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< 16ga. General Discussion ~ Crow Hunting |
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Posted:
Sat Feb 16, 2019 3:55 pm
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Joined: 03 Jan 2016
Posts: 16
Location: Illinois
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Come on guys. You brought me out of my lurker status. Some of you got to have some good stories of your crow hunting with the 16. Guns, ammo, setups and jut all around good stories.
Ole2Shot ![Laughing](images/smiles/icon_lol.gif) |
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Posted:
Sat Feb 16, 2019 5:03 pm
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Member
![Member Member](images/theavatar.jpg)
Joined: 15 Apr 2007
Posts: 9463
Location: Amarillo, Texas
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Not crows but pigeons.
Many, many pigeons, and I find that #6 shot is great for them.
I like the SXS and O/U because of so many hulls to chase otherwise
Setup, stand next to a grain silo or barn with tin roof.
Mike |
_________________
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USAF RET 1971-95 |
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Posted:
Sat Feb 16, 2019 5:10 pm
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Joined: 12 Feb 2018
Posts: 258
Location: West-central Missouri
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Small black flag on a long pole, two crows & an owl decoy on a dead tree. ounce of 7&1/2s from good cover. |
_________________ An ounce of fives, the smell of nitro in paper hulls, wet gundog, and Hoppe's #9... |
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Posted:
Sat Feb 16, 2019 6:12 pm
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Member
![Member Member](images/theavatar.jpg)
Joined: 10 Jul 2010
Posts: 356
Location: Ponchatoula, Louisiana
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I have been thinking about getting into that for a while now. Is an electronic call needed or can you get away with just a couple of decoys?
Ought to fill the between seasons itch. |
_________________ The reason I am awed by shotgun shooters is that most of them don’t know how in the hell they do what they do.
Charles F. Waterman, |
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Posted:
Sat Feb 16, 2019 6:22 pm
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Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2799
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa
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Gentlemen,
skeettxis right #6's shooting Barn Pigeons, only shot Crows a few times liked #5's for taking them out, used the owl decoy and the SXS 12 Gauge L.C. Smith Pigeon Grade to do the job.
Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man
Bottom guns is the original 12 Gauge L.C. Smith Pigeon Grade.
[URL=http://www.jpgbox.com/page/56273_800x600/]
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_________________ "L.C. Smith America's Best" - John Houchins
Pine Creek Grouse Dog Trainers |
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Posted:
Sat Feb 16, 2019 6:32 pm
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Joined: 03 Jan 2016
Posts: 16
Location: Illinois
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That's what I am trying to do now. Duck season over, goose season over, coyotes won't play, Rifle shells all loaded, crow blind re-brushed at the farm, going nuts. Did manage to pick up a 1968 16 ga. 1100 like new. In a minor brain disfunction, I sold mine many years ago. Shells and 16 ready to go and for some reason just not seeing the crows this year, YET. I use everything at one time or another. Hand calls, electronic calls, decoys, motion, owl, dead crows. Just no crows right now. I hear you about the pigeons. Hopefully, things will get better before season ends.
Ole2Shot |
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Posted:
Sat Feb 16, 2019 6:33 pm
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Joined: 12 Feb 2018
Posts: 258
Location: West-central Missouri
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You can start really cheap. Faulk's crow & Primus owl calls $24 total. Long way back when I had zero money, faked 2 crows with black paint and some firewood. Owl was a bigger piece of wood with two big yellow eyes. Easy chainsaw art. Crows learn fast so the DIY will only work once or twice unless you're a true carving artist. Word gets around; crows gossip something terrible... |
_________________ An ounce of fives, the smell of nitro in paper hulls, wet gundog, and Hoppe's #9... |
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Posted:
Sat Feb 16, 2019 6:51 pm
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Joined: 03 Jan 2016
Posts: 16
Location: Illinois
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PC Dave,
Love the guns. The pigeon I have is a Browning superposed 28 gauge. Have not shot it in a long time. Used to run quail for a long time, till legs gave out and the quail did too. Agree with the 6's. I used AA 7-1/2's on quail for years, but on crows we don't have as many as other places so I load up with 1-1/8 oz. of 6's and make sure I got enough in case the shot is not a little outside the decoy spread. Dave, I see you are in PA. Usually you have a few more opportunities to get into a good crow shoot out there, dont' you? I hear we will have more snow by Monday, Might try to call at the blind for a while. The scenery will at least be nice.
Ole2Shot |
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Posted:
Sat Feb 16, 2019 8:07 pm
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Joined: 12 Feb 2018
Posts: 258
Location: West-central Missouri
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Posted:
Sat Feb 16, 2019 8:29 pm
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Joined: 14 Feb 2017
Posts: 401
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Don’t shoot the first crows to respond to your calling. Wait and the flock will follow. |
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Posted:
Sat Feb 16, 2019 8:48 pm
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Member
![Member Member](images/theavatar.jpg)
Joined: 19 Nov 2013
Posts: 381
Location: NW Arkansas
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Many of those on this forum hunt upland game with bird dogs, ducks with labs, etc. But have you ever hunted with a trained crow cat?
