Crow Hunting Tips
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Small game hunting is a completely different sport to big game hunting, and one of the most difficult preys to catch is the smart, elusive crow. They are fast, they are wary, and it can be incredibly difficult to actually shoot. Crows ensure that you are sharp, alert and bring your A-game when it comes to hunting them. This all adds to how rewarding it is when you finally manage to catch some.
There are many good reasons to hunt crow. Not only can they be a tasty dish, but because they kill smaller birds, controlling the population can really help with bio-diversity. If you haven’t been crow hunting before, give it a go, and see if your skills are good enough to bag a few. In this article, we’ll look at some tried and tested tips for shooting crows; whether your new or experienced, we’ve got something to help you. Now, let’s level up your crow shooting skills!
Finding Your Spot
As with any type of hunting, the best way to ensure a successful day is to get yourself set up in an area where crows are likely to be. Having first-hand local knowledge or even asking locals where the crows are nesting will all but guarantee you can get close enough for a safe shot.
Crows are habit animals that will set up in an area and stick to it. Part of this is because populations for breeding and nesting prefer to be stable, but it can also mean that other wildlife suffers from the over-expansion.
When you’ve found a good area, get camouflaged or covered in a blind so as not to spook them. They have keen eyes and almost paranoia about new features or movement. Stay still and be patient. We can’t emphasize the need to remain as silent and stealth as possible with crows!
Calls
If you’ve ever hunted with calls, you’ll know that they can be tricky to get right first time. Learning what type of calls work best in which season is a key factor in attracting the birds. You have the option of using either a mouth or electronic call for hunting crows. Each call has its own advantages and disadvantages. Typically an electronic calls are the preferred choice as they offer a huge range of customizable calls to increase your chances. Be sure to check your local state laws though, as in some places electronic calls are banned when hunting.
Some hunters prefer a distress call to any other kind as it can cause what crow hunters call a “brain dead” state in crows, meaning they are not as naturally wary as they would be.
Instead of just randomly experimenting with calls, you can often use some basic research to find the most effective kind. Crows will vary their calls with the season, the time of day, or even the weather, but one thing that never changes is that they tend to make the same calls as each other. Listening first will let you choose the most “captivating” call for your hunt.
Decoys
As with many animals, crows will always feel more secure in an area where others of their own kind are. Setting out a few decoys can really make a huge difference; it doesn’t take long and can reap real results. It goes without saying though, don’t buy non-realistic looking decoys, it would just be a complete waste of your money and you’re not going to be fooling any crows. Invest in some proper decoys if you’re serious about this type of hunting.
Set up a few well-placed decoys before getting yourself under cover. Fence posts are a good position with others placed on lower ground nearby. The theory is that a circling crow will see that one of its own kind is on the lookout allowing the others to settle, eat, or rest in peace.
Don’t put out too many though; crows are smart and might see a deluge of its kind as either intimidating or too much competition for possibly scarce food.
Partner Hunting
With most hunts, you can either go solo or with a group. Neither of these is ideal for crow hunting. But going with one reliable partner is a great method that will increase your chances of bringing in a bumper haul.
You will both be looking to fire off shots within a few seconds of each other, so it is as important as ever to ensure you are following gun safety rules (especially muzzle direction). Place your partner about 20 to 30 yards from you, facing in an outwards direction (to avoid any possibility of hitting each other), you’ll both be aiming for the same murder (a group of crows) but with slightly different angles.
When one of you fires the first shot, the murder will rise as one to get away, this is when the second shot comes in. You’ll hit more on the wing to add to your capture.
If hunting row is something you want to take up, don’t get discouraged too easily. Crows are one of the smartest birds, and as such can be wily and difficult to shoot. You can increase your chances of a good haul by doing clay pigeon practice and by doing solid research. It takes both smarts and skills to get good at crow hunting. Give it a try!
Get Those Crows!
You should by now have a little more knowledge on how to get the advantage over these birds. But be under no illusion, they are extremely smart and vigilant birds. They are not easy to trick in the slightest. One of the best recommendations mentioned above though is the use of an electronic call, it’s nearly impossible for a crow to ignore distress calls that they can let off.
Crows like any game animal regardless of their size, should be treated with the utmost respect. So get out there and employ all the tips we’ve mentioned above, and you should be well on your way to becoming the top crow hunter!
