Here we are, in late winter. Upland bird hunting was done a long time ago. For most of us, goose season and duck season are also distant memories (unless you’re a sea duck hunter—and even then, time is running out quickly). Guess it’s time to put the shotguns away, and wait for next year, right? Wrong! For much of North America, one of the best bird-hunting seasons is in full swing right now. I’m talking about crow hunting, and I’m telling you that if you aren’t in on this action, and you’re a serious hunter—you’re missing out. Here’s why you should consider hunting these black bandits:
Crows are Easy to Find
There are a lot of reasons to hunt crows, but the biggest reason is that they’re easy to find. The American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) is one of North America’s most widespread birds, with a presence just about anywhere people live in Canada and the U.S. Any other bird with a hunting season is only going to be available regionally; far-migrating waterfowl need water (obviously), and you won’t hunt them in the middle of a desert. Other widespread birds such as pigeons may be found commonly through most of North America, but there isn’t a hunting season for them everywhere. Crows are almost universally available, although there are places you can’t hunt them (Montana, for one), so do your homework.
This means that just about anyone who wants to hunt crows can do so. And unlike waterfowl hunting, where good spots are protected carefully and landowners might be reluctant to share their property without money changing hands, just about everyone is willing to share a crow hunting spot. Farmers, in particular, are very happy to have someone come in and start blasting their beaks.
This might all sound silly, but in an age where everything is getting a price tag attached, the ability to hunt something locally without an expensive lease is worth considering. Also, the license required for crow hunting has always been low-priced, in my experience, and in some places a license may not even be required.
Crows are a Smart Quarry
Crow hunting is a challenging sport. Crows are one of the smartest animals out there, with sharp eyesight and brains to match. They might fall for a trick one week, and you can bag a few birds, but that flock will be wary and won’t be fooled again as easily next time. Researchers believe crows can even recognize human faces and warn others in their flock to beware of certain people, which might explain why the birds in my town all turned on me after one particularly energetic winter of crowbusting…
Having said that, despite their canny ways, crows are still particularly vulnerable to the right tactics in the right place, especially if you’re a good caller. This is a big part of the fun of crow hunting; learning how to use the right tricks at the right time.
Crow Hunting doesn’t need Expensive Gear
You don’t need bags full of expensive decoys, plus waders, plus expensive designer calls, plus a boat, plus a truck to drag that boat, for crow hunting. You can get away with a handful of cheap decoys, or none at all, and a low-priced shotgun with the cheapest target loads you can find. Crow hunting is a very affordable game.
You can find crow decoys available from the same places that sell duck decoys, since many waterfowl hunters use them as confidence decoys. These tend to be more expensive; I’ve found plastic crows that were originally sold as Halloween decorations are much cheaper, and work just as well. I’ve also made my own decoys from large chunks of styrofoam that were vaguely bird-shaped; stuff them into a black sock, and you’ll bring the birds in close enough to shoot. A lot of hunters will add a crow decoy to stage mock fights; this drives the birds wild.
Stay Affordable
But you can get by without many decoys, or any at all. Many of my early hunts relied on simply scouting birds and throwing out one or two decoys, or just using a call to attract crows. Speaking of which, this is the only piece of gear that I think you absolutely need—you can hail crows in without a call, just using your voice, very easily. But a call is much easier on your vocal cords. You can find a good one for less than $20.
An electronic caller is very handy, if you’re serious about this game, especially if you’re staging a mock battle with an owl. But you don’t need to spend big bucks here; lower-priced units from Icotec or similar will work.
Firearms
And as far as your shotgun goes, you can use anything. I’ve killed many crows with old long-barreled, tight-choked single-shot shotguns that would otherwise be of little use afield. Crow hunting is a great way to get use out of older repeating shotguns like the Ithaca 37 or Browning Auto 5, since you usually aren’t restricted to non-toxic loads (check your local regs, of course).
Make It Practical
In fact you might not even be required to use a shotgun. In my area, I can use any rifle I want, or even a bow. Obviously this requires different tactics; you don’t want to be blazing away at airborne birds with a .30-30. But if you’re hunting wide-open pastures, a dialed-in rifle can take out birds at extreme ranges and change the game. Instead of woodchucks or prairie dogs, take your long-distance varmint gun out for crows and have some fun. In a more populated area, an air gun may prove an excellent crow blaster—again, make sure it’s legal.
Crow Hunting will help your Duck Hunting
Want to get good at duck hunting? Crow hunting will give you good practice in the arts of camouflage and gunnery. While it’s not an exact comparison, the skills learned are useful. You might even find farmers who let you shoot crows in their fields are afterwards more open to letting you hunt ducks or geese there as well.
You can Eat Crows!
Yes, yes, “eat crow,” it’s all a big joke, blah blah blah. I’ve cooked crows and eaten them myself, and if you go to YouTube, you’ll find videos of other people doing the same. I personally find they taste like dark turkey meat; other people describe the flavor other ways, but I have never heard of someone who knew what they’re doing who described them as an unpleasant taste, if handled correctly.
Your mileage may vary, and given that crows are scavengers, I understand anyone who is hesitant to eat them. But I also know the diets of pigs, lobsters and other animals considered delicacies would turn the stomachs of most consumers. Crows’ carrion-eating tendencies don’t bother me; the only reason I wouldn’t hunt them for food is because there’s not a lot of meat on the bird.
Want to go hunting crows? Read your local regulations, get some basic equipment, and check for Facebook groups for more tips. Crowbusters.com has also been a source of useful information for more than 25 years online, and a membership there is only $10 at time of writing.
The post Why You Should Try Crow Hunting: After Duck Season, Go Crowbusting! appeared first on AllOutdoor.com.
