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< 16ga. General Discussion ~ Crow time with Mr. Fox |
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Posted:
Tue Feb 27, 2018 7:31 pm
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Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2127
Location: Hudson,Wy
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The close of regular bird seasons is a bit tough for many of us. Even the best seasons leave that bittersweet aura after the clock ticks down. Good memories are just that and they warm the heart. That said, the chance to hunt again today really had me excited, 25 years ago college kid excited. Somehow I knew that the Fox 16 had to be the gun of choice. The 12 bore Lefever would have added much reach to the equation, but I knew this was a one day affair and that old worn Fox was my dance partner of choice.
I hit the road rather relaxed, hoping that I would actually find a few crows to call in. With snow on the ground, long term, most of our crow contingent was getting fat in someone else's neck of the woods. I did find a few and managed a pair for my initial efforts. Then I got to thinking.
Snow is a localized event here; certain areas get pounded hard while others mysteriously get very little. A fifteen mile drive would certainly provide the answers to my ponderings. As I cleared the final ridge to view the valley in question, sure enough, there was bare ground. Hmmm, this could be where all of the crows have been hiding. About a mile further north I saw them still another mile north, hundreds cycling a familiar feed lot. Not quite the thousands that show up on dry years, but I will take it. As luck would have it, the owner had just the previous day asked his hired hand what they were going to do about all of these crows. Yep, I volunteered a solution.
Crows are smart little devils and live long. As such, many of them had heard the tune I play on the homemade squawk box and seen my 4 decoys before. However, there are always a few that sit in the back of class wearing the pointy hat. After a few hours and two feed lots, I brought home about 70 hulls that need refilling. It feels good to hunt again. Tomorrow is a work day and the last day of crow season here. Farewell wonderful little black birds, thanks for the dance.
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_________________ Only catch snowflakes on your tongue AFTER the birds fly south for the winter... |
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Posted:
Tue Feb 27, 2018 8:33 pm
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Joined: 13 Dec 2006
Posts: 694
Location: MN
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One of the most destructive predators out there. Kill every crow you can. |
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Posted:
Tue Feb 27, 2018 10:54 pm
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Joined: 26 Apr 2010
Posts: 3182
Location: NCWa
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In WA it's legal to shoot crows but a big No-No to shoot Ravens. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how to tell them apart if they aren't next to each other, so I'm hesitant to shoot any bird that I'm not clear on what it is. |
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Posted:
Wed Feb 28, 2018 6:15 am
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Crow hunting is a fine offseason sport. The other day I was out rabbit hunting with Blackbelt" (a member here) and as I was waiting for the beagle to come around I noticed a couple shadows pass at my feet and I quick looked up to see a couple barn pigeons. Darn!!! They got by me. That little moment started the thought train of some good ol' pigeon shooting to break up the winter doldrums. Hmmm! |
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Posted:
Wed Feb 28, 2018 6:57 am
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Joined: 08 Dec 2016
Posts: 170
Location: Michigan
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For anyone who subscribes to or has access to National Geographic, their recent "Why Birds Matter" issue had a really fascinating look at the intelligence level that scientists are now attributing to many bird species.
I'm paraphrasing but basic gist is that up until relatively recently (2015?) birds were thought to lack some cortex/lobe etc., in their brain that usually houses thinking/reasoning, etc....and they have now discovered that they do in fact have it, or something similar, just...different. (Really scientific explanation, I know)....
Much of the article focus is on Crows/Corvids (who come off as borderline geniuses) and songbirds, but it also shows a neat spectrum ranking where birds considered actually intelligent...only gamebird I recall seeing on there was a duck offhand.
Anyway, just sharing, thought it was a great read and another way to pass some winter doldrums.
