Okay, I am going to bite the bullet. I am ready to start knocking crows out of the sky. I think I can get tomorrow off.

 

I am license and ready to go and will probably get a stamp for Canada Geese too. ANyone want to try a romp through Black River WMA and see what we get?

Forgive my ignorance but why hunt crows? Are they considered a pest animal?

I wouldn't mind giving that a shot... the wife isn't too keen on hunting animals I don't intend on eating tho. Dang I gotta get my license...

Forgive my ignorance but why hunt crows? Are they considered a pest animal?

 

 

Indeed they are. So much so that there is no bag limit. There are stories out there that you can find farmers that will give you plenty of acces to clear them all.

I wouldn't mind giving that a shot... the wife isn't too keen on hunting animals I don't intend on eating tho. Dang I gotta get my license...

 

 

I am totally new to it, but from what I have read you need full camo Face and hands included, and tick repelent ( for the WMA).

I thought you need a ton of Orange....

Yeah, I read up about it a while back. You need pretty sophisticated cover, full camo, camo on the gun, decoys, calls, owls. Crows are extremely smart and have excellent eyesight.

Forgive my ignorance but why hunt crows? Are they considered a pest animal?

Yes and sometimes worse!

 

While crows are protected under NJDEP Migratory Game Bird Regulations, the state does recognize the importance of hunting them to curtail the agricultural impact they have on farming and the predation they have on nesting song and gamebirds. The state of New Jersey DEP actually qualifies crow as a predator. They have significant negative impact on the piping plover and tern population as well as nesting grouse.

Regs for 2010-

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/2010/migregs10.pdf

 

From Crow Busters on "why to hunt". Good site to use as a crow hunting resource:

http://www.crowbusters.com/whyhc.htm

Ooh - I need to get my hunting license to kill those little pests then... heh....

 

I do have a half-ghillie suit that you could use... built into some woodland BDU's

Bulpup,

If you're hunting Black River, take advantage of the heavy foliage now that's on the trees. Get into woods early before light and soft call. Birds if they are roosting will respond and "come in to take a look." Be prepared. The scout bird comes in quiet. If he makes you that area is done for. He will sound the alarm and you need to move to another area and setup again. Use cover to your advantage but most importantly keep movement to a minimum. Crows are smart and fly over the same spots every day. Anything out of the ordinary that they see they flare away from if they suspect something. Their eyesight is incredible. I camo face and hands, and hug a tree large enough to hide me. Any WMA is gunned heavily so their guard is up and taking them there is going to be tough. The plus you have is it's early season. Some of the best crow hunts I've had were in September.

Bulpup,

If you're hunting Black River, take advantage of the heavy foliage now that's on the trees. Get into woods early before light and soft call. Birds if they are roosting will respond and "come in to take a look." Be prepared. The scout bird comes in quiet. If he makes you that area is done for. He will sound the alarm and you need to move to another area and setup again. Use cover to your advantage but most importantly keep movement to a minimum. Crows are smart and fly over the same spots every day. Anything out of the ordinary that they see they flare away from if they suspect something. Their eyesight is incredible. I camo face and hands, and hug a tree large enough to hide me. Any WMA is gunned heavily so their guard is up and taking them there is going to be tough. The plus you have is it's early season. Some of the best crow hunts I've had were in September.

 

 

AWSOME! Thanks. That's just what I wanted to know. The only other thing I need now is to get some of my crow calls to sound more like crows and less like oranutans

 

 

I am prepared for it to be jsut a scout day though.

all you need is a dumpster blind..

lol... pop outta the dumpster and start spraying?

Good post. My son is old enough to hunt this year, so I thought I would get him started with upland game / birds in Black Rock. He isn't ready for turkey or deer just yet. I've have pheasant hunted twice in NJ at some clubs over the last 15 years. For a variety of reasons, I don't hunt NJ and usually hunt VA and NY. But this year I am staying local and trying out the new bow (150' rule). Crow might be a good opportunity to learn this WMA. I know they were smart, but never knew they deployed scouts...that's some schnizzle right there.

 

I have to investigate this crow hunting more. An old coworker used to rave(n) about how much fun crow hunting was, but we could never make it happen.

I know they were smart, but never knew they deployed scouts...that's some schnizzle right there. I have to investigate this crow hunting more. An old coworker used to rave(n) about how much fun crow hunting was, but we could never make it happen.

It is a lot of fun, and some good wingshooting experience, especially for a youngster. They are not easy to take at times though. Fold the scout bird and you're in for some fast shooting because for the next few minutes the next thing that happens is others will come to investigate his disappearance.

Yea, I am looking at it as a "learn the forest, watch the trees, be aware, shoot!" kind of thing without the whole "find the bird, skin it, make it right to eat" thing.

 

That will follow but, baby steps.

When West Nile was prevalent in this area more than ten years ago, the state issued warnings about crows back then in the hunting compendium. Blue jays, crows, hawks and falcons are birds most susceptible to West Nile virus in this area. Might be a good idea to not "find the bird, skin it, make it right to eat" when it comes to the common crow. Just my opinion.

When West Nile was prevalent in this area more than ten years ago, the state issued warnings about crows back then in the hunting compendium. Blue jays, crows, hawks and falcons are birds most susceptible to West Nile virus in this area. Might be a good idea to not "find the bird, skin it, make it right to eat" when it comes to the common crow. Just my opinion.

 

 

 

No worries there. I was talking about duck and Geese. Crows are just a gateway.

Crow hunting.... learn something new everyday

Crow hunting.... learn something new everyday

Has the distinction of having one of the longer hunting seasons for game in N.J.

 

Head north to upstate N.Y. in the northern less-inhabited locations and many varming hunters hunt them with centerfire rifles at long range across cut farmfields.

Forgive my ignorance, but what do you do with them after you shoot 'em?

Forgive my ignorance, but what do you do with them after you shoot 'em?

 

 

Leave them for the scavengers.

Okay, I am going to bite the bullet. I am ready to start knocking crows out of the sky. I think I can get tomorrow off.

 

I am license and ready to go and will probably get a stamp for Canada Geese too. ANyone want to try a romp through Black River WMA and see what we get?

Hold on a minute... You're telling me that I can LEGALLY kill & eat those arrogant SOBs? Awwwwww snap!

What is WMA btw?

Okay, I am going to bite the bullet. I am ready to start knocking crows out of the sky. I think I can get tomorrow off.

 

I am license and ready to go and will probably get a stamp for Canada Geese too. ANyone want to try a romp through Black River WMA and see what we get?

Hold on a minute... You're telling me that I can LEGALLY kill & eat those arrogant SOBs? Awwwwww snap!

What is WMA btw?

 

 

It might be a little late now. The season started Sept 1 and ends on the 30th. Yes you can blast the hell out of them. It is the only animal you are allowed to hunt without the plug in the magazine and you can take 15 a day.

 

HOWEVER. Everyone I have talked to said that the Jersey Canada Geese taste aweful, due in part to the awful awful diet they live from. One guy I spojke to said, "yea, I work for the department of sanitation and all we see is those geese eating agrbage all day. I wouldn't eat one of those."

 

So, so much for the hunter solution for Canada Geese.

 

A WMA is a "Wildlife Mamagement Area."