a little out there, but it's the easiest, most effective halloween decoration we have.

Factoid: a group of crows is called a murder.

[Dan360]

popcorn works great around here. I know a guy who tied 30 lb test fishing line from one tree to another, with clearn snells and size 10 hooks with popcorn on them. He set the line right on the ground with popcorn spread around. The next day, there were dead crows caught on the line. Kinda cruel, but effective.

[Rank Amateur]

Yes, that could get you a ticket to the gray bar hotel these days.

I have heard the same trick with corn kernels and a length of line, not tied down and no hook. It is said the crow will not fly because of the line hanging out of its mouth.

[sliverpicker]

Originally Posted by Bill Monroe

I do NOT want my grandson to see that...Promised him a Benelli semi-auto if he could shoot two dozen crows in a day.

http://online-cookbook.com/goto/cook/rpage/000D8C

(They taste like duck)

ducks aren't fit for human consumption either!

[Nuf]

Originally Posted by Santiam338

Extra points for this one...

Just took this pic last week...

Oreo cookie?