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crows and attempts to shoot-foiled

rogn

This is a bit different in terms of topic. I dislike crows quite a bit inspite of some good they can do. Predation on songbird hatchlings is one topic. But this is digression. I have on more than one occasion tried to pop a few ground based crows at fairly good distance 300 to 500 yds with occasional success. There's not a lot of crow inside that ball of feathers!. Any how afer youve shot one crow and inthe future when you get a good sight picture of a crow stalking bugs or hatchlings on the ground and you start to squeeze the trigger the crow thats wearing the cross hairs will freeze for an instant and immediately take flight. Then you swing to crow number 2 that is marching around the field and it will do the same thing. Stops walking or focusing on the ground, stare at you intently for a fraction of a second then immediately take flight. This takes place at a range that is generally > 300yd. If you have not shot at any in recent history they dont usually take flight, just keep hunting. I have sighted on as many as 6 crows at one time and all have taken flight, but only the one you focussed on , one at a time.That population seems to be sensitized for the season after one is either shot or missed. You can stalk in fairly good cover but they respond to the crosshairs almost like a 6th sense. Its difficult shooting since they only give you a second or so before taking flight when the crosshairs are on them
I know crows are credited with excellent eye sight and above normal inteligence. I also know if you look through the objective end of a scope sight you get a well enhanced view of the focused eye.
Im guessing that the crows respond to my bloodshot eyeball focussing on them- the image is very narrowed field of view and I dont believe more than just 1 crow can focus on more than 1 eyeball at a time. Are they that intelligent that that eye focused on them is a conditioned warning that they are going to be fired on when they spot that eyeball. 6th sense would be another putative theory also.

Opinions and observations?
 
Put a Honeycomb over the objective, or a see through piece of cloth. I’ve hunted my fair share of them while they tear up new seed. They are pretty crafty. You really have to be pretty well hidden, and take special care to dial your dope when they have there back/heads turned, and I agree having a fast shot sequence helps a lot. As you noted the more you kill the more edgy they are.
 
You do better calling them in and using a shotgun. Those darn things move around all the time. Most of the time i miss with a rifle. Most does not mean all but the percentage of hits at longer range is rather low.

Occasionally you get one that is very unlucky. The late and legendary Elmer Keith was at a party and spotted one in a tree at around 1,000 yards. He had a 22 rimfire rifle, used a short and ... it fell DRT.
 
COUNTRY Crows walking around on the ground eating wheat seeds, corn seeds, or anything else the poor Farmers have planted,
Are the Ultimate target for the Small Caliber Varmint Rifle.
(Don’t ya just Love it!).
Also, None will land within 300 yards of my house.
ROGN , I too think it’s the Blood shot Eyeball !!!
Or maybe the “Blood In Your Eye” to Kill The Crow..
Or that 6th , 7th, or Even 8th
Sense Crows Have.
But you know the CITY Crows, Like (Walmart Parking Lot Crows), you have to Kick them out of your way to walk across the parking Lot.
I told my Wife next time we went shopping at The Big Parking Lot,
I was bringing my Pellet Pistol.
She could shop while I sit in the Truck and Picked off Crows eating
Chewing gum on the asphalt!!
And I guess the wife is right (always is) , that’s illegal...
Would be fun though!!!
 
They'll definitely make you work on pre shot smoothness and speed. It's like stroking a pool cue.....they are one of my all time favorite targets. YES,they are small. I aim base of the neck,plus a touch more towards center mass then RIP it.

We call it "chunking".... that's when parts or chunks get going in different directions. Pretty much nothing but cast bullets here,with all the usual varmint cals... 223,22-250,243,6mm. But then the heavy hitters. Got several 7-08's that are really bad juju on them. One particular R700 sporter with a real clean B&L 3-9X40,and all the tricks has slam dunked several wheelbarrows worth. Inside 125 yds and it's dead. Once in awhile I use a sweet,cast "sledgehammer"... stainless CDL 30-06 with a Lee 309-150F backed up with starting jacketed book loads of Varget. 4-12 old 5star Redfield. When it connects,that ultra sharp,flat point meplat hits them and it looks like a tractor trailer hitting a deer at highway speeds. The gore gets blasted out 6-8' in a long,very definable V shape.
 
