[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Why I kill crows (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 7/28/2007 4:17:21 PM EDT
I thought I'd start a new thread on why some kill animals when they aren't going to eat them. What some antis think is simply killing to kill is nuisance control to others. Here is a link to the WEB SITE where I got this article.
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From watching them, I don't doubt it. The one time I managed to kill one, I got very lucky. I had a friend (farmer) who used to kill them using an owl decoy. He'd try to injure it with small shot and its cries would bring in a bunch more crows. Then he'd let loose. |
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Crows are damn smart. I read an artical a few years back about the DNR of MN. The Department of Natural Resource guys were out doing duck nesting counts and they eventually noticed that the crows were following them around nest to nest to eat the eggs that the DNR guys "pointed" out to them. GM |
Kill a crow. Save a duck. that's why I shoot 'em. But the main reason is I hate the nasty bastards. ETA: I also love to shoot ALOT. There is no better game in town than pissed off crows coming to your call. I shoot a minimum of 100 shells every time I hunt those rats-with-wings. |
I knew an older guy who told me his grandfather used to run a cat up a tree and the crows would come to investigate the meowing, and he would mow them down
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+1000, Damn right they are smart. I think they are smarter then turkey. I started hunting them about 3 years ago. A friend of mine has been hunting them for over 15 years he is a expert crow hunter, I have learned a ton from him. It is not uncommon for him to kill 1000+ crows a year in a good season. They do a lot of damage here not only to the crops but the turkey/quail eggs in the spring. Down here in the TN/North Alabama area it is hit or miss. When you do hit it is unreal they seem to almost attack where your caller is. My friend had well over 150 in a frenzy during a hunt a few years back. He shot so much he ran out of shells and killed about 100 in less then an hour. At least once in your life go crow hunting with someone that has a clue. You will have a blast even if you just get off a few shots. Happy hunting...... 
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A couple of crow hunting tips. Don't drive the same car to the hunting grounds. They will remember the car and not come into the call. If crows are already in the area where you are hunting, try to keep your guns hidden. Did you ever notice that if you are walking through a field without a gun that a crow will fly right over your head and if you have a gun it will avoid you? They really are smart. |
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"It was shown that crows in close proximity to duck nesting areas took an average of 110 to 120 eggs or fledglings per crow per year, approximately 20,000,000 ducks. During the same year, sportsman only took 11,000,000 ducks." -OP When I think of all the tasty duck and goose meat that will never be eaten...  It makes killin' crows so worthwhile. I hate those nasty fuckers |
Somewhat like a newborn's cry. It's not a pleasant sound. EDIT: CAUGHT ME  I hate crows. Every year,they pull up some of my corn. I usually kill 1-3 per year. Mostly I get them when they mob an owl in the backyard. Other than when they're distracted,they stay out of .22 rifle range. They've learned to ignore my owl decoy unfortunately. Ditto for my crow call. |
What does a dead rabbit sound like? If it's a dead rabbit, and it's making a noise, you might be a little more concerned with the zombie outbreak coming your way. TXL |
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Are remington subsonics in a bolt action quiet enough without a suppressor to kill crows from my suburban tract house backyard? I have started to get crows on the light post behind my house and want to nip this in the bud before they start to take over. I have a 4 lane street behind my house before the next tract of houses start and a block wall to attenuate the sound but I do have a neighbor directly beside me. |
 Having hunted birds of all manner on three continents and in five countries, I can attest that they are *extremely* intelligent. Pecan farms can especially benefit from a managed huning program. The West Nile virus has hit them, along with blue jays, very hard in my home state. I've held off hunting them for the past several years because of this. When the population normalizes, I will enjoy hunting this worthy adversary again. They soak up a lot of killing from a shotgun. I prefer heavy doses of No. 4 shot through a tight choke. Rifle shooting them can be entertaining, but is more a test of shooting skills than hunting prowess. I have never eaten a crow, and do not think I would. I have mounted several for friends. They make wonderful specimens. One day, I will do a few for myself. |
Nip what in the bud? You are more of a nuisance to your neighbors and traffic with your .22 than the birds would ever be. 
