What’s this business of groundhogs predicting weather anyway? They don’t know beans! Wait a minute; beans are something they do understand. In any event, here’s a forecast for this weekend: It’s going to rain. Not cats and dogs, but crows!
February Crows
The long-awaited, no-limit season of crow hunting began February 1st and continues through March 31st and that means it’s time to test new guns, loads, and wing-shooting skills. And, this season, we’ve got a few new tricks up our sleeves, including a new apprentice hunter, Mike, whose technique will be challenged by the aerial antics of the high-flying, menacing marauders.
Mike has never hunted before. His 20-gauge scatter gun and his natural hand/eye coordination have given him enough confidence to step into the blind with me for an inaugural session of calling and culling.
With the absence of snow this time around, typical hunter camouflage should work well in an effort to blend in with the surroundings. But, to trick the trouble makers into a full-fledged response to calls and decoys, staying hidden is mandatory. Crow hunting can be like no other hunting, but to achieve a high level of success, hunters can never let the eyes in the sky see as much as a shiny shotgun barrel or movement of any kind. If they do, they’ll spread the word from the highest perch and no manner of coaxing will bring them back.
For some hunters, who are skilled enough to actually get crows to investigate a concocted commotion, it’s a few sky-busting shots and the session is over. But, it doesn’t have to be that way, although it usually is. Unlike the response to any other animal I have ever hunted, the act of shooting itself will not drive the birds away. If a hunter jumps out of his concealed location to shoot, it may appear that gunfire may have caused the crows to abandon the county; it is movement, however, that is the culprit.
How do I know this? Let’s just say that in 40 years of crow hunting, I have witnessed a few crow hunting sessions that seem to defy logic. I’m talking about shooting until the gun is empty, reloading, and repeating until the ammo is gone. I’m talking about action that’s so frantic, you’ll wish you had brought more shells.
Crows have phenomenal eyesight and will often check out a set from high above. If you’ve done your part to conceal your location, stay put until they come into range. When it’s time to shoot, do so while remaining hidden with as little movement as possible. Within your blind, create a shooting window and take just the shots that will allow you to stay hidden. That’s the key.
Crows Taken In Snow 2010
Equipment we use consists of at least one motion decoy, shotguns with improved-cylinder chokes, 7 ½ shot size, and an electronic caller with crow sounds.
The accompanying photo shows a field blind constructed in about a half-hour’s work from a framework of sticks, twine, and natural vegetation found nearby.
Natural Crow Blind
The top of the two-person hideout remains open, allowing for each hunter to take a position which will allow him to take shots without moving about. By taking only shots that are presented within a particular window, it’s possible to make rain under clear, blue skies.
