crowshooting CROWS

[jall25]

Guys

I really love just about all of nature but really cant get on with crows and the damage they do - so i always make a real effort to get on top of them - usually with limited success because they always seem to outsmart me !

We trap - roost shoot - flight line shoot and bait them but still the numbers never seem to reduce. 

Usually when i decoy them they spot me a mile off or dont like the decoy offerings and rarely present a shot - THEN i bought some flocked decoys from someone on here and WOW - they are switched onto them big style ! I know some might say its right area right time - but over the course of maybe 10 days out they are being pulled in on each occasion and even try and land. To shoot one while pigeoning was always a topic of conversation but im shooting 10s and 15s on each outing.

So - i recommend the flocked decoys !

And i have put this in the wrong section ! DOH !

[old'un]

Is it the decoys that have made the difference or are you concealing yourself better?

9 times out of 10 when a crow does a u-turn its because its seen you.

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, I have used flocked crow deeks for years 2 full body and 6 shells, and a flying bouncer, saying this I sprayed some old plastic whole body pigeon decoys Matt black for a young shooter and surprised they worked to, crows are canny birds 🤔

[bruno22rf]

I thought that baiting wild birds in order to shoot them was illegal?

[jall25]

21 minutes ago, bruno22rf said:

I thought that baiting wild birds in order to shoot them was illegal?

Put bait (food) in the ladder traps - not been using decoy birds this summer as its been too hot 

Yes i maybe thought that and i have also put a baseball cap on this year to shade my face 

I thought it may be daft young ones because it seems to have been a good breeding season for everything up here but no some are older birds

I have had them come from far ends of the field spot the deeks and in - no looking or messing - just in !

Most odd but i hope it continues !

[Fellside]

34 minutes ago, bruno22rf said:

I thought that baiting wild birds in order to shoot them was illegal?

Only the use of livestock as bait is illegal. Eggs, dead rabbits etc perfectly fine. 

[old'un]

28 minutes ago, jall25 said:

Put bait (food) in the ladder traps - not been using decoy birds this summer as its been too hot 

Yes i maybe thought that and i have also put a baseball cap on this year to shade my face 

I thought it may be daft young ones because it seems to have been a good breeding season for everything up here but no some are older birds

I have had them come from far ends of the field spot the deeks and in - no looking or messing - just in !

Most odd but i hope it continues !

You did say, “Usually when i decoy them they spot me a mile off”

I’ve shot a few crows and all I have ever used was some cheap plastic decoys, but as with pigeon shooting I replace the plastic with dead birds, nothing works better.

Seems you can decoy crows with bits of plastic...https://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/topic/393639-correx-crow-decoys/#comments

and here…https://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/topic/419866-proplex-decoys/#comment-3891799

As I said the number one reason crows do a u-turn is because they have seen you.

 

12 minutes ago, Fellside said:

Only the use of livestock as bait is illegal. Eggs, dead rabbits etc perfectly fine. 

Edited September 14, 2022 by old'un

[jall25]

1 hour ago, old'un said:

You did say, “Usually when i decoy them they spot me a mile off”

I’ve shot a few crows and all I have ever used was some cheap plastic decoys, but as with pigeon shooting I replace the plastic with dead birds, nothing works better.

Seems you can decoy crows with bits of plastic...https://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/topic/393639-correx-crow-decoys/#comments

and here…https://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/topic/419866-proplex-decoys/#comment-3891799

As I said the number one reason crows do a u-turn is because they have seen you.

 

Read on - "or dont like the decoys i present"

I have no skin in the game but honestly these things seem to work better than the dead birds - i took dead birds to us after my first success and the draw was nothing like these 

[old'un]

43 minutes ago, jall25 said:

Read on - "or dont like the decoys i present"    Is it one or the other or both?

I have no skin in the game but honestly these things seem to work better than the dead birds - i took dead birds to us after my first success and the draw was nothing like these 

If you are telling me artificial decoys work better than dead birds, then good luck to you, its a first for me.

[jall25]

2 hours ago, old'un said:

If you are telling me artificial decoys work better than dead birds, then good luck to you, its a first for me.

Thank you

[THEINVISIBLESCARECROW]

Been shooting crows for years & found flock decoys are better than bare plastic ones. I don't bother with camo, hides & decoys on some occasions. Crows are very intelligent birds, one farmer had goats & every morning when he fed the goats flocks of crows (inc' all Corvids) would fly in & he would literally trip over them. On another perm I used to put bait out everyday walking the dog varying my time slightly, they were there waiting for me, shooting days I was there very early to get set up. Another perm was hilly & next to a steam train line, I noticed on special event w/ends there was loads of people with cameras, normal w/ends only a few, eventualy I joined the photographers stood out in ordinary clothes makeing sure no shots when a train approached. I could go on but basically observe & use there intelligence to your advantage. A hide, camo clothes etc becomes a danger sign.

