Crow season is concurrent with Duck season (it is a migratory gamebird)

If you want year round Hunting for birds, do starlings and Rock Pigeon.

 

You can hunt crows yearround if you get a depradation permit.

 

You can hunt crows yearround if you get a depradation permit.

if you own land or know someone who owns land that the crows are messing up.

 

That is true and I should have added that. At the time that I had one and we had full access to hunt a dairy. We shot crows all year then got to use one of his patures to goosehunt all as his thank you.

 

You can hunt crows yearround if you get a depradation permit.

How tough is it to get a permit, and what is the process to get one?

 

my dad has got permits to shoot crows and (believe it or not) beavers. (the beavers were screwing up our old dock and we asked them to come out to trap them and they gave us the go ahead to shoot them instead.) i think all it took was a call to the ODFW and explain to them what the crows are doing and they will issue the permit if it is ligit.

 

This was about twelve years ago and if I remember correctly I had to go through a federal venue to get it (Dpt. of the interior??). But I'm possitive all it took was a request for the forms and then you just explain what kind of depredation is happening and a location or two or three.

 

...just explain what kind of depredation is happening and a location or two or three.

Just so I don't look like a giant dope, what is "depredation"?

 

the crows have to be messing things up. they have to be causing a nuisance of some sort. my dad got one for crows because they were eating his walnuts.

 

The dairy owner's specific complaint was the birds getting into the cattle feed and well, leaving deposits. That was enough for mine. At the time we had three. One for my brother, Dad, and myself.

 

Crow season is concurrent with Duck season (it is a migratory game bird)

Crows, at least in Oregon do not migrate and are not migratory birds. The reason they are considered migratory and controlled by the feds is they resemble a crow like bird that lives in the south that is migratory (at least this is what I heard) With the fact that west nile virus is spreading and crows are one of the biggest carriers I think ODFW should open the season all year. There is no reason not to, there are plenty of them. To comply with federal law they had to set bag limits but they could set a bag of 25 a day and hunt year long and still comply. The area I live in is crawling with them, in fact I can hear one now.

 

Crow season is concurrent with Duck season (it is a migratory game bird)

Crows, at least in Oregon do not migrate and are not migratory birds.

I'm not sure that's exactly true...

I have a cousin who lived in Boardman, who's just recently moved to the Tri-Cities area.

We used to use his house as "home base" for various bird and waterfowl hunts, especially when the hunting was much better over there and public access better than it is now.

It seemed like early in the Pheasant season, usually around the 1st couple of weeks of November, there'd be a HUGE influx of large flocks of Crows. These weren't the normal, "around here" Crows but vast flocks, apparently migrating through. They were/are much EASIER to call/decoy and shoot than the locals.

Also, about hunting Crows here on the West Side, I've always just gotten permission (or have been asked) by landowners to come shoot depredating Crows. I've never seen that you or they needed an issued "permit" (I could be wrong on this), but have simply printed up a small form stating that I was acting as their "Agent" on their behalf, shooting Depredating Crows, and had them sign it.

When we've been out blazing away we've never been checked.

A really great place to shoot is any dairy that grows their own corn. A couple of peak times to get into them is when the farmer turns the soil, prior to planting (as the tractor unearths lots of worms and also runs over lots of field mice), and the other is just after the field has been seeded and is starting to sprout. This is especially when the farmers would like you to get the Crows as they can strip the field bare of all the fresh sprouts. But if you can get hooked up with them when they first turn the soil that's some real prime shooting on the same birds that are going to be back pulling up the sprouts later!

 

They were/are much EASIER to call/decoy and shoot than the locals.

What deek's do you use, how do you set up on them, and can we use recorded calls on them?

 

Crows are very easy to call in with a mouth call. The are or seem to be very inquisitive birds. Use a distress call and the cannot seem to resist. One of our favorite tricks back on that dairy while cruel....was to let a cripple run halfway across the field and then let the dog go get it. We'd get entire flocks following that dog in. We killed a lot of crows. I am sure one season I alone fired over 1000 rounds. I'm sure because I had to load them....lol. Back then I had a two wheel drive Nissan and one afternoon my brother and I loaded it half full with crows to take to the "disposal site"......that alone is another story.

 

So, can you call yotes in to feed on the crow carcasses?

 

LOL...no there were a couple "urban coyotes" around but they were very wise. Just a designated area to dump the crows and the farmer would scoop dirt over them. Backfired one year when we got about ten inches of rain in three days, flooded the whole east side of the town of Chino, CA with crow carcasses in various stages of decay. Was pretty nasty but no one ever figured out where they came from. Must have been lead poisoning.

 

They were/are much EASIER to call/decoy and shoot than the locals.

What deek's do you use, how do you set up on them, and can we use recorded calls on them?

Crows can be "tricky". They're real EASY (read delicate) to shoot down, but they're far warier than hunting Ducks.

