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