Well, I was able to accomplish my goal.

After shooting holes in the video game that had me up all hours I was determined to take some of the remaining time this summer to do something that did not include a tv or monitor.

 

So I went, against all reccomendations, by myself, into the woods for a walkabout. See what's what with this hunting stuff.

 

So, ah, crows have "flyways,"....somewhere. and roosts. yep. Somewhere. I was looking and listening. Not much going on in Black River WMA.

 

In fact I was concerned that I would be getting in the way of all those guys that wanted to take advantage of Canda Goose season. They can take the plug out of the gun and bag 15 a day if they wanted. I would be there soon. I hoped I wouldn't get in the way.

 

I heard nothing. No Geese. No Geese near, no Geese far, no echoing gun blasts from those hunters that are far better than I picking off those big fat geese.

 

I was alone except for the insects. Noisy little bastards, but I have been in the swampwoods of New Jersey before. I have seen what those who use Permethrin gain vs those that do not. (lets just say that I use Permethrin and that, compared to one guy at Ft Dix, I won by 20 - 0 in that "who has less ticks department.) Plus, you know, Off works very well.

 

So forget the bugs. I cut into a few vines to give me access to a small natural blind and sat up next to a tree over looking a clearing that looked to me like it might a good place for crows to forage. I pulled out a camoflage netting that looked like the base of a tree and masked my face with it up to my eyes.

 

Then I started to toot the crow call I had practiced with all night. I did the "rally" call a few times and listened. WAAAAY off in the distance I heard a similar sound. Similar. Not exactly the 'voice' I was tooting. I changed what I was doing a bit to sound more like that one.

I did the 'rally' again in my best imitation.

 

It responded :? Holy shot it worked, I think. I tried it again.

Again it responded. No way! One more time I did the 'rally' call.

 

I waited a beat and there was nothing. Then "CAW CAW CAW" maybe 100 yards away. I was talking to a bird! I was convincing the bugger to come to me. Now what? I forgot! I had practiced the calls but I was drawing a blank. I did remember that it would do well to make it sound like the bird was in distress. The website said "you'll know you are doing it right when you start feeling sorry for the bird you are trying to imitate." So I did that. err....I was a little weird. My little victim no longer responded. nothing. Just me tooting into nothing for the next 20 minutes.

 

Occaisionally I would hear crows way off to the south and I would make another call. I got another two birds to respond in the next 40 minutes but by then it was just obvious that no birds other than blue jays were near this place. I told myself be patient and listen, so I did. It was great. THis was what I had been wanting to do for a long time. I saw no people, no crows, no geese, no squirrel; but I was enjoying the sounds. It was very relaxing.

 

Soon it was noontime and that was that. Not a peep from a crow in 3 hours. I had fun.

 

On the way home I saw 12 crows just hanging out in some guy's lawn.

 

"I'll get you next time"

 

I need to practice the crow calls until I can get to the point where I will not choke when I want to get them in. Then we will see...Already I am listening to the crows outside my window at home trying to think what I want to say to them.

All in good time, all in good time.

find all the good spots then invite me out to blast

find all the good spots then invite me out to blast

 

 

I got a line on the roost in the late afternoon after telling the above story to a local.

 

On the way home I saw 12 crows just hanging out in some guy's lawn.

.

 

It sucks when they are deer and they just stand there looking at you like that.

A small spread of crow decoys and an owl decoy help in bringing birds in once they respond to your calling. Position them on a high point along an open hilltop along a flyway where they can be observed from a distance or in an open field.