Crow Hunting

The only tournament shooting I do is trap. I'm not into it as much as some of my friends with the high end shotguns, but travel some of the local shoots.
 
Our crow hunting tournaments are little 20 or 25, 3 man teams, usually put on by some bar. Throw in 30 to 60 bucks a team, split it top three, eat and drink on the bar and call it a day.
 
It is funny, but they're like anything you hunt, if you're not hunting them then you're worrying about their welfare. Like farming you have to rotate your stands. One old-timer once told me "Don't worry about them they will be here long after we have worn-out our welcome, because they're smarter then we are and will adapt"
 
I haven't in some time but I got pretty proficient at it years ago. Had a bunch of decoys and several dedicated blinds, mostly hunted in the spring upon their migration north. Good days would see 20 to 30 crows dead on the ground around the blind. I was actually thinking back then to write a book on the topic.
 
There is no doubt after a couple cases of shells fired during the course of the season, you can get pretty efficient. You have already seen that shot so many times it sometimes seems automatic. People don't believe it, but they can fly as fast as any pheasant or grouse if they want to.
 
Never been in a tournament but my neighbor has access to a pecan orchard and there are LOTS of crows. Haven’t been in a couple of years but the best we did was over 100. (Believe it or not…) IMG_0168.jpeg
 
I couldn’t start to tell you, but that day we killed about 135 and sure didn’t hit them all. this is a big orchard and they love for us to come. Obviously groups get smart so we call, shoot at a group, try to wound some, which helps them come back to distressed crow calls. Go quiet, repeat. Obviously we go full gillie camo with blinds and lots of decoys. We both have a wildlife technology electronic call, which has a lot of crow sounds. We are set up and waiting an hour before sunrise. A little overkill in my opinion, but we get results. Hunt until noon or so.
 
It is in my profile - I live in Louisiana but the pecan trees are in central Mississippi which is where I am “from”. My wife inherited farmland up there. That’s where I “attempt” to call coyote and bobcat. I’m getting better thanks to this forum.
 
I used to do this and like you said, ful camo even my face if I did not use a cover. I usually did not shoot the scout but waited for the others. Hunted solo and wondered if other people considered them a nuisance? I knew so guys in Kansas that had blinds set up and hunted them as often as they could. I will tell on myself how long ago this was. The mid 90s and my E caller was a cassette tape. I still have decoys and would like to try it again.
 
We dabbled in it last year and had fun. Never killed more than 7-8 on a stand and would end the day with less than 20 most of the time. We have a season for some reason, but the landowner gets a nuisance permit. Crows will tear up a turkey nest so they got to go!! We did learn they are SMART! It ain’t just going out a shooting. You better be decked out in camo head to toe and have one heck of a hide.
 
I have never actually been crow hunting before so I don't if it's a bit more difficult or easy but will for sure get into it someday, I'm looking into getting a new rifle precisely the Henry H010BGWL hope it is appropriate for crow hunt LOL and I'm also looking into a new AeroLite Jacket been needing a new one for a while now I need to be ready for my season ahead.
 
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