# The crows.



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Kare and I are setting at the dinning room table yesterday and crows started flying by. They just kept comming crow after crow some close to the house and some across the creek which is 39 yards from our house.

Years (1960-1970's) ago we hunted crows on the farm with shot guns laying up in fence lines with home made dried grass screening.
At first we did rather well but those crows are really smart birds right on par with apes and chimps.
They figured out the range of the shot guns, Where we were hidden, possiably even the sounds of the crow calls (Olt mouth type) we were useing.

We our selves switched tactics, the crows would come to the calls and decoys (crows) we had out but settle in trees out of shot gun range cussing us out and probably even giving us the finger if they had one.

We went to our rifles 22lr, 22mag, 243 wins. and the last time I went out I had my 220 swift.
We would shoot a bunch and a colored lady in town would give us 25 cents each for them. Every Wednesday the church she belonged to had a fried chicken meal deal. I can't remember the price from back then.
Once we discovered they had the dinners Wednesday we stopped selling her the crows.
Just wanted to make sure the people who bought the chicken dinners indead got chicken and not our crows.
I can't even remember who found out she would buy crows from us.

Life caught up with many of us, Brother got married and moved away from the farm, Hunting partner had two boys he needed to mentor and not bother others he said. 
Then I just quit because I had no one to go with and I don't care what some say hunting with friends and family is much better than going it alone.
I do deer hunt sort of alone today, Kare is only a radio transmission away.

I knew in th 1980's they were talking about a season on crows. I looked up Michigans crow season 2020.

Spring season started 3 days ago on the 1st of Febuary, till March 31st.
Fall season is August 1st to September 30.

There is no bag limit so I do believe I will give it a try again. Only decoys I have left now how ever is a pair of owls.
I had heard back when you could make some workable crow decoys with wire and black plastic trash bags. 
Will have To see if I can find some DIY information on this.

Today I have a E caller and can use crow owl fight sound, crow hawk fight sound. 
My E caller came standard with the Owl Crow fight and I tried it out to see and I had crows flying all about the area where the caller sat.

 Al


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Found one.
https://www.wideopenspaces.com/make-cheap-crow-decoy/

I have a roll of black plastic.
Knew I had heard of coat hanger decoys.






I also have card board I tend to save some.





 Al


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## IlliniosGal (Jun 3, 2019)

I am curious why you shoot crows, you surly don't eat them, do you? I have lots of crows around, but they don't bother me, my garden or field crops. They clean up some roadkill and mostly just make a lot of noise.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

We have over 300 pecan trees. My husband shoots crows and squirrels, too. They are VERY destructive to pecan crops.

Estimates are that each crow can eat 15 pounds of pecans per year. 
http://northernpecans.blogspot.com/2011/12/crows-are-major-pecan-pest.html

A squirrel can eat 50 pounds of pecans per year.
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/squirrel-problems-pecan-trees-68523.html


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Because they raid the garden but more that that the apple trees. Of course one could eat crow and many a person has eatten crow a time or two in their life.

as I posted above we had suspetions the lady was buying the crows from use and selling as chicken in the dinners.

when searching for the DIY decoys I ran across one where the fellow wrapped the crow in bacon and grilled it.

It is like a Banty chicken but black.

 Al


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## IlliniosGal (Jun 3, 2019)

Alice In TX/MO said:


> We have over 300 pecan trees. My husband shoots crows and squirrels, too. They are VERY destructive to pecan crops.
> 
> Estimates are that each crow can eat 15 pounds of pecans per year.
> http://northernpecans.blogspot.com/2011/12/crows-are-major-pecan-pest.html
> ...


I don't have problems like that here, thank you for the information. In all my years of gardening and and growing corn and beans as a cash crop I have never had a single problem from crows.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Your a lucky one then.

I have watched the crows a whole flock go down rows of newly planted corn pulling the seedlings from the ground and eatting the seed.

They if a big enough flock can clean a 10 acre field in no time.


I have Eric and Mike coming in a couple hours to see what we can do.


 Al


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I liked the one comment. if you don't like scavanger don't eat Shrimp & crab and stay away from wild hogs too.

 Al


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Yeah. I have to actively not think about the natural food sources of crab when I indulge in crab cakes. Sigh.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Chickens will eat dead animals if they can get them. They like live animals too, snakes and mice are real treats.


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## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

Actually, I'm sad to read you're shooting crows. Yes, I know all the reasons for doing so, but I have a soft spot in my heart for them. Had a family of crows living on my former property and we got to know each other. Did you know they mate for life?


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Ya I know that and so do Geese and ther water fowl. I also believe that hawks and owls also mate for life.

If it was just a small flock I probably would not hunt them. But when I set at the dinning room table and see them flying by in the hundreds it is time to thin the population out some.

Been researching them and found out they destroy song birds for food, eat eggs of ducks and gese and turkeys in the wild.
Decend on fresh planted crops and a small flock can destroy a 20 acre feild of corn in two days by eatting the seeds.

 Al


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

One of my former neighbors used to like crows, until he watched them raid a nest of baby rabbits. He said those babies crying as they were pulled apart really got to him. 

We don't have crows here but my grandparents had them fly in a few times. They can devastate acres of corn in no time, costing both lost seed and time. Back when farmers saved corn seed that loss was a huge hardship. Crows were shot on sight by all the farmers around there.


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## [email protected] (Sep 16, 2009)

+I don't dispute that geese and maybe other birds mate for life,,,but my ganders didn't hesitate to go after some strange stuff if they had the chance..


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Ok for the sake of stiring the pot I would guess most males will go after some strange stuff. As you said given the chance.

I also think Females will do the same if not satified with what they have.

 Al


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Went out Sunday for a quicky hunt. Just the Charles Daily 20ga and the caller.

Lots of crows in the area so I hunkered down under a group of white pins set the caller out about 20 yards and started acrow and owl fight.

I had a lot of them fly over circle all out of range of the 20ga.

Had fun how ever just getting them to come and circle the area.


 Al


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