Greycrow bashing

[JohnGalway 1,043]

Shot two foxes in my own place there a couple of weeks (?) back. Kicked one under a furze bush to keep the crows off it, weather had turned cold so I knew I'd get some use out of her eventually. So on Sunday we had a fair few inches of snow, four I guess, which is a LOT for here as we're right beside the sea (actually we never get snow really).

 

 

Found my two decoys, a nice fence line with a neighbours hillock behind it for the safe shot, had already picked out my own spot I guess 110 yards away or so. No top cover, just a little cut between a rock and furze bush. I dug out my vixen and split her belly pulling out her guts, and threw her up on a snow covered flat rock. Cable tied one decoy to a stake in the fence and stuck the other in the snow near the rock.

 

Brilliant blue sky out today which made spotting aerial vermin easy. After a few caws I heard two greycrows coming. They circled for a couple of minutes roaring at the decoys below. One landed on a stake two down from the decoy and promptly exploded

 

 

The other fella went bananas and was circling, rising and dropping all over the shop until he finally perched on a stake in a wall running parallel to the decoy wall, but safe, and he exploded too

 

 

Ten seconds later a third greycrow glides into Dodge, he looks a bit perplexed at all the feathers in the snow and greycrow arses looking back up at him. But, with all the snow on the ground, two relaxed looking hoodies nearby, and some puddin's on offer in he comes, four up from the decoy, and you'll never guess what happened next.... He exploded!

 

 

A fourth greycrow wheeled into Dodge a few minutes later, he done a quick survey - no questionnaires - made a considerable racket and got the hell out of there as fast as possible. I reckon he's the college graduate in the family.

 

Got cold then so I packed up, sever or eight more passed over head as I finished

 

Kicked snow over my vixen and I guess I'll have to decorate some more snow tomorrow!

Edited December 22, 2010 by JohnGalway

[ace32 4]

class day out,gonna have to try that myself,hate the bliddy black ones,ian

[JohnGalway 1,043]

It works really well. A good trick is if the wind is blowing into your face when you're looking at the bait/decoys. When the hoodies land, they like to face into the wind so they're more or less looking away from you most of the time

[Tobias 0]

Are you using a 223cf or bigger,i shot a few last winter normal black crows with dead rabbits as bait and the 223 and man did they pop well my best was 137yards,now i just use the 17hmr for the same job still good results.

[JohnGalway 1,043]

.223, I found that they get cute to what's going on fast enough and tend to move out to rocks, hillocks, or fences farther away. Bit of a pisser to be lying in snow and only be able to look at them

 

Set up the same again today, it was snowing away and the wind was up. Still managed two, winged the second guy and he flapped about a little but didn't last long or go far. Another one got popped off a rock in the next field. A third got the hint that something was wrong and took off. Then two ravens arrived awking all over creation. That's usually when I pack up as they always scare off the crows.

 

 

 

Edited December 21, 2010 by JohnGalway

[JohnGalway 1,043]

Forgot to add, that when using bait, it's a good idea to let a few of them land first and get a taste for it. Then shoot the sentry bird, the others will be confused as they've been too busy stuffing their faces, you'll get 2,3 maybe 4 of them in a few minutes this way. They tend to fly off then for a fair while so consider switching locations or heading home.

[Malt 379]

Gotta love those exploding crows!

[JohnGalway 1,043]

Out again earlier today, forgot the sunglasses and it was bloody bright with all the snow!

 

Before I ever got to my spot I saw three hoodies wheeling around above where the cats get fed. The took off towards a tree when they saw me. Bit of a mistake on their part as it affords me a safe shot from the direction I was coming today Two of them took off by the time I got to a good position. The third just dropped off the tree and circled it as I had the crosshairs on him Then he perched on the very top of the tree with a nice safe backstop behind him Pssshht... SLAPPPPPPPPPPPPOP!

 

Not good though, as I'm sure every bloody crow could see him for the day!