[Fellside]

It’s strange, but crows which have been dead a while, say more than 3 or 4 hours, don’t seem to work nearly as well as freshly killed ones. I have no idea why this is - a definite observation over many years of decoying though. Only the crows know why….?! Can’t comment on the plastic decoys as I’ve never used them. 

[old'un]

22 minutes ago, THEINVISIBLESCARECROW said:

Been shooting crows for years & found flock decoys are better than bare plastic ones. I don't bother with camo, hides & decoys on some occasions. Crows are very intelligent birds, one farmer had goats & every morning when he fed the goats flocks of crows (inc' all Corvids) would fly in & he would literally trip over them. On another perm I used to put bait out everyday walking the dog varying my time slightly, they were there waiting for me, shooting days I was there very early to get set up. Another perm was hilly & next to a steam train line, I noticed on special event w/ends there was loads of people with cameras, normal w/ends only a few, eventualy I joined the photographers stood out in ordinary clothes makeing sure no shots when a train approached. I could go on but basically observe & use there intelligence to your advantage. A hide, camo clothes etc becomes a danger sign.

Using that logic, next time I have a go on the crows I will wear my Sunday best, white shirt and a nice bright tie, if it works I will bin my hide and camo clothes, thanks for the tip.

[jall25]

4 hours ago, old'un said:

Using that logic, next time I have a go on the crows I will wear my Sunday best, white shirt and a nice bright tie, if it works I will bin my hide and camo clothes, thanks for the tip.

 

22 minutes ago, jall25 said:

 

 

Edited September 14, 2022 by jall25

[Ultrastu]

5 hours ago, old'un said:

Using that logic, next time I have a go on the crows I will wear my Sunday best, white shirt and a nice bright tie, if it works I will bin my hide and camo clothes, thanks for the tip.

There is a lot of validity  in this .

I've often been stood in the middle of my crow decoy pattern dressed in camo as it happens,  moving something about .and had a couple or more birds literally land within feet of me  to join the other (decoy ) birds plastic or real .

But if I sit behind the hide net peeking over the top they are so very cautious  and often flare away 50 yds out .

As  I'm walking around in my pattern (no gun ) I guess I'm not seen as a threat and the incoming crow is relaxed enough to join his buddies .

But when he sees me peeking in his direction  over a net then his alarm bells ring .

Maybe I should wear an  orange  blazer and sit in a rocking chair  in the middle of the field playing a harmonica  . As casual as is possible .

 

[old'un]

11 hours ago, Ultrastu said:

There is a lot of validity  in this .

I've often been stood in the middle of my crow decoy pattern dressed in camo as it happens,  moving something about .and had a couple or more birds literally land within feet of me  to join the other (decoy ) birds plastic or real .

But if I sit behind the hide net peeking over the top they are so very cautious  and often flare away 50 yds out .

As  I'm walking around in my pattern (no gun ) I guess I'm not seen as a threat and the incoming crow is relaxed enough to join his buddies .

But when he sees me peeking in his direction  over a net then his alarm bells ring .

Maybe I should wear an  orange  blazer and sit in a rocking chair  in the middle of the field playing a harmonica  . As casual as is possible .

 

on the very odd occasion I have had a jackdaw land near the decoy pattern whilst pegging out a dead bird but never a crow.

 

Peeking over the top of the net is perhaps the reason they flare away?

“But when he sees me peeking in his direction  over a net then his alarm bells ring”

 

When I have walked onto a field of maize stubble, that had a few hundred mixed blacks on it, they dont hang around and head for the surrounding trees, gun or no gun, I must have intent written on my face.

[old'un]

12 hours ago, jall25 said:

 

 

no, not every thread,

[jall25]

1 hour ago, old'un said:

no, not every thread,

Lol !

Thought i had deleted it before it may offend !

[Gas seal]

Hi all corvids are very alert, they have to be alert it how they feed. When shooting from any type of hide its no good popping up to shoot, the birds should appear over the hide then you see the birds before they see you. I use dead birds and the wings of dead birds for decoys. They will be more alert if they are decoyed and flighted to often . Hi Fellside I find using dead birds for decoys didn’t work well or deterred them after a while. The reason with corvids (and pigeons) is the sheen on the feathers goes. You can notice the difference when plucking a fresh pigeon to one shot the a day earlier. To corvids that feed on carrion it’s not a live bird . I will leave dead corvids on farm sheds or on there back in fields this will keep them away for a few days. If you look at corvids on a field they are shiny black not dull black. They also (shine) when in flight more so on a sunny day. 

