6mm06
Well-known member
Guys,
Gary, alias AfricaPredator, has sent me a lot of pictures on CD of his hunts in South Africa. The pictures are very interesting indeed. After looking through these, I thought it would make a nice post, to show American crow hunters how it's done in other parts of the world. Gary didn't ask me to do this post, so I asked him! Ha! And, at my request, he sent some info that I am attaching here, plus some really nice photos. Hope everyone enjoys.
David
Gary's response: Crow hunting in SA is not heard of, I know nobody who does this hobby except my partner and me. Guys rather drive on a farm and if they see the odd one on a post, they try pop it, but shotgun up close is better! I use a foam decoy that I made and camo in about 15 yards from the decoy, placed on a fence, sit in shadow and wait for action. I shoot about 15-20 crows an hour calling, and Oct - Nov is pairing up/breeding season so that’s best. The most I killed was, I think 25 in an hour. Watching a crows flight path will help in finding a good location, same as predator calling-the location is perhaps most important to a successful hunt.
I enjoy it very much and am doing good by thinning them out, a single crow here kills 8-10 dozen bird chicks and other things, many protected species are also killed by crows, so it’s a good ethical way to remove these pests- no poison eggs, just good old reliable calling. I use my own homemade electronics sometimes, and use my crow call with a few American ones. I change my reeds to sound like Pied crows. I ALWAYS sit facing the way the wind is blowing, crows will approach a set with wind under their wings and feel more comfortable, as wind gives them lift.
Crows see full color so good camo is important. Our PIED crows are black and white and we use no3 shot for them, I think the Pied crow is a little larger than an American crow??? I use a shorter shotgun on some sets as we shoot at crows at about 10 -15 yards max as they come in low for an inspection to see who old " Mildred" really is. By the time they see that their cousin is kind-of strange, its to late!
Anyway here are a few neat photos. I use dead crows for bait in cages for Lynx.
It's always nice to have the "better-half" go along. This is Gary's lovely wife, Sandra.
Gary, alias AfricaPredator, has sent me a lot of pictures on CD of his hunts in South Africa. The pictures are very interesting indeed. After looking through these, I thought it would make a nice post, to show American crow hunters how it's done in other parts of the world. Gary didn't ask me to do this post, so I asked him! Ha! And, at my request, he sent some info that I am attaching here, plus some really nice photos. Hope everyone enjoys.
David
Gary's response: Crow hunting in SA is not heard of, I know nobody who does this hobby except my partner and me. Guys rather drive on a farm and if they see the odd one on a post, they try pop it, but shotgun up close is better! I use a foam decoy that I made and camo in about 15 yards from the decoy, placed on a fence, sit in shadow and wait for action. I shoot about 15-20 crows an hour calling, and Oct - Nov is pairing up/breeding season so that’s best. The most I killed was, I think 25 in an hour. Watching a crows flight path will help in finding a good location, same as predator calling-the location is perhaps most important to a successful hunt.
I enjoy it very much and am doing good by thinning them out, a single crow here kills 8-10 dozen bird chicks and other things, many protected species are also killed by crows, so it’s a good ethical way to remove these pests- no poison eggs, just good old reliable calling. I use my own homemade electronics sometimes, and use my crow call with a few American ones. I change my reeds to sound like Pied crows. I ALWAYS sit facing the way the wind is blowing, crows will approach a set with wind under their wings and feel more comfortable, as wind gives them lift.
Crows see full color so good camo is important. Our PIED crows are black and white and we use no3 shot for them, I think the Pied crow is a little larger than an American crow??? I use a shorter shotgun on some sets as we shoot at crows at about 10 -15 yards max as they come in low for an inspection to see who old " Mildred" really is. By the time they see that their cousin is kind-of strange, its to late!
Anyway here are a few neat photos. I use dead crows for bait in cages for Lynx.
It's always nice to have the "better-half" go along. This is Gary's lovely wife, Sandra.
Last edited: