them cussed crows agin

[heelerau]

 Gents,
          pretty pleased with myself, the War Office has been complaining about the crows irritating her chooks and stealing eggs. Loaded my late Daddy's Niel Fields Leman rifle in .36 yesterday, this evening just as I have fed the dogs, I see a murder of the darn things in the horses' feed yard, one sitting up like Jacky Jacky on the gate post. Nags are all our of the way , so stepped off the back stoop, and squeezed off, nailed the sod offhand at about  60 odd yards. Using 30grs of Goex FFg , don't remember the ball diameter, but used one from my 3 round loading block.  Reloaded and will hopefully get a few more of the sods. Yes it is a little cap lock, but have to share the load around !!

cheers

gordon

[dagner]

great shot them squirrel rifles are fun.next go to work on the big black  grakles.

[hanshi]

Yep, you can't beat a good squirrel rifle for pests including crows.  Personally, I decided long ago not to shoot at crows anymore.  They are too intelligent for my taste.  They are tool makers/users and easily the intellectual equal of chimps.

[Bob Roller]

Crows are the intellectual equal of a lot of my neighbors also.

Bob Roller

[JTR]

Crows are the intellectual equal of a lot of my neighbors also.

Bob Roller

Hahahahahaha!!!  Good one!   

John

[Artificer]

Crows are the intellectual equal of a lot of my neighbors also.

Bob Roller

ROTFLMAO!!!   Spit coffee all over the screen on that one.

Gus

[rhbrink]

I read somewhere that if humans could fly but had to have the  intelligence of a crow to fly that there would not be many flying humans, or something like that. But I still shoot them when I get a chance.

RB

[Daryl]

Crows and big crows.

When I was still working in Corrections, the powers that be decided it would be good for the inmates to raise chickens.

Since the local ravens also liked chickens and were killing & eating them in the evenings,  I was asked by one of the 'joint's' directors to 'look' after that problem on Sunday mornings when the inmates were all 'inside'.  I found my old 1960's "Olt" Crow call worked just fine at bringing them into range as the ravens, I assume, didn't like the idea of a crow getting their 'chickens'.  I managed to blast close to a dozen on each of 2 days of shooting after which they decided to leave the 'joint' and it's chickens alone.  The seemed slow learners, I thought, not as smart as the crows I used to shoot back East in Ontario as a kid (1960's).   

[smokinbuck]

I had a problem with crows off and on for a while also. I found that if you killed a couple and left them on the ground the others would sit and call to them. When they didn't respond the rest flew off and stayed away for some time. Ultimatley they came back for seconds.
Mark

[heelerau]

The crows here at Gidgegannup do not seem as bright as the ones I grew up with in South Australia. In the past I have knocked them with my Late Fathers brno .22, and have shot several before the mob took off. Back in SA just the sight of a person looking at them intently is enough to have them bolt. Admittedly that was on a large sheep and cattle station, and they got shot at regular during the lambing season. Seen to many cast ewes and young lambs in the process of being born , with their eyes pecked out to have much love of the @!*% things.
      I have left the dead one out in the horse paddock, and they admittedly seem to be keeping away at the moment. but the leman is ready !!
      I don't have a crow call, other than if I use my voice  aaark aaaark aaark, I wonder if your North American crow calls would sound like our crows !!

Cheers

Gordon

[gunmaker]

Probably a way different accent on those Aussie crows. Put up an owl decoy in a tree--see what happens, those two are mortal enemies...  I hang the dead'uns in a tree for their relatives to see.  After awhile they quit botherin' me sheep...Tom

[Joe S]

I see a murder of the darn things in the horses' feed yard

I have long been aware that crows came in murders, but this may be the first time I’ve actually seen them referred to that way.  Good on you!

 I’ve never shot a crow myself, but I do eat it more often that I would really like.

[hanshi]

Crows and big crows.



Nevermore...... 

Hey, Bob R, I've also noticed a lot of this in my neck of the woods, too.

[Smoketown]

OK,

It's probably an "urban legend" but having previously lived in Flagstaff, Arizona for 30 years and having a "crow season" with way too many ravens about, a game warden was asked, what's the difference between a crow and a raven?

His reply was, "A crow hits the ground."


