Cunning crows are a challenge Season runs to Sept. 29

Jim, Buddy and I hunkered down in the small island of trees and thick brush hoping our camouflage clothing, face masks and gloves would make us invisible when the birds were overhead. I had carefully set the decoys out in front of our makeshift blind and having spotted and heard birds in the vicinity, two of us began to call.

It wasn’t five minutes before a single swing overhead, responding noisily to our calling and looking over the decoys. The lone bird swung away, but we could still hear its raucous calling behind us and within a couple of minutes several more voices joined in and got closer and closer. All at once seven birds swung in from the side; swirling, spiraling, diving and darting while their calls reached a crescendo.

Take ’em, I said and we all stood and attempted to locate a fast-moving, tilt-a-whirl target. When the barrage ended, only two specimens remained behind on the ground. When all is said and done, with this wise and wary quarry, that’s about average. With the decoys, camo gear and calling, you might assume we were duck hunting. Add in the wild, erratic flight pattern and many would conclude that teal were the targets.

Truth be told, it was mid- August, 84 degrees on a humid and sunny afternoon and our trio was crow hunting in Aroostook County farm country. Many outdoorsmen use high power scopes on flat shooting varmint rifles to bag these cunning, sharp-eyed birds at long range, but wing shooting with a shotgun is an even greater challenge. Either style of shooting will help the gunner to be better prepared for the upcoming big game seasons as well as for upland birds and waterfowl.

Crow hunting is a split season in Maine: March 14 to April 30 and July 16 to Sept. 29.

Cunning crows

The common crow is a cunning, intelligent and crafty specimen that seems to have the innate ability to recognize the difference between a man with a yard rake and one carrying a firearm. To many, it’s the nuisance bird that is brazen enough to waddle within feet of your garage and tear you garbage bags apart to get at the goodies in the rubbish. To ardent gardeners, this black pest is called a lot of four-letter words besides crow when he eats some and destroys more fruits and vegetables that have taken so much hard work to grow.

Some of these colorful names also apply when several of these ebony varmints settle on a roof or nearby tree or telephone pole and set up a raucous eye opening, hair straightening calling contest in the early morning hours. If these scenarios aren’t reason enough to thin out the population a bit, consider the fact that crows do noticeable damage to the song bird and game bird populations as notorious destroyers of nests with an insatiable hunger for the eggs and young chicks.

At one time crows were so numerous and destructive that some states offered a bounty of 25 cents for every dead crow brought to the local town office. Despite these incentives the populations continued to thrive regardless of the large numbers killed. Even today crows seem to have an inbred ability to survive and prosper under the severe effects of changing climate, environment and human encroachment.

Also called Jays and Magpies in some circles, the common crow is a stocky, black bird with a stout bill and fan style tail. Average size runs 17 to 21 inches with a weight between 1 to 2 pounds. Hunters need to take care in recognizing their target, so as not to shoot at the similar colored and shaped, but larger raven. The call of a crow and raven are very different and an excellent guideline. Ravens are not huntable species.

Winging it

As previously mentioned, crow hunting offers sportsmen the opportunity to sharpen their calling, shooting and hiding skills in preparation for approaching game bird seasons. Any successful outing for this black wraith will test each hunter’s abilities. Despite a reputation as pests and scavengers, crows are one of the most difficult birds to hunt. They are sharp-eyed and sharp witted, but crows possess an overwhelming curiosity and just can’t resist finding out what’s happening over the next hill.

Although in many areas hunters could shoot from the patio using the front yard garbage cans as decoys, this tends to excite the neighbors, so it’s best to head for more open, less populated land. Ideal crow habitat will be around agricultural land with open fields and pastures, random wood lots and nearby bogs or flowing waterways. Add in a few tall evergreens or field edge hardwoods to serve as lookout perches and you’re in prime crow country. Feeding or resting birds are fairly easy to spot with the naked eye, but binoculars will let you scout without getting too close and raising suspicions.

Once a likely spot is selected, it’s just a matter of putting out decoys, taking cover and beginning to call. Often a single scout will come to investigate the ruckus. Most of the time it will be a silent approach so hunters must be sharp eyed to spot the approaching bird. Drop that nosey scout and soon several other crows will come to investigate. Once a resident flock has been shot at or spooked, it’s time to pick up and move to another location at least a mile away for a repeat performance. Revisiting a particular spot or over hunting one area is futile because crows that have been duped and shot at become very cautious. Their Achilles heel is curiosity, not stupidity.

Decoys and calls

Two or three plastic crow decoys stuck in the ground or hung from nearby trees will bring in flock after flock of curious black birds. Add an obviously positioned owl or hawk decoy and even more action will come your way. Some manufacturers produce sets of owl and crow decoys in one package at a reasonable price and many local sporting goods stores and gun shops carry these combos.

Crows hate their natural predatory enemies: the owl and the hawk. And since crows instinctively enjoy a fight, they will noisily attack the decoys, and any other crow within hearing distance will come to join the battle. The crow decoys offer confidence, and the owl decoys create an enemy target, and both serve to draw attention away from the makeshift blind and hunters. Attacking crows often get so worked up during the battle that even the initial shooting and the falling birds won’t break up the fray.

Calls come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, material and tones, are fairly inexpensive and readily available. I own several, but prefer the rich sound of the wooden models. As with any calling techniques, practice yields skill, but even beginners can attract crows with a few basic guidelines. Any novice can produce a basic caw, but in this sport it’s what you say, not how you say it. Cadence and loud, crisp calls numbering two, five, seven or even more will attract nearby birds.

Never blow three rapid caws in a row, this is the danger call and will send crows winging away. Once birds start toward your location, stop calling and let the decoys do their work. After issuing one or two series of calls, stay silent for at least a minute before calling again. The help call, which is a long drawn out array of caws, purrs, growls, squawks and yelps meant to simulate an agitated flock on the attack, albeit it difficult to master, is a sure attractant.

Guns and gear

Crow hunters should use the shotgun they will be using during the regular bird seasons. Beyond the challenge and sport of crow gunning in general, improved gun handling and wing shooting are the specific goals. Lead shot is legal for crows and No. 71/2- or 8-size pellets will work well since crows are more fragile than many other game birds. If birds are refusing to decoy close to the blind, have a few No. 6s at hand for this longer distance occasion.

Lightweight camo clothing to fend off the late summer heat helps fool sharp eyes. Gloves, mesh face mask and a brimmed hat are helpful additions. A bucket to carry shells, calls, and accessories will also provide comfortable seating during the hunt. Gear is minimal, other than decoys and calls. Most sportsmen have everything they need to go after Maine’s number one winged varmint. Once you match wits with these cunning, black wraiths, hunting the common crow may just become a common practice.

Outdoor feature writer Bill Graves can be reached via e-mail at bgravesoutdoors@ainop.com