Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints Crow hunters

Here in Tennessee we don't have tons of crows like in some other states with huge roosts. I'm wondering how you guys hunt them in your neck of the woods. We don't have pecan orchards or big corn fields so for me it's like hunting ducks in flooded timber, except no water, I set up in the woods with a opening and call to them. We also set up in short stands of brush or small trees in a flyway and pass shoot.

How do you guys set up for them?

About the same. My son-in-law is a crow hunting fanatic. We hunt the edges of clear cuts and old brushy fields on public ground here. He has decoys to include a couple of Mojo spinners. We run a pair of Fox Pro callers. Crows come in from 6 - 12 at a time. I love to knock 'em stiff! I don't go real often because I'm usually deer or coyote hunting but it is fun as hell.

Be careful, it gets in your blood!

My best set up is to find them feeding or harassing a hawk. Spot the look out and ass shoot him or knock his wing off. Once he is on the ground walking and squawking the other will present shots. My best is 21 killed over such a set up.

What gun do you use crowrifle?

When I was a kid living in PA, one of my neighbors had an owl decoy, and you could pull a string and make the wings flap. We would put black rags on the ground around it that looked like crows, then when a flock came by we would blow crow calls and work that decoy. The crows would go nuts over that owl decoy and attack with abandon. We used shotguns with the plugs taken out. Lots of fun. We set up on a tree line next to my dad's corn field.

I had the most crows ever circling while playing a old Johnny steward crow owl fight sound. They were in a frenzy. It was awsome.

Take an owl decoy and drill 2 small holes in it side by side.. Do this in several places on the decoy...Then take about 6 inches of fishing line 15-20 pound test with eagle claws on the other end and tie them off on the decoy....I usually have about 6 hooks on the decoy when I'm done...Anchor the owl decoy good to a fence post... Turn on your caller and when the crows start diving down at the owl decoy they get tangled and hooked to the decoy... After that you can turn your caller off because those hooked crows will call in more crows than you will have ammo for... The most I ever killed at one time was 42 this way and that was after going back to the truck to get more shotgun shells....I've Crow hunted for 30+ years and its one thing that I still absolutely love to do...Also word of advice, never shoot your scout crows...Be patient and let them gather... Good luck to you!

Interesting Diablero

Where do you make the holes on Owl? Head? Body? No lower than chest?

No specific place..You will want to place them in different places on the owl decoy...Have the decoy covered to wherever a Crow hits it, he is tangled... I've got a couple more tricks that I learned from an old Crow hunter that is dead and gone that works but I better not tell it here...lol

Mike

That sounds simply devious,,, I approve...

.22 LR, .22 Hornet, .221. .20 Vartarg, .222, .22-250, and 20, 16, and 12 guages.

But I use the Hornet most.

Crow hunting was my favorite activity for many years. I tried the crow/owl decoys once. They worked ok but I found them unnecessary. Find good cover and use good cammo, especially on the face.

I drove backroads in the county, looking for easy access with good cover. Never walked in more than 100 yards. I carried my caller on my left shoulder, directed it in all directions at first then pointed it down toward the ground. With it pointed down the crows couldn't tell exactly where you were and flew back and forth looking, of course as you turned while shooting that moved the sound around, confusing them more. I rarely stayed at one set more than 20 minutes. Then move down the road atleast two miles before setting up again.

Crows that are hunted learn to avoid calls that get them shot at, so use a variety of different calls each time you stop at a spot you've hunted before.

Crow hunting is the most fun you can have with your clothes on.

I'm actually surprised you shared the first one, but thank you.

Kinda what I was thinking.

Seal Billy where you at in TN?

Make sure crows are legal to shoot in your state. For years I just assumed it was O.K./legal. This year I discovered it is illegal to kill crows in the state of Montana. Go figure.

It is leagal but only on Friday Saturday and Sunday. Which is flippin retarded.

Here in NC it is legal to hunt 'em on Wed, Fri, and Sat. I have never had much luck with an owl decoy round here.

I do have a mounted bobcat and coon the works pretty good with a flapping decoy under the front of it. A house cat in a harness works good too. Harness better be tighter than you think it should be though. Lost my step-moms cat that way.

There used to be a crowbusters.com that had small flapping crow decoys that work great and were cheap. Don't even know if them guys are still around. Gonna look and see.

Going after a few crows saturday morning.

God Bless, Louis