opening weekend for crow

M

montiironman

Member
Opening weekend for crow season this Saturday here in Eastern Iowa. Going to give sniping a shot. I have read a lot on here about it. I finally purchased a fox pro caller and am going to try my luck. I will be taking my 17 hmr or my 223 I haven't decided yet. Ill post pictures if i have any luck.
 

Good luck with the crow sniping. The HMR is pretty sweet out to 100 yards or so. I dropped one crow at 110 with my CZ, but I'm sure you can shoot further. The wind will be the main factor.

Be sure to keep us posted. Everyone loves photos and videos.

 
I've shotgunned close to a dozen this 4th season here in Minnesota. I'm waiting for my SilencerCo Spectre to get out of NFA jail so it gives me a reason to pick up a CZ 455 American .17 HMR for crow sniping.
 
I will definitely post pictures 6mm06. I usually don't venture out too much farther than 100-150 yards with my 17HMR. We are expecting some wind on Saturday with a warm up so I'm sure the south wind will be blowing good so I may take the 223.
 
Opening day went very good. I got a late start due to the muzzleloader season here in Iowa. I went to some public land first and hunters were getting out so I had to regroup and go somewhere else. I went to a farm that I hunt quite a bit for squirrel and rabbit. I set up the call in a bush and played the dying crow call. My first mistake was putting the caller in the bush. I had roughly 8-10 crows circling but wouldn't land. After they flew off I picked up the caller and moved.
My second spot of the day I set up along a field of set aside land and put the caller in a bare tree about 6ft off the ground. About five minutes later I had a lone crow land in the tree. He jumped around about three times before I could get a shot but I did get a shot and got him. After I shot I let the caller go for another half hour. Had one circle a ways out but wouldn't land, So I called it a day.
I used my Savage Axis 223 with 50gr VMax Black Hills Ammo today due to some very gusty winds; a little too much for the 17hmr. I would post some pictures but I don't Know how to post pictures on here. Needless to say I am hooked. This is so much fun!
 
do you have decoys?? crows love decoys if you keep them shiney 3 or four decoys on ground and in trees, more landing then circling. I use amoral for cars to keep them bright and able too be seen. Also advice crows get call shy so keep changing call sounds and moving but dying crow is my favorite as well.
 
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I used Dry Cleaning hangers bent to look like a crow, wrapped with some black electrical tape. That way it has a spike for standing in the dirt, or wrap the hook around a branch.
 
I also use coat hangers, BUT I went so far as to go to a fabric store and bought some black fabric that has some sort of pattern in it so they look "flocked". Then I bought a strip of black feathers, so when I set up a "hawk on crow" setting, there will be feathers around it. Haven't had a chance to try that one out yet. Deer season has gotten in the way... as far as the fabric decs go... made a basic pattern-outline of a crow, cut them out and sewed them together, put it on coat hanger bent in rough shape, stuffed with plastic bags... and viola... light weight flock of crows. Just need to figure out how to get one in a tree as a sentry....
 
Went out again today and took my son. I called in two crows at different times. The first crow came in to a struggling crow call and landed he shot and missed. The second crow came into a crow fight call. I let him shoot and he missed. He is 0 for 2 today but he had a lot of fun. This was our second stand of the day. The first stand of the day was down the road from the two shots about two miles and was unproductive. Sat and called for about an hour and nothing. What a wonderful day to be out here in Eastern Iowa.
 
tonyb it is very fun. Im so addicted to it. We messed around with it a little bit last fall. I have got the hang of it a little better than last year and we are having some success calling them now.
 

Here's some old photos from a few years back to get everyone's blood stirred up and in the mood for some crow sniping action. Crow sniping with a rifle is a lot of fun.

















 
love the pictures!!! I have shot at roughly 7 crows in the past three weekends and have downed 4. It is not easy but it is a lot of fun. I have actually not called any in one day. It was a bummer of a day just nothing coming in. I don't usually hunt all day either. I only get to get out about two to three hours at a crack. Im going in the morning again with my 8 year old daughter. She is good luck. Last weekend alone we called in 5 downed two. I have to say I prefer my 17hmr or my 223 for this. My 22 rifle don't shoot very good at 75 to 100 yards. I know some of you can probably do it however I'm not very good at it.
 
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