Seems like everyone kills coyotes on sight. Maybe raccoons, too. Does anyone shoot crows anymore? Last two times I've been in the woods, the crows were thick. If not just flying over cawing, then harassing anything and everything in the trees. I've looked at a few websites that reference studies on turkey predation, particularly an Arkansas study using artificial nests which shows crows were the biggest nest raiders, even ahead of raccoons. But I never hear of anyone shooting crows anymore. I've done it on occassion, but only for fun and not for any other reason. I'm not sure shooting dozens a day would even make a dent in the population. Just curious if anyone hunts crows anymore. When I took my predator call out in September, I heard crows and decided to play the crow distress call and within minutes had dozens of crows circling overhead looking for a confrontation. In our state, crow season is open year round on private land, and for many months on public land. In fact, Crow season opens before any other season.
You want non stop action find a Crow flyway....I've only saw two flyways in my life. One on the coast of Georgia and one in northwest Tennessee....Crows flying almost single file as far as the eye can see. If you ever shoot on a flyway you best have plenty of ammo.
A flyway is a direct route liken to an interstate headed to what's referred to as a super roost....if you find a super roost you'll need to spot the fly way and hunt on it a mile or so away from the super roost.
I watched them harass a Bald Eagle on Wednesday. For every eagle I see, I see 20 crows and hear many more I never see. I can't imagine crows are dangers to adult turkeys, or even poults. I suppose they would harass treed turkeys. Was just surprised to see that they may be a top nest raider.
We don't many in this area, but ravens, they don't even have a season on them. I went several times to the central part of the state and shot some. I used to love to hunt them. We often shot them with varmint rifles. Calling and shotguns are fun also.
They're a migratory bird, but you don't need a HIP number here (or anywhere, I don't think) to hunt them. You can hunt them with a regular hunting license.
We don't have ravens in eastern Virginia. We do have them in the mountains in the western part of the state. They are huge. I saw one injured standing in the road and it was every bit as big, or bigger, than a Redtailed Hawk. I've seen ravens a lot in California desert, too. There they are a major predator of endangered juveline Desert Tortises. No doubt they could easily take a turkey poult as big as they are. I'm curious if there is a distinction between crows and ravens in terms of hunting regulations.
I have many times while turkey hunting had crows land low in trees right around me and give me the stink eye as I sat camouflaged hen yelping. Those crows know a hen turkey in the spring means a nest with eggs. And crows like eggs of all sorts. I'd bet they would eat a newly hatched pout in a heartbeat.
No doubt a Crow will eat a polt...dont take a retriever crow hunting because wounded they're known for poking a retrievers eye out.
You hunt turkeys in fields you'll often see a Crow pecking around the field watching the hen hoping she'll give up her nesting location.
I hadn't heard that about crows and retrievers, but don't doubt it. I understand Black Vultures, which are more aggressive that larger Turkey Vultures, are known to pluck the eyes out of newborn livestock and fawns and then either kill them, or start trying to eat them alive. I see a lot of Black Vultures. No doubt they're another part of the gauntlet turkeys have to run.
I used to target crows and as stated, can be some fast action. My property in NE WI is littered with them, they're everywhere. Sounds like something else to put back on my list.
This is from September when I took my new predator call out for the first time. I heard some crows and decided to play the "Crow in Distress" and Crow/Barred Owl" calls to see what would happen. You can advance to the :55 second mark.
I watched them harass a Bald Eagle on Wednesday. For every eagle I see, I see 20 crows and hear many more I never see. I can't imagine crows are dangers to adult turkeys, or even poults. I suppose they would harass treed turkeys. Was just surprised to see that they may be a top nest raider.
Good on em harassing that white headed buzzard, be nice if they would drive him away.
Saw a group of about 8-10 crows kill a Canada goose once.
I watched them harass a Bald Eagle on Wednesday. For every eagle I see, I see 20 crows and hear many more I never see. I can't imagine crows are dangers to adult turkeys, or even poults. I suppose they would harass treed turkeys. Was just surprised to see that they may be a top nest raider.
Good on em harassing that white headed buzzard, be nice if they would drive him away.
Saw a group of about 8-10 crows kill a Canada goose once.
And that's about what they've become, Bald Eagles. I saw one once sitting in the middle of the road eating roadkill, like a vulture.
And the Canada Geese are way too thick. I see and hear them on the swamp waters where I hunt. They are constantly flying overhead. And I see them in the fields everywhere. There are three fields I pass every morning where I used to see turkeys on a fairly regular basis. It wouldn't be uncommon to see Canada Geese right there with them. One field has since been destroyed for condos, and turkeys have disapeared from the other two. I've read that Canada Geese spread avian disease through their crap and one souce said that doesn't pose a danger to wild turkeys because they don't inhabit the same areas. That's plain false, they do. And if Geese can spread their disease with their [bleep], then turkeys are definitely getting exposed to it. The damned geese don't migrate anymore They're there year round. But you can't shoot them due to their migratory bird status, or unless you hunt them during waterfowl season, and no one does in these fields or back on the swamps I hunt. Nothing but destructive pests most places.
Several years back my sister had a great horned owl on her patio one morning, it was most likely roughed up by some crows. It spent most of the day there and finally took off. Her kids were little and were fascinated by the sight of the owl. Her cat on the other hand, was scared to death of it.
I watched them harass a Bald Eagle on Wednesday. For every eagle I see, I see 20 crows and hear many more I never see. I can't imagine crows are dangers to adult turkeys, or even poults. I suppose they would harass treed turkeys. Was just surprised to see that they may be a top nest raider.
Good on em harassing that white headed buzzard, be nice if they would drive him away.
Saw a group of about 8-10 crows kill a Canada goose once.
And that's about what they've become, Bald Eagles. I saw one once sitting in the middle of the road eating roadkill, like a vulture.
And the Canada Geese are way too thick. I see and hear them on the swamp waters where I hunt. They are constantly flying overhead. And I see them in the fields everywhere. There are three fields I pass every morning where I used to see turkeys on a fairly regular basis. It wouldn't be uncommon to see Canada Geese right there with them. One field has since been destroyed for condos, and turkeys have disapeared from the other two. I've read that Canada Geese spread avian disease through their crap and one souce said that doesn't pose a danger to wild turkeys because they don't inhabit the same areas. That's plain false, they do. And if Geese can spread their disease with their [bleep], then turkeys are definitely getting exposed to it. The damned geese don't migrate anymore They're there year round. But you can't shoot them due to their migratory bird status, or unless you hunt them during waterfowl season, and no one does in these fields or back on the swamps I hunt. Nothing but destructive pests most places.
I killed a coyote one morning right about daylight. Within 3 hours he had a pair of those white headed buzzards picking at him.