| The crow is a figure rooted deep in the history of the human mind and history. There are some 40 or so members to the crow or corvid family that have inhabited every temperate continent besides South America. They can live practically anywhere; any climate and any habitat rural or urban. Overall, the crow family has a brain-to-body weight ratio that is among the largest of all bird species, on par with the great apes. Crows frequently display problem solving abilities such as dropping hard shelled prey or nuts from high elevations to break them on rocks or hard surfaces below. In urban areas this technique has been observed to be synchronized with human vehicle traffic with crows waiting at crosswalks with pedestrians for their opportunity to retrieve their freshly opened food. They are one of very few birds known to create and use tools to find food. |
Such an intelligent and innovative creature presents a hunter with an interesting hunting experience. Fans of crow hunting find it to be a good way to practice hunting skills and hunting techniques during the off season of their preferred hunts. Crows are big birds but compared to more common game they are relatively small targets which makes crow hunting the perfect opportunity to hone one's accuracy and shooting proficiency.
The wide spread nature of the crow's habitat provides the crow hunter with a prey that can live essentially everywhere and eat almost everything. While some species and subspecies of crow from northern regions such as Canada tend to be migratory, most crows found in America, especially the aptly named American Crow, tend stay put and thus adapt to all weather conditions from the snowy Midwest and Northeast to the arid deserts of the Southwest. The versatility of the crow is one of the biggest reasons why it is so frequently hunted. As omnivores and opportunistic hunters, land and live stock are frequently targets of a murder of crows. Crow hunting is often engaged as a service to farmers who want their freshly planted fields protected from scavenging crows who will either eat seeds or destroy land while searching for insects.
Crow hunting is legal in every state, though regulations vary state by state. Some states have a year round crow hunting season, while others have a defined season which is generally rather long. Either way, there is typically no daily bag limit or possession limit on the number of crows the hunter can take. The limits depend on the self-imposed limits of the hunter, luck, and the hunters proficiency with crow hunting techniques. |
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| Using the right crow hunting techniques will be vital to a successful hunt. Crows are smart birds that can recognize shapes and colors that are out of place as well as faces of individuals who can be recognized as “bad” humans. Crow hunting decoys and crow hunting calls will be an important aspect of any crow hunt. Hunters may place a crow decoy with an electronic caller either in a cassette or CD player. This crow hunting technique capitalizes on the social nature of crows by luring overflying birds into prime locations with a friendly call. This way, a hunter can put up a blind and pick off targets from cover while the crows' focus is diverted from the direction of the hunter. Once the shooting begins, a mouth call may be helpful to continue calling crows back as their emotional capabilities will likely make them overlook the shooting for a few minutes. |
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Another decoy, call combo crow hunting technique involves placing an owl decoy out combined with a distress call. The distress signal can be an even more effective crow hunting call as the owl is a known natural enemy and the crow's best defense is strength in numbers. Crows will gather around the predator and mob it to protect one another. During the chaos of this scenario crow hunting can be rather easy with the hunter taking advantage of the confusion and chaos.
No crow hunt can be successful without the right tools though. Crow hunting isn't just a matter of waiting to find crows and shoot them. Remember, crows are smart. They can easily recognize human faces, therefore full body, and especially face camouflage will be essential to a successful crow hunt. Crow hunting guns will differ per state laws. Shotguns are the universal choice for crow hunting. Any kind will suffice, but it is advisable to use a powerful gun with a wide enough pattern to bring them down as crows can be quick learners the hunter may not get too many shots. |
Many enthusiasts advocate the use of small caliber center fire rifles for crow hunting where legal. Of course it is important to not use too much gun as the birds are smaller targets than most prey, so a center fire .22 will be suitable for a successful crow hunt.
If crow hunting in your region is good on private land, remember to get permission from the land owner first. Usually this won't be hard as crow hunting will be a great service to a farmer or concerned land owner. Once the patters have been determined and permission has been granted crow hunting decoys, crow hunting calls, camouflage and all the other necessary supplies will need to be acquired. Whether you're a crow hunting veteran or the idea of crow hunting is an interesting new adventure for you, we have all the supplies you need for a rewarding crow hunt. Browse our equipment and you will find you need not look any further for a better crow huntiing outfitter. |
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