A few Corvids

[steve_b_wales]

'The Poacher' and I decided to go up the farm this morning, after the farmer phoned me in the week and said there were loads of Carrion Crows up there, feeding on a dead Ewe. We set up at 08:00 after waiting 1/2 hour for the farmer to open the farm gate!

We put some decoys out and set our hide against a fence with some hedgerow behind it. One or two Jackdaw's came in, but the sun was directly in our eyes, so we moved a few yards down and faced across the field. Once we had a few Crows /Jackdaws, we put them on the flapper, rota and floaters. The rota seemed to be doing the job at attracting the birds, more than the flapper, which usually proves better.

We had some testing shots,as some of the bird's came in fast with the wind behind them, and we both missed a few, me, more than Mark!. The only thing that we didn't like was the very cold wind blowing into our backs. It would have helped though, if we had dressed more warmly! We had to be careful where we directed out shots, as there was another farmhouse to our left, and a few horses in one of the fields a couple of 100 yards away.

All in all, we shot 21 and picked up 18. We plan to revisit this part of the field as soon as I get another weekend off work.

My thanks to Mark for an enjoyable morning out and a good laugh along the way.

 

The photo shows the bird's we picked up.

 

 

 

[browning123]

Well done Steve.

[steve_b_wales]

Well done Steve.

Thanks mate. All of the birds were hard to hit. For a few years now, there hasn't been many up the farm, as we hit them hard a few years ago. We are hoping that they'll stay on the farm throughout the winter, and we can have a few more attempts at them.

[WelshAndy]

Nice one Steve, can't beat crow shooting

[steve_b_wales]

Nice one Steve, can't beat crow shooting

Cheers Andy. My all time favourite form of shooting.

[mel b3]

nice bit of sport there steve.

[pigeon controller]

Well done , good result.

[steve_b_wales]

Well done , good result.

Sadly (for us, not the farmer) the birds are not in the numbers we used to see a few years ago.

[WelshMike]

Sadly (for us, not the farmer) the birds are not in the numbers we used to see a few years ago.

You shot them all thats why Steve

 

On a serious note well done mate.

[steve_b_wales]

You shot them all thats why Steve

 

On a serious note well done mate.

That's very true Mike. I the space of 2 years, many 100's were shot by Mark and myself. We had a lull of around 2 years where we hardly saw any corvids, and those that we did see were on other farmland across the valley. Also, the farm we shoot over has a town about a mile away, looking down from the farm, and 90% of the Jackdaw's spend most of their time down there.

Hopefully this year, when it get's colder and the ground freezes up, once the farmer starts putting sheep feed out, it will attract the birds, as it did in the past, and we can have a go at them.

[WelshMike]

That's very true Mike. I the space of 2 years, many 100's were shot by Mark and myself. We had a lull of around 2 years where we hardly saw any corvids, and those that we did see were on other farmland across the valley. Also, the farm we shoot over has a town about a mile away, looking down from the farm, and 90% of the Jackdaw's spend most of their time down there.

Hopefully this year, when it get's colder and the ground freezes up, once the farmer starts putting sheep feed out, it will attract the birds, as it did in the past, and we can have a go at them.

I know the feeling, sometimes you can do to good a job. I shot around 1600 last year and 1100 so far this year which is great for the farmers who are chuffed to bits but will limit my shooting next year. Still keeping an eye out for a few new perms with good corvid activity but they are few and far between. Take it easy mate

[steve_b_wales]

I know the feeling, sometimes you can do to good a job. I shot around 1600 last year and 1100 so far this year which is great for the farmers who are chuffed to bits but will limit my shooting next year. Still keeping an eye out for a few new perms with good corvid activity but they are few and far between. Take it easy mate

Same with me. And, as the saying goes, 'If I don't shoot them, then someone else will'.

 

Steve.

[four-wheel-drive]

They are very clever birds I would think that they came to the conclusion that you was killing to many of there friends so they moved on the ones that you are getting now are probably young ones that have net learned to keep away yet.

[steve_b_wales]

They are very clever birds I would think that they came to the conclusion that you was killing to many of there friends so they moved on the ones that you are getting now are probably young ones that have net learned to keep away yet.

Very clever indeed. Years ago, I used to own a red Suzuki Vitara. As soon as I drove towards the fields, the Crows would fly off. It's the same now with my Freelander. They know the vehicle and won't stay put for long. It's different with Jackdaw's though.

[four-wheel-drive]

Very clever indeed. Years ago, I used to own a red Suzuki Vitara. As soon as I drove towards the fields, the Crows would fly off. It's the same now with my Freelander. They know the vehicle and won't stay put for long. It's different with Jackdaw's though.

I was watching a program about crows in Japan and these crows was getting nuts and they could not brake them open to get at the nut inside so they would take them to a zebra crossing and drop them on to the road then wait for the lights to change to red and the cars had to stop then they would go down and retrieve the nuts how did they learn to do something like that.