If you're hunting the locals, often one or two shots is all it takes to get them very wise to what's going on and they'll fly off 3/8s of a mile and sit in tree tops and tell all their friends to stay clear of you.

Like hunting Geese, one of the big tricks is where to hide.

When hunting those fields where the tractor's turning over the ground, the Crows will almost follow right where the tractor's just been. Ususally, if there's tall grass/weeds being turned over, get close to the edge of where the tractor's working and as it goes by go set out about a half dozen crow dekes just out into the turned over dirt. This makes the passing Crows think this is a bonanza spot and you can be hidden, kneeling or lying down in that grass. If you're a Goose hunter and you have a ground blind, like an Eliminator, that can be put to good use too. Just make sure the tractor operator KNOWS exactly where you are so he doesn't come and plow you under too! :shocked:

Hunting the seeded fields is a little tougher. There you have bare dirt. Fortunately, there's usually some tall cover near the edge and placing about a dozen or more Crow dekes out about 40 yards from you will bring them in pretty well. After you start shooting them, add the dead crows to the spread. It brings more in, even better!

I'd say they're a little more cautious about coming in to decoys placed too close to the edges of the field. If you can find a fenceline, especially an old wooden post-barbed wire fence with a corner at the confluence of a couple of fields that's a good place to set up a blind or use natural cover also.

This hunting takes place in the Spring and early Summer and the grasses and weeds are a bright yellowish green. Back when there was a company making a camoflage called "Brushlan" I recognized that they had a great color, a nice mixture of yellows and greens that's perfect for this kind of hunting. I bought several long-sleeved T-shirts and caps and this stuff is great for that hunting!

As far as decoys go, I have a bunch of Carry Lites that work pretty well. These are the ONLY Carry Lites I own. They're made out of BLACK plastic and have a dull black paint on them. So if they suffer the Carry Lite syndrome of the paint rubbing off, it's not that big a deal...they're black underneath.

Electronic calls are permitted, but we've found that mouth calling works very well on these "feeder" Crows, but we let the dekes do most of the work. Also, FWIW, you don't have to use a plug in your gun...so you can go ahead and load up 5 rounds if you have a pump or auto (6 if you shoot a Model 12 or '97!) :grin:

:cheers:

 

Crawdad,

PM Sent

-blake

 

Crows are migratory, they are like ducks. There are resident crows that hang out all year too.

That is why they have a Migratory Gamebird status.

 

in this thread i have read no distinction between crows and ravens. ravens are not crows. look up or ask odfw about shooting ravens.unless you are hunting agricultural lands the birds you are seeing are probably ravens.

 

Ravens are bigger and make a much different sound.

 

Here is the answer to all your questions

Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. The Treaty was further amended on March 10, 1972. This amendment finally added 32 additional families of birds including eagles, hawks, owls and the Corvidae family…which includes the crow species.

Therefore, crow hunting regulations are handled differently and are subject to different restrictions than hunting regulations for other birds. Crows are not considered a game bird and Corvidae is not included in the list of families under the definition of game bird. However, there are two provisions specifically for taking crows under Federal regulations (50 CFR Parts 20 and 21).

Section 20.133 provides States with the opportunity to set sport-hunting seasons without notifying the service. These seasons must comply with certain restrictions:

Crows shall not be hunted from aircraft.


The hunting season or seasons on crows shall not exceed a total of 124 days during a calendar year


Hunting shall not be permitted during the peak crow nesting period within a State and


Crows may only be taken by firearms, bow and arrow and falconry

Section 21.43, which covers depredation situations, provides for the taking of crows without a Federal permit, when crows are found committing or about to commit certain depredations upon ornamental or shade trees, agricultural crops, livestock, or wildlife or when they are concentrated in such numbers as to constitute a health hazard or other nuisance. For instance, a crow in the proximity of an agricultural field with documented depredation damage would likely be considered as "about to commit depredation"; whereas a crow in a forested area or on a game management area would not likely be considered in the same way. Provision would include that: a) none of the birds killed or their parts are sold or offered for sale b) anyone exercising the privileges granted by this section shall permit any Federal or State game law enforcement officer free and unrestricted access over the premises where the operations have been or are conducted and will provide them with whatever information is required by the officer concerning said operations and c) that nothing in the section authorizes the killing of such birds contrary to any state laws or regulations and that the person needs to possess whatever permit as may be required for such activities by the state concerned.

In addition, the taking of crows under the depredation order must comply with the conditions listed in Section 21.41(c). As an example, while decoys, calls, other devices to entice birds within gun range, and rifles may be allowed during a sport season, they are specifically prohibited under the depredation order by Section 21.41 (c). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) feels the basis for these restrictions is that it would be counterproductive to lure or entice crows into an area already experiencing depredation problems. Other requirements of that subsection, such as retrieval and disposition, must also be met. Certain severe depredation problems can allow exceptions through obtaining a permit by application. Be mindful that these restrictions apply when you are helping a landowner with his depredation problem. Since states can be more restrictive, please check with your state game enforcement officer first.

