--- title: "Crow Hunting 101" description: "Here are four tips for busting blackbirds, along with a look at some top gear. 1 To bring crows in close, add a rabbit motion decoy to your spread and mix crow rallying calls with a few high-pitched rabbit-in-distress calls. 2 When setting up in the woods along a field, call from the highest point around. Crows winging in at treetop level will be at eye level as they pass over your spread. 3 Crows aren't difficult to bring down. No. 7 ½ and 8 target loads will give you sufficiently dense patterns and less shoulder-pounding recoil." date: "2006-02-01" modified: "2006-02-01" authors: - name: "Bob Butz" link: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/authors/bob-butz/" url: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/articles/hunting/turkey-waterfowl/2006/01/crow-hunting-101/" categories: - "Hunting" - "Upland Bird Hunting" --- # Crow Hunting 101 ![]() Here are four tips for busting blackbirds, along with a look at some top gear. 1 To bring crows in close, add a rabbit motion decoy to your spread and mix crow rallying calls with a few high-pitched rabbit-in-distress calls. 2 When setting up in the woods along a field, call from the highest point around. Crows winging in at treetop level will be at eye level as they pass over your spread. 3 Crows aren't difficult to bring down. No. 7 ½ and 8 target loads will give you sufficiently dense patterns and less shoulder-pounding recoil. 4 While ear-blasting volume may be good for drawing crows across a great distance, too much volume will spook wary birds when they're in close. Drop it down a few decibels as the birds approach. **TOOLS OF THE TRADE** DECOYS: Working Wings Crow Decoy (top), Carry-Lite Crow Decoy CALLS: Clockwise from top right: Knight & Hale Magnum Camo Crow; Top Gun Magnum Crow; Primos Old Crow; Quaker Boy Crankin' Crow; Hunter's Specialties Hammerin' Crow