I hunted them for years back in Western PA in the winter's of 60's with my best friend. We built a blind, called them in with a manual call and used 12 Gauge shotguns. We got fairly good at it.

The farm where we hunted was loaded with them in the winter during the roost and the farmer was more than happy to let us hunt them.

Later I found a chick that must have fallen out of its nest. I raised to full grown. That kind of killed my desire to hunt them. It was the best pet I ever had. They are highly intelligent, love shining objects and will hide them. Mine loved canned dog food. I lived in the country so I let it fly free, un-caged. Had it for almost a year then it flew away and never returned - my guess is that it found a sweetie.
 
Had a friend that wanted to borrow my .410 shot gun. He was having issues with Crows pulling up his new corn shoots looking for worms.
If they saw him with a shovel, no problem. They would keep doing what they were doing.
The minute he would step out with a shot gun, they were gone.
I've got Ravens that raid the cats dish for food. A little movement on my part and they will fly off to a safe distance. If I shoot one, (from 200 yards away ;)) it will fall onto the neighbors property and the jig would be up.:eek::oops:
In this case, best to leave flying Crows/Ravens be.;)
 
Try observing them with binoculars in full cover. Crows don’t stay in one spot very long. They know a hawk or a Vmax could appear out of nowhere. If you bait them and get them to one spot and get completely hidden you will increase your chances. A crow can see as well as a hawk. They are social and look after each other. They pick up on any movement as well as a deer or turkey.
 
When you put the crosshairs of your rifle on a crow they can "feel" them and they take off. Combine this with their ability to read your mind and they make for a tough bird to kill.
I swear they know what you're carrying, a shovel or a weapon. They also know if the weapon is a close range or long range weapon and proceed to stroke you accordingly.

Chris
 
A bag of Mcdonalds fries works great for bait.
Just lay the bag in a field.
Hide in a blind and pick them off with a pcp pellet gun.
Killed over 400 this way one year.
They are smart for sure.
Calling them and shooting them with a shotgun is fun and very productive also!
 
When I was a kid , the first "real" Rifle I bought was a Rem 722 in 244 . It came with some loaded Ammo with a huge wide-hole Hollow Point . Was driving out to my Grandfathers Farm and saw some Crows out in a Field . The Crows were only about 50 Yards or so away . I got out of my car and decided to take a shot offhand . I was out in the open , and apparently these Crows were not Psychic . Bang ....and I lost the sight picture and the rest of the Crows took off . I walked out to the spot and could not find anything . About 15 or 20 Feet away .... I found a few tiny pieces . Those Loads were amazing on Chucks too . One day I watched an all-black Chuck in the next Field over . I have only seen one other all-black Chuck in many decades of Hunting . Never did find out what those exact Loads were . The best way I liked to get Crows was to wait until the young ones were in the nests . Any Crow calls ( even by Voice ) would be immediately answered with a flight of angry residents of that part of the Forest . My old Ithaca 16 Gauge worked fine . Those Crows are pretty tough . I remember dropping one that fell and took off running . He was faster than I was , and darn if he did not get away . I learned a lesson to always use a second shot if they were not DRT !
 
Onebad06VTX said:
A bag of Mcdonalds fries works great for bait.
Just lay the bag in a field.
Hide in a blind and pick them off with a pcp pellet gun.
Killed over 400 this way one year.
They are smart for sure.
Calling them and shooting them with a shotgun is fun and very productive also!
Click to expand...
These crows you killed, (400) are they local “in town” crows? Crows are taught by parents what is food. If they have never seen MD French fried potatoes how would they know? Not calling you out, just curious. I tried the MD fries one time and crows just flew right past the bag and fries. Thanks
 
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My best shot so far on a crow was with my .22-250 at 333 yards,my most surprising shot on one was with the same Ruger.I was walking in to my hunting spot and saw a crow not more than 30 yards away on the ground I took a quick shot and thought I missed.As that crow flew away he got about thirty feet into the air and dropped dead.That was a 60 grain Hornady that didn’t expand.They say crows can recognize people and guns,no doubt they are very intelligent.
Matt
 
Every fall thousands of crows flock to our town,the sky is black with them.
Not sure how they know what mcdonald fries are but they love them.
So it woks very well.
One thing for sure,crows always know where to find a easy meal.
 
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