[old'un]

3 minutes ago, jall25 said:

Lol !

Thought i had deleted it before it may offend !

No worries mate, I did see it before you deleted it.

like I said, if you are finding that artificial decoys are working better than dead birds then good luck to you.

 

All the best the knob

[old'un]

12 minutes ago, Gas seal said:

Hi all corvids are very alert, they have to be alert it how they feed. When shooting from any type of hide its no good popping up to shoot, the birds should appear over the hide then you see the birds before they see you. I use dead birds and the wings of dead birds for decoys. They will be more alert if they are decoyed and flighted to often . Hi Fellside I find using dead birds for decoys didn’t work well or deterred them after a while. The reason with corvids (and pigeons) is the sheen on the feathers goes. You can notice the difference when plucking a fresh pigeon to one shot the a day earlier. To corvids that feed on carrion it’s not a live bird . I will leave dead corvids on farm sheds or on there back in fields this will keep them away for a few days. If you look at corvids on a field they are shiny black not dull black. They also (shine) when in flight more so on a sunny day. 

That's odd, as one of our regular posters p.c. uses frozen birds from previous outings, and they seem to work for him.

[Centrepin]

1 hour ago, old'un said:

 

 

When I have walked onto a field of maize stubble, that had a few hundred mixed blacks on it, they dont hang around and head for the surrounding trees, gun or no gun.

This has been my experience also, many times non returning untill much much later in the day.

[Gas seal]

Hi oldun nothing odd it’s just fact. All types of decoys and decoy machines are being used today, they all are no good without birds to shoot or are in the wrong field. I stopped using breasted birds in the late sixties when my brother would tie wings to the decoys then we left the decoys and just used the wings. Also the (dull) wings scattered over a bad patch of rape will keep pigeons off for a few days. Birds see the uv on the feathers of other birds as on living or fresh killed birds, when this fades the birds will see a shape of a bird, a decoy dead or plastic. Or for some birds food. Some decoys look like a work of art but they aren’t real birds. When shooting my friend will cut the wings off the pigeons and set them out, no wasted birds and easier to set out. The gadget I bought for pigeons is the spinning wings on a fishing line fixed to a pole. It spins like a kite and looks like a flying pigeon. That works in a good wind. 

[old'un]

2 hours ago, Gas seal said:

Hi oldun nothing odd it’s just fact. All types of decoys and decoy machines are being used today, they all are no good without birds to shoot or are in the wrong field. I stopped using breasted birds in the late sixties when my brother would tie wings to the decoys then we left the decoys and just used the wings. Also the (dull) wings scattered over a bad patch of rape will keep pigeons off for a few days. Birds see the uv on the feathers of other birds as on living or fresh killed birds, when this fades the birds will see a shape of a bird, a decoy dead or plastic. Or for some birds food. Some decoys look like a work of art but they aren’t real birds. When shooting my friend will cut the wings off the pigeons and set them out, no wasted birds and easier to set out. The gadget I bought for pigeons is the spinning wings on a fishing line fixed to a pole. It spins like a kite and looks like a flying pigeon. That works in a good wind. 

The fact is, someone like PC, and myself, uses birds from a previous days shooting or frozen birds and kills a lot of pigeons with this setup.

Not sure what you are saying but I have used frozen birds that might be a week or two old or even been used before and re-frozen, I have never noticed any difference in the pulling power of pre-frozen birds or freshly shot birds, I don't hold with this idea of dull feathers not decoying birds.

If part of what you are saying about decoys is true, then plastic decoys should not work at all?

[Centrepin]

2 hours ago, old'un said:

The fact is, someone like PC, and myself, uses birds from a previous days shooting or frozen birds and kills a lot of pigeons with this setup.

Not sure what you are saying but I have used frozen birds that might be a week or two old or even been used before and re-frozen, I have never noticed any difference in the pulling power of pre-frozen birds or freshly shot birds, I don't hold with this idea of dull feathers not decoying birds.

If part of what you are saying about decoys is true, then plastic decoys should not work at all?

I've used crows from the previous days shooting or from 2 days previous that I've left wrapped in bin bags in permanent hides to no ill effects. I regularly use full bodied flocked and non flocked and ones made from proplex. Fresh shot birds are always without a doubt better, but depending on how far I have to walk depends on what I start with. I always carry just 5 lightweight cradles, any more decoys required and I'll cut a forked stick as a support.

I've even started with just an acme blower to call in my first potential decoy.

My perm is predominantly corvid and every day is differant. Crows learn incredibly fast but can also be verging on suicidal if birds like gulls invade their territory and they gang up to attack with little or no caution.

The main thing with any crow is movement, their eye sight is phenomenal, absolute stillness untill they commit and a good hide with top cover is essential.