Want to heat up your gun barrel and kill a pile of crows? Do this:
Locate a fresh plowed field next to good thick low cover such as a cedar thicket in an area with lots of crows. Take your trained crow cat and stake him out about 20 yards into the plowed field, on about a 5 foot leash. Toss about 3-4 dead crows that you have kept in the freezer for upcoming hunts just out of reach of the cat on the leash. For added effect, put a couple of crow decoys in plain site at the edge of the field.
Hide in the cedars near the field edge and either turn on the electric crow caller or use a good call and "raise hell," imitating crows fighting a hawk, etc. Its best to have 2-3 hunters well hidden in the thicket, as one hunter can't take full advantage of all the crows coming in. Extension magazines are recommended if they are legal in your state.
If the crow cat is well trained, he will lunge every which direction on the lease as the crows come in, and believe me, they can't stand it. Make your shots count--save the cat from the attacking crows.
After running out of shells, or crows, evidence of how well trained the crow cat is will come apparent. He'll rub on your leg and purr as you approach to take him off the leash. If he lunges at you, clawing at your eyes, climbing on your head, and raking down the stock on your new 16 gauge, you'll need to train him some more. |
_________________ 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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Posted:
Sat Feb 16, 2019 9:02 pm
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Joined: 31 Jan 2019
Posts: 55
Location: Idaho
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I have pass shot a few crows, never set up for them though. Sounds like a great time.
There are some guys around here who do guided pigeon shoots. YUP! Guided pigeon shoots. They have cornered all the good dairy farms with leases, and have developed some pretty sophisticated pigeon decoys.
I am tempted to see what the cost of a hunt is I am right in the same area. It appears to be some pretty high volume shooting and the dairies love them for getting rid of the feathered rats. |
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Posted:
Sat Feb 16, 2019 10:12 pm
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Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2126
Location: Hudson,Wy
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Crows are a riot! Ours bailed on us when snow set in more permanent than normal in the valley they prefer, but one town has suddenly seen them return. That town was so over run with them at one time that the cops were authorized to dust them with their riot guns! The place was like a Hitchcock movie...everywhere. We joke and call the crows their local air force. Anyway, I hope to find a workable bunch between now and the Feb. 28 closer.
I use a simple setup. My e-caller is just a $10 e-bay amp, cheap horn speaker, and one of those little Cass Creek pocket callers. It all is contained on/in a plastic ammo box. I use 4 flocked decoys and sometimes a toy stuffed fox. Ammo? We have the little fish crows and 8's will down them at nearly 50 yards. 7 1/2's reach further. I have used an old 12 ga. Lefever choked XF & Turkey with 1 1/4 oz 7's and 6's to reach them at ridiculous heights. The bigger crows I encountered in Kansas last year were tougher for sure, but our itty bitty crows here aren't much bigger than a pigeon.
Hopefully I will have some fresh stories to post soon. I have only seen the crows outside town in one place lately. I will get a good look at the situation tomorrow when I hunt our goose closer there. |
_________________ Only catch snowflakes on your tongue AFTER the birds fly south for the winter... |
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Posted:
Sat Feb 16, 2019 11:41 pm
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Joined: 03 Jan 2016
Posts: 16
Location: Illinois
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4 setters, I am 70 years old and I thought I had heard most all the good ones, especially just spending 60 days in a blind with a bunch of river rats. But that one really made me laugh, mainly because I can really see that working. I thought that when you said after the hunt, if the cat lunges and starts to claw you, that you shoot it too!!!! My dad use to tell me they would take one of the cats out squirrel huntin and take him deep in the woods. Then let him trail his way back home. Every squirrel in the woods would raise kane at the cat and they would follow the cat and shoot the squirrels. This has made the evening go by a lot better.
Ole2Shot |
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Posted:
Sun Feb 17, 2019 6:20 am
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Joined: 19 Apr 2014
Posts: 429
Location: Maine
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Farm field with fresh manure spread on it is just like good hordeures (sp) at a party. Ideally find the flyway from roost to feeding field. Takes some scouting. I use 16 or so full body decoys and 2 dozen sil. I cut out of 1/4 inch luan. Robo crow works well. A good hide and a bunch of all the old shells you can’t quite figure what they’re loaded with. When the crows die out head to the barn for pigeons. Better use a RBL don’t know if those old guns will stand it....fuse is lit,here we go. |
_________________ If it weren't for women cats would be extinct. |
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