Using an owl decoy and cupping your hands to make a whistle to imitate an owl hoot is super fun!

Expect to have an owl swoop in on you if you call early or late in the day!

The buggers appear to be territorial!

Cheers,
Smoketown

[PPatch]

Ahh the crows, I've only shot them once when a bunch got into the peach trees. They would peck one then move over and peck another (just like mockingbirds). One hole in every peach was their goal I guess, which ruined that peach. So I shot three and hung them spread eagle on the barbed wire fence just down from the trees. Just as smokenbuck said the other crows came back and cawed at the corpses for a while then left. They stayed away long enough for the peaches to ripen then showed up again. By then we had eaten plenty and let them have the rest.

I have never shot one since and don't plan to, they are very intelligent creatures.

But squirrels after the pecans are another story, I had to cull quite a few this fall.

dp

[Collector]

Save your powder and lead.  Try this and finish them off with a CO2 pellet pistol (pump, if you need the exercise) nice and quiet like:

http://www.crowbusters.com/crowtrap.htm

Bait them with what they are at your farm for.  I know they can't resist common feed corn.

Good luck!

When I was a kid, a bunch of us would scout the 'roost trees,' set-up under them while they were out foraging and wait for them to return.  Pumps and semi-auto shotguns make for some great fun.  We were always welcome on the local farms, come hunting season. 

They are a savy and smart critter, always use 'lookouts,' like your late 'post sitter' and I know from experience, they know the difference between a broom and a Model 12.   

[trentOH]

Probably a way different accent on those Aussie crows.

It'll work fine, but you have to hold the call upside down, to account for the Down Under effect.

[heelerau]

 Well looks like these Western Australian crows are going to take some discouraging,  I just nailed another one sitting on the horse  trough in the feed yard with my Late Daddys little Leman rifle, I dropped the charge from 35grs ofFFFg to 30 to make it a little quieter, seems to like the load. Got him from the back stoop this time. 
        We have a large bushfire about 15 miles south of here in a pretty buit up hills scrub area lot of houses lost, one dead. Fortunatly  the wind is not quite blowing our way.   We have had two days of over 108 'f but getting a cool change tomorrow.


cheers

Gordon

[David G]

Heard they rank  4th on the bird intelligent list....going after them in the morning.

[Carney]

Should see Neill tomorrow and will let him know you are putting the little rifle to good use.

When I was growing up in Kansas we used to spend hours calling and decoying crows.  A tame owl at that time was the best, probable illegal now.

Carney

[heelerau]

Carney,
          looked up this post today, as I got another crow with Niels' .36 leman rifle, that is 5 so far shot from the stoop. Did not realise you have started posting here.  The .36 cal ball pretty much cleaned out all the body cavity !!  Trust all is well with you guys !!

Cheers

Gordon

[hanshi]

Never forget that crows are more intelligent than the average voter.

[tricorn hat]

R.H.Brink:- That quote was made by Abe Lincoln, it goes,  "If all men had black feathers and flew, !@*%&@ few would be smart enough to be crows!"

[WadePatton]

I've shot a few, but as a rule don't shoot them any more unless they are into something I want them out of.  Last one i shot was eating my pecans, and I only have the one tree and he had dozens of buddies. Shot the one and have never seen another in my pecan tree.  I think this bunch learns quick.

Actually wearing a crow feather from the murder that roosts near work.  One of them dropped the feather that's in the grosgrain of my felt hat.

Also, it's not legal to shoot them on Mon-Thursday in Tennessee as that would offend the Federal rule by treaty with Mexico (their national bird) which states in part:

The hunting season or seasons on crows shall not
exceed a total of 124 days during a calendar year;

http://www.fgc.ca.gov/regulations/2003/crow_regs.pdf

Of course I'll be tempted to be more easily offended by them once i get a small ball rifle going.    And if i had a War Office to respond to, well I know how that works.

[heelerau]

Wade, the war goes on, I missed the last one, miss fire, then fluffed the shot. They are getting cunning now, the War Office has suggested I pack my Navy Colt, (loaded with roundball of course) as you fiquer won't need to much encouragement for that!   The stinkers have been butcherin our wild ducklings, out of season !! Still have the Leman loaded .

cheers Heelerau