decoying crows

[EastTyrone 2]

sorry if this is in the wrong place but how can i go about decoying crows and magpies? on fresh cut sillage ground and ordinary fields

[tegater 789]

Make a decent hide, or improvise, then stick out a few crow decoys in the right place, and hopefully "bobs your uncle"

 

They have very good eyesight though, so keep deadly still until the last second.

[toby63 1,236]

depends mate what you shooting airgun or shotgun.airgun i would put out a rabbit slit open.

[EastTyrone 2]

i can be doing a bit of both but i baught a couple of decoys and woould not mind doing abit of shotgun action what would be the best way to set up the decoys?

[tegater 789]

If I have made my hide in a hedge or against a dry stone wall, I always perch one on the top, and put 2 or 3 15-20 metres into the field, roughly facing the wind, but not all exactly the same.

 

The one on top of the wall/hedge seems to bring them in. It is almost as if they see it as a sentry, so if that is there, then it must be safe to come in.

 

Edited to add, the one I put on top, is nearly always only about a metre or so from me.

[dee mac 579]

over the past week we ve had 3 days on newly cut silage fields and have averaged in around the 40 mark each day its just not as hectic as over barley stubble but it beats working

[EastTyrone 2]

hahaha thats true how many decoys would you use for that?

[toby63 1,236]

when you haue shot a few wait til it gone bit quiet and the 1s ya have shot put the out as decoys make sure wings tucked in nice n neat and put small stick under chin just to lift the head slightly.

[dee mac 579]

also found that the grey back crows really like these fresh cut fields id say nearly a third of what we shot over the 3 days were greys

[KING PUCK 14]

40 scald crows in 3 days ....must be coming down with them

[EastTyrone 2]

and would use try calling or would a couple of decoys be good enough to get them in? thanks for all the advice lads much appreciated and btw King Puck use will be comming down with the white and red on saturday

[kirstysdad 827]

a trick i use is a dead fox proped up like it is sitting or standing crow and magpies will mob this just put close enough so you can get a shot

[dee mac 579]

40 scald crows in 3 days ....must be coming down with them

the place is alive with them one day last year on barely stubble we had a total of 142 birds for the day 19 were grey back crows rest was pigeon jackdaw and rook

[peeps_76 17]

and would use try calling or would a couple of decoys be good enough to get them in? thanks for all the advice lads much appreciated

 

 

as above! a good hide is important and a keep still and out of sight until the last second or they will see you..... a call can also be very helpfull if you can work one. they take a bit of practice to master. as for decoys we normaly start with 8 to 12 in a random pattern but a couple or few will do if you dont have that many. and again as above a "sentry" is also great and the higher the better. up a sitty tree if possible or a fence/dyke if not.

we do most of our corvid decoying over cut/bailed hay/silage or grass grazing pasture.

 

regards Peter

[EastTyrone 2]

thanks peter that has bbeen very thankful will give it a go today