Crow calling.

MoYoBomber

MoYoBomber

Member
Tips and techniques for crow calling?

I get the don't shoot the first one and stay hidden as can be but what else is there to it.

I would like to be able to kill more than a handful before having to move locations.

Any ways to shoot for a good bit before they wise up?

I have an electronic call as well as a handheld call.

Do decoys help? Hawk or owl placed nearby or possibly a hawk decoy siting on what would appear to be a dead crow get them hanging around??
 
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Books and feature length videos have been produced to cover the basics of crow hunting so an answer on a hunting forum isn't going to be in depth or provide a ton of information. It's like most hunting, find the crows. Find a roost area or a food source and set up nearby or on the travel way between the two. Camo is important, decoys are important, know what calls to make and when to make them, be a practised wingshooter, I like a 12 gauge semi auto or pump with modified choke and good sporting clays loads of #7.5 shot. I see you are in Missouri, crow season runs from Nov. 1st to March 3rd. A small game hunting license is required.
 
"Any ways to shoot for a good bit before they wise up?"

No, I don't think so.

What has worked for me is, on my first hunt at a new place, I use my handcall, no decoys, next time I go to that property, I'll use handcall with decoys, and the next time, I'll use an e-caller, then an e-caller with decoys.

After that, that flock will be really reluctant to even send a scout.

I was out a few weeks ago, here in Colorado, and on the first set, we shot 6-7. Then we moved about 4-5 miles, and shot 2-3 more. Moved another 2-3 miles and we had 1 scout circle us out of range. And that was it for that valley.

I'd swear they talked to each other up and down that valley while we drove between spots.

There was a show on TV about crows in England, nesting on a University campus. The guy puts on a rubber facemask, kind of like the Richard Nixon mask, climbs the tree and just looks at the nestlings. The adult crows are going crazy around him.

He climbs down, goes into the school and removes the facemask, then walks back outside (wearing the same cloths he climbed with), and the crows did not react. He goes back inside, puts on the facemask, and as soon as he steps outside, the crows go beserk again.

I don't recall if they followed up with the mask at a future time, but I would like to know just how long they can remember things.
 
Originally Posted By: MoYoBomberRips and techniques for crow calling?

I get the don't shoot the first one and stay hidden as can be but what else is there to it.

I would like to be able to kill more than a handful before having to move locations.

Any ways to shoot for a good bit before they wise up?

I have an electronic call as well as a handheld call.

Do decoys help? Hawk or owl placed nearby or possibly a hawk decoy siting on what would appear to be a dead crow get them hanging around??
Here's how we would do it :

1) Find a "flyway" if possible.
Find where crows are feeding during the day or where they roost.
Never hunt the feeding area or the roosting area but rather set up somewhere along their flyways to and from.

2) We had a couple of 30-40 foot tall trees where we would set up.
12 crow decoys went on one tree and one owl decoy was in the second tree.
Put the owl on a long pole so you can get him high without breaking your neck.
Make the crow deeks look as natural as possible.

3) You have to build a super-tight blind.
Way tighter than a duck blind.
Even with a nice tight blind, crows will sometimes look "down the chimney" and bust you.

4) We used an old Johnny Stewart e-caller.
"Death Cry of a Crow" was the best.

5) If you're set up right they will come pouring in.
Sunny days are best.
We never had to move around like you would for yotes.
One good set and a good location, new "customers" are always rolling in.

6) Hold your fire until you can at least score a double.
Crows can turn and burn quick.

7) Hot 1 oz loads of 7.5 or 8 shot at about 1400+ fps
Bring lots of ammo.
If I recall correctly, I'd take 8-10 boxes of 12ga
 
I was watching a YouTube video earlier and the flyway or travel area between roost and feeding area was brought up. I only know of 1 roost, need to check and see if it is still active.

Have always heard to be very hidden as well.

Been thinking about a hawk or crow decoy.

