kaunda Posted April 13, 2012 Report Share Posted April 13, 2012 The most recent edition of our premier weekly shooting magazine has an article on crow shooting using decoy owls.This topic has been raised many timessince powder and shot replaced the bow,I will add my penny's worth. For over 50 years I have tried this method,I have used decoy owls in every shape and form,little owls up to eagle owls,still owls,flapping owls,rocking and nodding owls and owls on their backs.Owls with flashing eyes,black eyes and even no eyes at all.Owls on the ground,on hedges,on fences and up trees.Owls alone,in pairs,owls on dead rabbits,on dead pigeons,blackbirds,chickens.You name it. I have never,ever,had a crow,rook,jackdaw,jay or magpie show the slightest atom of interest in any of it.I am satisfied I have been well enough camouflaged and have shot thousands of corvids using dead birds and decoys of every known type produced by man,except owls. Do Lincolnshire crows have a gene which renders them immune to owl decoys ? Any thoughts ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
30-6 Posted April 13, 2012 Report Share Posted April 13, 2012 Although it spends most of its time in the shed, i once did shoot 16 crows putting it on a fence post in a September with a shotgun, i have had some sucess with jackdaws in a farmyard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr smith Posted April 13, 2012 Report Share Posted April 13, 2012 I've tried one several times but found they showed little or no interest in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted April 13, 2012 Report Share Posted April 13, 2012 The most recent edition of our premier weekly shooting magazine has an article on crow shooting using decoy owls.This topic has been raised many timessince powder and shot replaced the bow,I will add my penny's worth. For over 50 years I have tried this method,I have used decoy owls in every shape and form,little owls up to eagle owls,still owls,flapping owls,rocking and nodding owls and owls on their backs.Owls with flashing eyes,black eyes and even no eyes at all.Owls on the ground,on hedges,on fences and up trees.Owls alone,in pairs,owls on dead rabbits,on dead pigeons,blackbirds,chickens.You name it. I have never,ever,had a crow,rook,jackdaw,jay or magpie show the slightest atom of interest in any of it.I am satisfied I have been well enough camouflaged and have shot thousands of corvids using dead birds and decoys of every known type produced by man,except owls. Do Lincolnshire crows have a gene which renders them immune to owl decoys ? Any thoughts ? So you dont rate owl decoys for corvid shooting then ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno22rf Posted April 13, 2012 Report Share Posted April 13, 2012 This is so obvious,Kaunda-what you need is a large little owl,downside up and flapping one leg whilst canting its head from side to side as it winks just one black eye.Put it in a tree in a hedgerow thats fenced off and make it look like its eating a black rabbit in a chicken costume.If you cannot be bothered to try work this out maybe you should take up another sport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Pest Expert Posted April 13, 2012 Report Share Posted April 13, 2012 This is so obvious,Kaunda-what you need is a large little owl,downside up and flapping one leg whilst canting its head from side to side as it winks just one black eye.Put it in a tree in a hedgerow thats fenced off and make it look like its eating a black rabbit in a chicken costume.If you cannot be bothered to try work this out maybe you should take up another sport. HAHAHAHAHA!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenhunter Posted April 14, 2012 Report Share Posted April 14, 2012 Only tried mine twice..worked fairly well and even got a magpie the first time GH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankeedoodlepigeon Posted April 14, 2012 Report Share Posted April 14, 2012 I bought a owl from the game fair last year and was bigging it up to all it would pull them in from miles. We were having a not too bad day and I thought out with the secret weapon. Everything disappeared and I mean everything till I took it in after a hour and normal play resumed. Keeps the Pigeons out of my mums garden now very effectively. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_b_wales Posted April 14, 2012 Report Share Posted April 14, 2012 I have tried a European Eagle Owl decoy with no success at all. The Crows are not interested in it. Next time I'm out, I'm going to try a dead bird attached to the Owl, and some fishing line attached to the bird. Hopefully, by pulling on the line, it will look as if the bird has just been caught and is struggling. Watch this space! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenhunter Posted April 14, 2012 Report Share Posted April 14, 2012 Looks like I was just lucky then. I did have e few crow seeks out too and I gave plenty of alarm calls on the caller. Maybe that helped? GH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchieboy Posted April 14, 2012 Report Share Posted April 14, 2012 (edited) I'm sure that the corvids can tell the difference between a plastic owl and the real thing. I have tried plastic owls and plastic birds of prey to no real avail but when I had my Harris Hawk out flying about she seemed to draw the corvids in from miles around to "mob" her! I'm sure that there was a member that had a plastic owl on here (a good while ago now) that covered it in real feathers - It would be interesting to hear how that one fared! Edited April 14, 2012 by Frenchieboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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