American Crows can be considered partially migratory. That is, some populations migrate, others are resident, and in others only some of the crows migrate. Crows in the southern parts of their range appear to be resident and not migrate. They may make some changes in their use of space at this time, spending more time off the territory to forage and roost. Crows migrate out of the northern most parts of their range. It has been stated that crows migrate out of those areas where the minimum January temperature averages 0 ° F. Certainly crows leave the northern Great Plains in the fall, leaving Saskatchewan and Alberta to winter in the lower Plains states of Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma (Kalmbach, E. R., and S. E. Aldous. 1940. Winter banding of Oklahoma crows. Wilson Bull. 52: 198-206).

 

Here is the answer to all your questions

Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. The Treaty was further amended on March 10, 1972. This amendment finally added 32 additional families of birds including eagles, hawks, owls and the Corvidae family…which includes the crow species.

Therefore, crow hunting regulations are handled differently and are subject to different restrictions than hunting regulations for other birds. Crows are not considered a game bird and Corvidae is not included in the list of families under the definition of game bird. However, there are two provisions specifically for taking crows under Federal regulations (50 CFR Parts 20 and 21).

Section 20.133 provides States with the opportunity to set sport-hunting seasons without notifying the service. These seasons must comply with certain restrictions:

Crows shall not be hunted from aircraft.


The hunting season or seasons on crows shall not exceed a total of 124 days during a calendar year


Hunting shall not be permitted during the peak crow nesting period within a State and


Crows may only be taken by firearms, bow and arrow and falconry

Section 21.43, which covers depredation situations, provides for the taking of crows without a Federal permit, when crows are found committing or about to commit certain depredations upon ornamental or shade trees, agricultural crops, livestock, or wildlife or when they are concentrated in such numbers as to constitute a health hazard or other nuisance. For instance, a crow in the proximity of an agricultural field with documented depredation damage would likely be considered as "about to commit depredation"; whereas a crow in a forested area or on a game management area would not likely be considered in the same way. Provision would include that: a) none of the birds killed or their parts are sold or offered for sale b) anyone exercising the privileges granted by this section shall permit any Federal or State game law enforcement officer free and unrestricted access over the premises where the operations have been or are conducted and will provide them with whatever information is required by the officer concerning said operations and c) that nothing in the section authorizes the killing of such birds contrary to any state laws or regulations and that the person needs to possess whatever permit as may be required for such activities by the state concerned.

In addition, the taking of crows under the depredation order must comply with the conditions listed in Section 21.41(c). As an example, while decoys, calls, other devices to entice birds within gun range, and rifles may be allowed during a sport season, they are specifically prohibited under the depredation order by Section 21.41 (c). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) feels the basis for these restrictions is that it would be counterproductive to lure or entice crows into an area already experiencing depredation problems. Other requirements of that subsection, such as retrieval and disposition, must also be met. Certain severe depredation problems can allow exceptions through obtaining a permit by application. Be mindful that these restrictions apply when you are helping a landowner with his depredation problem. Since states can be more restrictive, please check with your state game enforcement officer first.

American Crows can be considered partially migratory. That is, some populations migrate, others are resident, and in others only some of the crows migrate. Crows in the southern parts of their range appear to be resident and not migrate. They may make some changes in their use of space at this time, spending more time off the territory to forage and roost. Crows migrate out of the northern most parts of their range. It has been stated that crows migrate out of those areas where the minimum January temperature averages 0 ° F. Certainly crows leave the northern Great Plains in the fall, leaving Saskatchewan and Alberta to winter in the lower Plains states of Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma (Kalmbach, E. R., and S. E. Aldous. 1940. Winter banding of Oklahoma crows. Wilson Bull. 52: 198-206).

and not once did this mention ravens,i think it should.

 

When Crow seasons once again opened up in Oregon (originally they were a non-protected species), after years of continuous protection, the Oregon limit was set at 12 birds per day.

When asked about about HOW this number was reached, the ODF&W Head Bird Biologist at the time, Ralph Denny, responded, "I thought of what the daily limit on Crabs was...12, that sounded like a good number, so we went with that.! :idea: :laugh:

Also when questioned about the intent of the Depredation provisions I recall someone at ODF&W commenting, "If Crows are not depredating (crops), they're ABOUT to be depredating!" :grin:

I think this somewhat demonstrates what may be considered the somewhat relaxed attitude this state's game managers had towards the shooting of these birds that were once generally considered as pest and nuisance birds across the U.S.

When I was a kid, all the gun/hunting magazines used to have numerous "Crow Hunting" articles as regular faire in their off "Hunting Season" issues, Crows being lumped in with Varmint and Predator hunting at that time.

 

Crows have a tail like japaneese had fan (like the geisha girls have), and ravens have a diamond shaped tail.

Ravesn will also do a fair amount of soaring, Crows are usually flapping.

Ravens are much larger than crows.