 

 

I then set up camp. You can spot the decoys if you look closely, the fox is on a rock this side of them, nice hillock behind the fence so no stray bullets

 

No top cover but it's in a shadow and if ya don't move, they don't see ya!

 

 

 

Three crows came along after a while, I was watching them for a couple of minutes shouting abuse at my decoys. I got impatient then and made a mistake, one landed a couple of stakes up from the deeks and his feet hadn't got cold when he got splatted I should have let them all land, and pick at the fox, then there would have been a better chance of them landing again after the shot. I always find it very hard to not instantly kill a greycrow

 

 

New spot tomorrow I think.

[JohnGalway 1,043]

Set up in another ambush spot today, had no fox, couldn't be arsed pulling that dog fox out of the reeds. Instead I brought along a can of baked beans It didn't work as well as I'd expected, I was hoping to have a blood spatter effect on the snow but of course they just feckin sank into the powder. Never mind. Set up one decoy on the ground near it and another on the fence. Big hill backing onto these fields so all but the very perch would be 100% safe shot.

 

First lad glided in right over the furze bush I was in, the wind being in my face. No messing around, no cawing he just landed and got the good news Just over yards.

 

 

Then a pair wheeled in, again from behind me, as there's a wood down that direction. They weren't keen on the fence what with the body crumpled beside it. One crow landed on the top of a low pine tree in the field next door. I wasn't sure of the shot, with a thin furze strand partially blocking me, so I kept my eyes on the other guy circling and roaring. A couple of magpies arrived on the scene and started chattering but kept their distance and never touched down. By this time the second crow had perched on an exposed branch in the same tree, big hill behind it He got the good word as well, about yards.

 

 

His mate cleared off, but don't think he went far as I could hear him calling. Eventually he came back into view, circled for a while calling, then perched on a fence post at the top of my field, around 140 yards. That there's a hat trick.

 

 

Another while goes by, and I've the hand warmers fired up. I must get some sort of insulation under myself for this craic, feeling the cold at this stage. Again a pair come in. These two make considerable noise, wheeling over the fence, then the tree, bodies all over the shop. One lands well off to my left, I can see him standing on a small hillock but he's too far left for chance of a shot as I'm blocked looking through furze. I've to be patient and wait for the airborne crow to find a spot to perch. Where does he go? Top of the pine tree :11: Still with a big hill behind it, he receives word from the big nest in the sky

 

 

Not long after, yet another pair arrive. These two fly around for ages, probably wondering what the fcuk is happening here Eventually one settles on a stake in the top fence of the field next door. At 160 yards he's well in range, a gentle squeeze later and that's my lot for the day

 

 

Heard more as I was packing up, but I had lambs to feed and wasn't one bit sorry to get moving with the cold!

 

Nice view of the mountains...

 

 

That's it now until after Christmas

[weejohn 3]

You seem to be having great fun john

I will need to see these hunting grounds of yours when i am across next year.

[stubby 175]

interesting and funny write up john, excellent pictures too

[JohnGalway 1,043]

Couple more from a few days ago, couldn't get onto the site to post until now

 

I would have got more that day except fog and darkness stopped play!

 

 

[IanB 0]

Excellent blatting john, good to have you back online...

 

 

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

First class write up John.Takes a dedicated chap to sit out in that weather i know.Would you swap that .223 for anything else ,i think not

[JohnGalway 1,043]

Excellent blatting john, good to have you back online...

 

Cheers for the help Ian

 

First class write up John.Takes a dedicated chap to sit out in that weather i know.Would you swap that .223 for anything else ,i think not

 

I dunno FD, same stock, lighter barrel, lighter scope, bedded in, screw cut, .243, I could be persuaded... Only if I could get it as a multiple purpose rifle mind, as I don't want to can't afford to increase the stable number at the moment. I've got Bambi on the brain lately, girlfriend even bought me a trail cam as a Christmas present .