always thought about hunting crows ? Take some advice from Todd Gifford, aka “ Crowman, ” and you ’ ll put batch of these black-winged bandits on the ground. ( Shutterstock double )
By Josh Dahlke
Want to join me for a crow-hunting camp ? ” my buddy J.J. asked with a smirk. I laughed, certain that he was joking around with me. “ No, I ’ megabyte unplayful, ” he continued. “ It ’ s amazing. We can hunt them merely like ducks. They decoy and everything. ” It occurred to me he was credibly good looking for an apology to get together and let our shotguns breathe. After all, it was July, and we were at least a calendar month away from any legitimate bird-hunting seasons. I didn ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate blasted him ; I, besides, was feeling the desperation of the off-season doldrums .
When he told me the plan was to join an adept corvus orion who goes by the name of “ Crowman, ” I was ready to call his bluff. Yet, a couple weeks late, we were set up on the edge of a cornfield close up to a corvus roost. The sunlight was at our back, crow decoys were staked out 20 yards from the battlefield edge and a home-brewed electronic caller lay nestled amongst them. meanwhile, Crowman, aka Todd Gifford, was using a hired hand shout to spark a conversation with some early-morning crows that had become active with the rising sun. Soon, a couple of these birds appeared over the green ocean of corn whiskey and glided toward our decoys. We filled the sky with pellets and the birds crumpled .
“ Yeah ! ” Crowman screamed. “ Reload. I ’ ll go pick ’ em up. Can ’ t have absolutely bodies in the dispersed. ” The action continued for an hour before tapering off. That ’ randomness when Gifford busted out the “ jukebox ” and unleashed the deafening chorus of Johnny Stewart ’ s classical “ Fighting Crows ” soundtrack. A multitude of crows swarmed promptly to the sounds, giving us precisely enough time to empty our guns. thankfully, we don ’ t all have to be adenine devoted as Crowman to find fun and achiever while corvus hunting. Crows provide an excellent way to improve your wingshooting skills, test new gear and double down on hunting opportunities while scouting for other game. Grab some basic tools and tap into prove advice from Crowman, and you ’ ll be on your way to a beneficial clock .Todd Gifford typically starts each morning with a hand call. He’ll do a few hail calls, then some feed calling, before finally switching to an e-caller when crows stop responding. (Photo by Josh Dahlke)
SCOUTING and PATTERNING
When searching for crows that will come to calls and decoys, beginning find them on a dawn feed. Food sources often vary by season, and many times if you pattern crows on a granulate field they might be eating bugs rather than the crop itself .
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According to Gifford, birds much hit alfalfa early in the class then switch to corn. He says crows normally feed from dawn to roughly two hours after sunrise, thus be out at first light to scout. He besides recommends staying away from roosts and not hunting crows in the even unless you ’ re pass-shooting. This tactic typically involves finding reproducible flyways along river corridors and intercepting traveling birds. Gifford goes for break with this quick-and-dirty proficiency, immediately busting out his e-caller to tempt pass birds a little close. If you try this, be cook, because the action frequently will be fast and ferocious .Learn one expert’s secrets to putting more crows on the ground. (Photo by Josh Dahlke)
THE SETUP
Staging for a brag shoot is no different than in waterfowl hound : It ’ second all about platonism, finding a authentic hide, setting up on the “ X ” and making every shot count. For hides, Gifford suggests avoiding fake blinds. He wants his cover to be perfect, and for that, he says, you need natural brush. guarantee, excessively, that crows can ’ t see you from any lean. Without a commodity hide, Crowman says, you ’ ve got nothing. With decoy placement, mimic the musical arrangement of birds you ’ ve already scouted on a feed. If all the birds you ’ ve seen are feeding in an unfold field, follow befit. If they ’ rhenium run on the border of a standing cornfield, consider attaching some decoys to corn stalks. Gifford typically recommends a outspread of 50 to 75 decoys .
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He besides stresses the need for realistic, anatomically right, in full flocked brag decoy. He ’ s used virtually all brands and varieties of fakes over the years, but he presently runs Final Approach ’ s last Pass course of dekes ( $ 60/3-pack with lookout, bird feeder and caller postures ; fabrand.com ). Gifford adds that you don ’ t have to opt for the most expensive decoy, but you decidedly want assorted head positions .
