# Having trouble getting Crows to fly in low enough



## bowhunter8225 (Jan 10, 2012)

Me and my buddy both have a foxpro with alot of crow calls on it and have been crow hunting for years so we know all the basics but as for coming in low enough to kill with a scatter gun is a different story. Ive had some dive bomb right to us and i shoot them 20 feet up but more times than not they stay just out of gun range then they all flyaway. What calls should I play to get them to come in and stay in instead of leaving right after we shoot and any ideas how to bring them a little bit lower like a decoy?


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

I don't mean to sound like a smart *[Excuse my language.... I have a limited vocabulary]* but, If some one started shooting at you or one of your friends would you stick around ? They are going to leave, you just have to figure a call to get them back. As for getting them lower, do you have a decoy ? A few well placed decoys would probably put them at ease.


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## bowhunter8225 (Jan 10, 2012)

hahaha good call on the first one. but weve played crow gathering before and shot then played dying crow and they come back but not all the time. and i thought about getting one of those yard ornament things thats a cardinal that has wings that spin in the wind and spray paint it black to draw attention


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## El Gato Loco (Jan 15, 2010)

Decoys are where its at. They can't help but to land when they see friends on the ground.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

bowhunter8225 said:


> hahaha good call on the first one. but weve played crow gathering before and shot then played dying crow and they come back but not all the time. and i thought about getting one of those yard ornament things thats a cardinal that has wings that spin in the wind and spray paint it black to draw attention


Take turns playing "dead body" with the crow decoys around you.


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Crows, like other birds, have great eyesight and when they come to a call, they're looking everywhere from above. Sometimes they'll spot you before you know they are overhead and the hunt is over before it begins. The trick to successful shoots is to be totally hidden from view with the right camo for conditions - including your gun. Usually, when they leave, they've spotted you or your hunting partner. When that happens, they're not coming back. They'll sit high atop the tallest tree and let the neighborhood know you're out there.

However, their vulnerability can be exploited when one of their comrades is wounded - either a real one or a pretend one such as a motion decoy. I've had over 40 shots in one set - reloading over and over making it rain crows. Does the shooting make them fly away? No. They'll keep coming regardless of how many shots you take - but, you must remain concealed. When this happens, you'll wonder why you didn't bring more ammo. I always take boxes of shells, just in case.

My best sets are in conifer stands about 20 feet in height. You may only have a small window to shoot through, but take what the window offers. Don't jump out like you would for geese, or the game is over with your one-time volley. Stay put!

I have found that improved cylinder and 7 1/2 shot are best. They don't fly fast so don't over-lead them.

As far as decoys, I've tried plenty of them but now use only one or two. Check out www.crowbusters.com for motion decoys. Placing one in plain view with a dying crow sound is all that is required. Another one I picked up is a Tyvek crow kite attached to a 16-foot cane pole with monofilament. It was actually a bluejay but I spray-painted it black. Real cool flying motion above the brush and it can be waved around in standing corn, if the wind isn't blowing.

Oh, yeah. If you wound one, don't let it get away. Grab it, tie its leg to something with a piece of string and let it do the calling for you. My hunting partner used his shoelace and didn't tie the crow securely and when the shooting stopped we couldn't find the crow. Needless to say, my partner hunted the rest of the day with one loose boot.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Some great advice, might have to take up crow hunting, sounds like fun.


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

hassell said:


> Some great advice, might have to take up crow hunting, sounds like fun.


No hunting compares to it in this sense: blast away and they keep coming, if everything is right. It's nuts! And, after 40 years, I'm still learning but the electronics and battery-operated decoys have made it easier. Last year I picked up a Browning Silver in camouflage specifically for crows. I know, that's nuts, too.


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

A crow in Russia becomes a star on You Tube:


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Yes they are very smart like ravens, one of our customers were over Sat. for supper and I asked her about the crow they raised last summer ( think they named it George or something ) anyways she was telling us that a flock flew over there place and she yelled out his name and one of the crows broke from the flock came down and she gave it a few pieces of dog food and off he went to join up with his buddies. Kinda neat.


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## bones44 (Jan 7, 2011)

They're very intelligent. They've been known to use tools for breaking nuts and such. We usually just pass shoot them. If I'm bored at the farm I'll use decoys. They don't seem to mind them at all and will land once maybe twice and that's it for a week or so.


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## fr3db3ar (Aug 6, 2011)

I gave up hunting them with a shotgun (just not my style) I set up a few decoys in the woods and play crow fight on the foxpro, then shoot them with the 17M2. I've shot 5 at one set one right after the other before. They must have liked the decoy set and kept coming back.

I set up in the trees so they have a place to land for me.


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## Mick105 (Jan 6, 2012)

I've noticed when I am set up on the edge of a field they tend to circle just out of range. Some will drop into range from time to time if I have decoys out. Like Glenway said, Set up in a stand of pines and shoot thru the small windows. They circle alot lower trying to find their comrads. Before I bought decoys I learned that trick thru trial and error. I still use decoys in these pine stands too. As far as sounds, I use my spitfire and just play the crow fight continuosly. After the flock breaks up and moves on I move a couple hundred yards and do it again.


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## All-Around-Outdoorsman (Feb 7, 2012)

I am trying to gather advice on this but from what i hear is you need to sit in a treeline next to a feild and stay conceiled and do as little movement as possible, i would try some still crow decoys with a mojo-owl decoy! Switch between crow alarm call and owl attack call and try it out let me know because as i said im trying to get info on this topic as well.


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## fr3db3ar (Aug 6, 2011)

I tried a little field hunting last year on my visit to Venango county. The trouble is trying to get them in close. I prefer to set up in some open woods. This forces them to come in a little closer if they want to see my set. I've shot 5 at a set with my 17HM2.


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## Sh1pper (Feb 8, 2012)

I have really good luck with crows coming in dive bombing the plastic owl decoy I set it on the ground with a black sock I made into a dead crow decoy. lay the crow on it's side and set the owl 2 feet or so next to it.
I always start off with a owl location hoot on the Alpha Dogg caller then go right into the crow gathering then I mouth call extremely loud with a mouth call...play the caller loud but not full it distorts sometimes then I will change batteries but keep playing the e caller with a buddy or me mouth calling they come and keep coming they see that owl and it is crazy fun .I hunt in the river bottoms and even had eagles respond a look at the set up ,It is very important that I tell you to Ghillie suit up they will not pick you out at all and I back into cedar thickets whenever possible this set up
again this is a little work but well worth the fun.....
Sh1pper


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## ScopinYotes (Jan 31, 2012)

Yes indeed, they are very intelligent. I don't know if any of you have seen this video before, but it just amazes me how smart these things are! http://www.crowbusters.com/news/news7.wmv


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## Antlerz22 (Apr 18, 2011)

ScopinYotes said:


> Yes indeed, they are very intelligent. I don't know if any of you have seen this video before, but it just amazes me how smart these things are! http://www.crowbuste.../news/news7.wmv


 Makes Alfred Hitchcocks' movie believeable !


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