The post about hand call, hand call with deke, e call, e call w decoy makes sense.

Hadn't thought about burning a spot out but if it's generally the same flock you're calling each time that makes sense. May be why calling my buds place has slacked off. We hit it 2-3x a year plus he does a little right around the house when he gets the urge.

Keep the suggestions coming. I hope we can get a few before season goes out and be ready for next fall w some decoys and such.
 
Took a state trap shooting champion out to our spot one day.
It was the first time I ever saw a quadruple.
Crows wheel out so fast after the first shot, a triple is hard to do, let alone a quadruple.
He caught himself shoving Rolaids into his magazine he was so amped up.

We thought 15 a day was good during our hand call era.
It was a paradigm shift with the e-caller.
Most I ever got was 128 one day using the decoy set with the e-caller.
I think as in any critter calling, getting the sound away from the blind is huge.
 
In the last 20 years I've found a couple areas with a good amount of crows. I try to set up close enough that they can hear the electronic caller(s). Set one to the left and one to the right of my hide. Object is to not let the shooting drive the main flock away. I Sometimes use a chair blind or if I have to travel a ways I just use a couple sheets of camo material. I find them more spooky than ducks, so I try to stay hidden until they're well within range.

I don't use an owl decoy because I've tried them and I get a big batch of crows come in all at once and when you shoot the flock may not come back again. I play sounds of only one or two crows "cawing". My object is to make individual crows curious and come over to see what's going on. That way I can stretch out the shooting for most of the morning without spooking the whole flock.

I set up two weeks ago across the street from where about 50 were feeding. I set out about two dozen decoys with a few in short trees next to each caller. My main object was to get my young Lab some training and retrieving work. I ended up the morning with only 8, but a Raven kept coming around and I had to make sure I didn't mistake him for a crow.

I plan on hunting this spot again this weekend. I have found out if I don't shoot at a lot of out of range birds, only shoot at close in birds, and stay well hidden I should be able to hunt this spot once a week until the season ends in April.

The good crow spots have become fewer in my end of the state, but in the past it was not uncommon several times in the season to shoot between 25 and 50 by myself using the above methods.
 
Originally Posted By: duckstopperIn the last 20 years I've found a couple areas with a good amount of crows. I try to set up close enough that they can hear the electronic caller(s). Set one to the left and one to the right of my hide. Object is to not let the shooting drive the main flock away. I Sometimes use a chair blind or if I have to travel a ways I just use a couple sheets of camo material. I find them more spooky than ducks, so I try to stay hidden until they're well within range.

I don't use an owl decoy because I've tried them and I get a big batch of crows come in all at once and when you shoot the flock may not come back again. I play sounds of only one or two crows "cawing". My object is to make individual crows curious and come over to see what's going on. That way I can stretch out the shooting for most of the morning without spooking the whole flock.

I set up two weeks ago across the street from where about 50 were feeding. I set out about two dozen decoys with a few in short trees next to each caller. My main object was to get my young Lab some training and retrieving work. I ended up the morning with only 8, but a Raven kept coming around and I had to make sure I didn't mistake him for a crow.

I plan on hunting this spot again this weekend. I have found out if I don't shoot at a lot of out of range birds, only shoot at close in birds, and stay well hidden I should be able to hunt this spot once a week until the season ends in April.

The good crow spots have become fewer in my end of the state, but in the past it was not uncommon several times in the season to shoot between 25 and 50 by myself using the above methods.
Do not EVER take a duck dog out crow hunting !
I ruined my Chesapeake doing that very thing.
What happens is the dog will eventually pick up a cripple.
Wounded crows are nasty and they will be pecking at the dog or sometimes they will clamp down on the dog's upper lip like a Vice Grip.
My Chessie learned to chomp down on those crows to make sure they were dead before he brought them back.

That dog HAD the softest mouth until he got around crows.
I could never break him of chomping the sheet out of my ducks.
 


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