You need a subscription to access the link, but it has the context of the article if interested.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/02/bird-brains-crows-cockatoos-songbirds-corvids/
Rob |
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Posted:
Wed Feb 28, 2018 10:46 am
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Member
Joined: 15 Dec 2009
Posts: 226
Location: eastern oregon
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https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2018/02/27/ravens-hold-grudges.aspx?utm_source=petsnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art3&utm_campaign=20180227Z1&et_cid=DM189162&et_rid=226119614
We have only ravens at our place. The crows are in town. We raised a raven that was near death from being booted out of the nest, and the parents were not tending to it on the ground after observing it for several days. This was about nine years ago. We named it Rufus, and it knew it's name. He (she) would land on my wife's arm and eat his venison. It would play with our dogs with a game of chase. Sometimes he would tease the dogs and other times it was the dogs turn to tease. It finally could fly, but still wanted his venison. We finally sent him on his way when we found it had caught a mouse to eat. Rufus still comes to visit every now and then, and lands on our roof to caw at the dogs. We also have once a year a gathering of hundreds (I counted over 500 one time) of young ravens that lasts for several weeks about 3/4 mile from our house. My interpretation is that it is one big teenage party where they check out each other looking for their long term mate. The downside to this is that they need to eat and I think they affect our quail chick population. Not legal to shoot ravens. |
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Posted:
Wed Feb 28, 2018 12:41 pm
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Joined: 19 Apr 2014
Posts: 429
Location: Maine
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Cows = Cow Turds = Crows and Barn Pigeons. Freshly spread manure is a great draw. Leave Rusty home because Dogs and Fresh Manure = Diaster |
_________________ If it weren't for women cats would be extinct. |
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Posted:
Wed Feb 28, 2018 1:25 pm
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Member
Joined: 19 Jan 2008
Posts: 680
Location: MAINE
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Nice read and a great way to enjoy the Fox . |
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Posted:
Wed Feb 28, 2018 7:46 pm
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Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2127
Location: Hudson,Wy
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Understand about the manure thing. Rusty has no interest in it. Katie, his dainty predecessor never messed with bovine excrement either. However, the dog I started my bird career with was a different story indeed. She would munch it, roll in it, or both. There was nothing about a fresh green pie she didn't like. She was half Australian cattle dog (blue healer), dominantly so, and may have explained some of it. Regular bathing, outdoors in the creek below the barn became an accepted ordeal, no matter the weather. Dad wished we had the option of an E-collar when she was young. He would have insured that she thought cow pies were the meanest thing on earth. |
_________________ Only catch snowflakes on your tongue AFTER the birds fly south for the winter... |
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Posted:
Thu Mar 01, 2018 7:22 am
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Joined: 08 Dec 2016
Posts: 170
Location: Michigan
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https://www.birdnote.org/show/ravens-and-crows-who-who
If I was just looking at a loan bird (not a giant flock) I really don't think I'd ever be able to discern between the two comfortably to be quite honest! Especially if I was in an area where both are known to frequent. Guess the tail would help but would depend on the profile/look presented..
"I swear officer, this damn Raven "cawed"! It is supposed to croak, it wasn't my fault!" |
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Posted:
Thu Mar 01, 2018 7:23 am
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Joined: 24 Jun 2013
Posts: 2068
Location: canandaigua - western n.y. (formerly deerhunter)
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crows and snow geese are all that's left here ... my golden NEVER passed a cow pile and was equally loving of rat mounds . It was a hoot taking him duck/pond hunting . he was good till a duck was down . perfect fetch to the grab , then would continue on to a pile . after a 1/2 hr or so he'd finally come back without the duck ! |
_________________ Molly sez AArrrooooooah ! |
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Posted:
Thu Mar 01, 2018 7:44 am
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Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2127
Location: Hudson,Wy
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Crows and ravens fly differently. The wing strokes of a crow make it look like it is swimming (butterfly stroke?). Our crows here are pretty small and the ravens are huge. With a little practice they are easy to distinguish them kind of like telling duck species apart during early season or spotting the difference between Sharptail grouse and hen pheasants. |
_________________ Only catch snowflakes on your tongue AFTER the birds fly south for the winter... |
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Posted:
Thu Mar 01, 2018 12:16 pm
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Member
Joined: 02 Sep 2010
Posts: 829
Location: SW Ohio
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WyoChukar wrote: |
Our crows here are pretty small and the ravens are huge.
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My wife is from California and she thought the same thing. We passed a cattle farm and we discussed crows vs ravens, and she told me crows never got that big. I told her you need to see the midwest crows. Then we moved to Ohio and now she knows how big these crows can get. Like may other species I am sure there is local variation, but it was nice to hear her say, "I was right"!!! does not happen to much. |
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Posted:
Thu Mar 01, 2018 9:50 pm
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Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2127
Location: Hudson,Wy
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I think we get the smaller birds known as "fish crows". The few crows I saw in Kansas did seem a little bigger. |
_________________ Only catch snowflakes on your tongue AFTER the birds fly south for the winter... |
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Posted:
Fri Mar 02, 2018 8:14 pm
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Member
Joined: 19 Nov 2013
Posts: 381
Location: NW Arkansas
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Wyo,
I've slowed down in recent years, but crows were my alternative to clay birds in my off season from upland game birds or ducks for several decades. For a long time, we started the fall season with an invitational crow shoot at my old farmhouse property--a ritual that resulted in the place taking on the moniker, "Crow Camp," the name it goes by to this day.
My most fond memory of crow hunting. . . . I took my crow caller, a 12 gauge M37 with an improved cylinder barrel and a box of Remington HV 7.5s that someone had given me out at my father-in-laws one morning back in the 1990s (had to get out of the house, you know the scenario). I set up near the tip of a little wooded draw with a hayfield on either side and in front. The crows rode a fairly good breeze to a point about 25 yards from the crow caller, often hovering as they looked for the crow fight. When I ran out of the box of shells, there were 25 dead crows in the field! It was almost like shooting at still targets as they hovered looking for the crow fight! Of course, HV 7.5s out of an improved cylinder smacked them hard, as crows are actually quite easy to bring out of the sky.
Anyway, congrats on taking out some bandits! What fun! |
_________________ 16 gauges:
1954 Win M12 IC
1952 Ithaca M37 Mod
1955 Browning Auto-5 Mod
1940 Ithaca NID M/F
1959 Beretta Silver Hawk
Ranger 103-II M/F
Browning A-5 Sweet 16
Browning Citori Invector
Rem 870 Remchoke |
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