Hunting crows with a stickbow, who's got it done?

[Tajue17]

well turkey here ends on the 21st and the only other thing to hunt is crow which opens July 1st,, frogs open around that time too which I put on waders walk the edge about 15' out and shoot back towards shore.

I'm curious as to how I could hunt crow though with a stickbow,, maybe decoys and when they are landing (if they are landing) take a shot but curious who has done this.

[frassettor]

[savagelh]

Try a bait pile of its legal in your area. They also come into a predator call quite often.

[kennym]

I haven't got it done, but I think a (non-trad) e-caller with crow fight, an owl sitting on a black rag, and a ghillie would probably be interesting as heck!    :D

[Charlie Lamb]

like Kenny says. I've had a lot of fun with just a crow call and coarse rabbit voice call. Use them both at the same time.

With any method camo must be above average.

[Warden609]

Crow decoys aren't that expensive and an e-caller is deadly on crows. Magnus bull heads are great for shooting at flying crows and we use layout blinds blended into the terrain if cover is sparse. Crows are super sharp and I'm not sure how much it helped but an old pillowcase with red on it between the decoys seemed to be a killer combo.

The layout blind is awkward, but if the crows are committed to your decoy setup there is time to stand up and shoot...

[Friend]

Have taken several over a bait pile.

Have only taken one roosted in a tree.

[Snow Crow]

Been trying hard for the last 2 1/2 years to wingshoot the wily crow.  Even skipped deer last fall to focus on crows.

Decoys + calls help immensely in bringing them into bow range; never had much luck with owl/fighting crow setups, most of my action comes from feeding scenarios.

Concealment must be superb: think turkey vision from above.  Biggest difficulty I have is getting shot off undetected; even then I've had crows pull Matrix like arrow dodges that I didn't think possible.

Right up there with bowfishing in terms of raucous fun with a bow.

Crows are federally protected so check your state regs for info...

[Gehrke145]

We shot hundreds of them with the scatter guns, shot at them with flu flus but never killed one. Hit a few high ones but the rubber blunts never killed them.  E caller 3 crow decoys and an owl and you'll be emptying your quivers.

[Tajue17]

ok nice I thought when I got back here everyone would of posted I was crazy but the advice sound good.  

so does a cornfield sound about right or are you guys setting up over a grassy greenish field?

[David M. Mathis]

Pick up some dead cretters off the road and set up a natural blind or retail one. They like road kill. Call to them to get them to see the dead critters and shoot straight.

[The Night Stalker]

I have shot several out of a double bull blind.

[LC]

Been there done that. Be prepared to hunt the smartest critter you have ever hunted. It's the most widely studied bird world wide. It's intelligence rivals primates like you've never seen. There are some incredible shows on PBS show casing this bird. PERIOD. Don't think for a minute this bird is stupid!

With all that said yes I've hunted them for several years. Not as much recently though although I'm sure they just have gotten smarter. Set up in a open area with no tall trees. If tree tops are out of your range so will be the crows. I call simply with my mouth. The amount of "words" a crow uses or it's vocabulary  is pretty much endless. Use your best camo for fooling turkeys it's probably not good enough but it will get you into some action. Set up with a few decoys or artificial bait and begin with the normal I'm here where are you call. Once ONE responds start giving alarm calls. They will come in droves. You only get a couple chances. If you have set up with no tall trees close the will come in bow range. Best chance is them starting to land or taking off. After the first response better to move a mile away or so and start over. Did I say how smart these birds are? lol I've had a ton of experience hunting and raising them as pets. Make great pets. Lots of fun hunting them till you realize just how smart these birds actually are. Don't under estimate them.

[nd chickenman]

Gonna put this on my TO DO list! Along with wing shooting doves with the bow

[Tedd]

LC, you are right. I don't know if they are the same in all parts of the country. (I say that because wild turkeys in the west are not the same as ours in the east) You would never draw on a crow here. It would have to be a darn fluke like you were at full draw when one landed on your target or something. I can't even get the .22 barrel out the window at a crow 100 yards away. My wife throws garbage out in the field. The crows are on it at daylight. They have been waking me up. I'm not even going to try to arrow one. I guess if you went all in, full camouflage in a blind you might get one every 10 yrs or so.
I did notice one letting me get near when I was on the kubota the other day.
My Dad said when he was younger that large migrations or flocks of crows would offer all afternoon shotgun shooting out of the barn in the winter time.

[varmint101]

Like LC said, they will hug the tops of trees so if you're in an opening, but have mature trees they won't drop in like you'll need.  My best spots have been where I can hide in an opening under a cedar tree or a small stand of sumacs or something to that nature.  I've called them in with my voice and a crow call, but a FoxPro or something similar works amazing on them!  My kids love to tag along too.