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LOW2000, CCI CB..... 7MARY, it's interesting to hear you say that. I personally have used everything from #5 Turkey loads and high brass #6 to light 9 shot and I get better results from smaller pellets. How close are your crows when you shoot? Most of my shots are 25+ yards. |
They wipe out local bird populations, i'd much rather the local hawks be sitting on my light poles than a gang of crows. Oh, and they are probably the most obnoxious noisy bird on the planet. |
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My dad got a kick out of the fact that they knew a rifle/shotgun and could care less about anything else. He'd experiment with various sticks and they would sit there and visually tell him to pound sand unless he a rifle. Not a broom, not a pole, not a handgun. It had to be a long gun. If he stepped out back with a real one they would take off immediately. He hated them but he also thought they were amazingly smart for that little brain they got. |
You're going to account for every round then right? Since you will be shooting at an upward angle? You never miss I assume. |
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They certainly cant do nearly the damage that I cause when I do full auto dumps with my AK47 machine gun towards schools and playgrounds... Theres no chance I could bait them into my actual backyard behind a cinder block wall huh? Oh yeah, thats right, its unpossible, just like they don't do it already... |
I know for a fact they know what a gun is, I can't count the times I would be out with a rifle and couldn't get within 300 yards, and other times when I had no gun they would sit in a tree above me and just mock me, Caw Caw!! I swear that is crow for Fuck You!!!.. 
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 Perhaps you could explain your plan before you get all butt hurt that people question you shooting crows on light posts. |
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A buddy and I were out duck hunting one time and were seeing nothing but crows. We got bored and I decided to see if I could call in a crow. Well sure enough I got one to come in (the dogs tried to retreive it until they got a taste and then would not touch it). We were happily shooting crows for a hour or so when the DNR warden pulled up in his boat and asks how many we got (10 or 15 by this point). We told him and he says according to the regs you can shoot crows "if they are or are about to cause damage to fields, people, buildings, etc, etc" and you have to have a use for the carcass. We said that they were about to start dive bombing us and we were just defending ourselves. When he asked about using the carcass my buddy chimes up with "fetilizer for next years willows for blind building material". The warden chuckled and bade us a good hunt. Yes this is a warden we have both known for years and he gets along with pretty much everyone because he is fair but reasonable with enforcing game laws (if you deserve it he will come down on you like a ton of bricks but if you are just goofing and he knows you don't mean any real harm he will try to cut you a break). |
I used to hunt them using a stuffed Owl, crows would go NUTS over it. But they are EXTREMELY smart birds, I think smarter then any other winged bird in the US. |
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My favorite technique is to place three or four crow decoys in a tree or on a fence, and then start the electronic call. If they haven't been hunted in a while, they swarm. I use 12 gauge 2 & 3/4" or 3" magnum # 6's. that will kill them from up to 60 yards if you have I-mod or full choke. After the first hunt, we usually have to move at least 1/2 mile, because once shot once, they know the game... then, we switch to owl decoys on fences, and they will often land a few yards away to check it out. That's when they get a .17 HMR to the chest. We kill lots of 'em, and it is alot like shooting hogs. There rally isn't much worry about conservation, because they do predate on other birds and we've traditionally had almost no West Nile here in Texas, though it has started to show up.. ETA: all you page free are berong to us
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Buy a tape or disc(or mouth blown call) from a different maker. They learn the sound of one fairly quickly. Usually, switching to a different brand of call will throw them off enough to bring 'em in. I normally use a shotgun with the plug removed, call and wait until one or two light in the tree above me. Then as the others are circling, I start blasting. If I miss one or two, I move to a different location a couple hundred hards away and repeat. They don't get any smarter if they're dead.
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