THE MORNING SHIFT
After decades of scouting and killing more than 10,000 crows, Gifford has the birds ’ morning routine down to a science. He says it normally starts with a single dame coming in to scope out the feed. This might be an antsy juvenile or a judicious honest-to-god scout. That bird either commits to the go around and acclaim calls the rest of its buddies or, if it ’ randomness disbelieving, it might land on a corner or irrigator in the distance to get a better look before committing. To Gifford, it doesn ’ thyroxine matter whether that bird commits or not because he can typically coax in the early birds with calling. The calling routine is elementary. First, begin by using a mouth address and lay down some hail calls as a way of telling the other birds that another crow is already at the feed. then, transition into some feed calls. After that, Gifford just starts mixing it up to shoot for platonism. The inaugural crows that come to your calling will probably be from the chief roost—the birds you scouted on the feed. If you ’ re looking for a good bid to buy, Gifford has been working closely with Rocky Mountain Hunting Calls ( buglingbull.com ) on a signature series of hand calls, which should be available on-line by the clock this article is published. Morning crows typically come in humble waves while you ’ re blowing the hand call, but finally it ’ ll be time for an e-caller. After crows stop responding to hired hand calling, Gifford cranks up his FoxPro wireless electronic caller hidden amongst the bait. He recommends the Bob Aronsohn Crow Sound Pack ( $ 40 ; gofoxpro.com ), produced by the fabled brag hunter whom Crowman refers to as “ The Crawfather. ” Once you go full-bore with the e-caller, expect waves of natural process from the remaining primary gang of crows, plus any others lurking within earshot. After their morning everyday and eating, Gifford says crows normally go rest for a while or start patrol. He adds that birds tend to commit better to your spread after these beginning flights. so, if you ’ re patient, you can much finish a distribute of them former in the good morning. just be fix, because they ’ ll often come in mutely .Effective spreads should include 50 to 75 anatomically correct crow decoys, fully flocked if possible. Use varied head positions and arrange them as you’ve seen birds in the field. (Photo by Josh Dahlke)
WHY HUNT CROWS?
Most people, including Todd Gifford, refuse to eat crows. so, what ’ s the justification for shooting them ? No different than hunting predators or varmints, crow hunting can be a contentious subject, but it ’ second driven by management objectives. about every expression of wildlife management is designed to balance human interest with the stable conservation and health of any species. In the casing of crows, they cause an enormous amount of crop damage. Corn is a key target for hungry crows, and a mob, or “ mangle, ” can wipe out thousands of dollars of the valuable crop in a single season. These intelligent birds target the tips of corn before it reaches maturity, and the hazelnut decomposition from even minor exposure. During a recent hunt on a newly property, we showed the corn damage to the landowner and he couldn ’ metric ton believe it. “ I had no theme that crows did this, ” he said. “ You guys can kill as many of them as you want ! ” ad
Lethal Weapons
Shotguns and loads to waylay crows. Despite their relatively small stature, crows can take a beat. hard-hitting loads and a reliable repeating firearm are necessary for knocking birds dead and capitalizing on follow-up shots. I ’ ve shared countless corvus blinds with Gifford over the past 5 years, and we ’ ve tested several shotgun and shotshell models from some of the most reputable manufacturers. We ’ ve experienced everything from sum gunman failures in sub-zero temps to ammo that barely knocked the dust off crafty crows. At this point, we ’ ra done messing around. Gifford ’ s go-to shotgun is the semiauto Winchester Super X4 ( right ) in 20 gauge ( $ 999.99 ; winchesterguns.com ). Mine is the Savage Renegauge Field ( left ) with a 12-gauge bear ( $ 1,539 ; savagearms.com ). Both guns faithfully cycle shells and swing nicely. Depending on the regulations where you hunt, you might besides consider bringing along a rimfire plunder to dispatch cripples or kill birds that land on the grind outside shotgun range. This is entirely legal where we hunt in Minnesota, though it may not be the lawsuit everywhere. On the ammunition side, you want a heavy load with a larger shoot size. Target loads and low-brass small-game loads won ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate cut it. Gifford leans on respective varieties of Federal 3-inch shells loaded with No. 2 or 4 pellets. My 12-gauge performs well with 3-inch No. 4 or No. 5 loads, and I ’ ve had big luck with the Federal Hi-Bird product syndicate ( $ 16.99– $ 18.99 ; federalpremium.com ). ad
As with any wingshooting swindle, pattern your shotgun and find the optimum choke-and-load combination for your apparatus .
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I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.