GTA
General Discussion To Gateway To Airguns => Hunting Gate => : only1harry December 02, 2008, 07:12:12 AM
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Well I knew once I got that crow yesterday that it was good for at least 1 more crow on my sights later on.
I woke up sick today with a sore throat so I called in sick. Slept late and got up around Noon, not feeling much better but felt more rested. I decided to use my "secret weapon" to try and get one more crow. So I take out yesterday's large crow, which by the way was the biggest I 've bagged, and set it out in the middle of the back yard out in the open. I also placed the sensor a few feet away in case that cat decides to return and try to mess with my plan, and I was in no mood for another cat chase like yesterday's.
Not 3 minutes go by (!) when I hear crows cawing outside! I take a peak and there are 3 of them on the nearest tree of the fallen crow, at different heights. I reached for the Predators, but then I remembered that the 28.4gr EunJin's brought me luck yesterday bringing down the 1st crow of the season, so I load the larger pellet instead into the Condor's barrel.
I approached the blind material I had cut up & hung on the inside of the window, and after a few secs I had picked out my target. It was the nearest crow which was also on the lowest branch about 30-35ft up. I set the A/O looking through an opening in the blind and it cleared up at just over 25yds on 8X. I slowly push the blind aside with the Condor's barrel trying to get the bipod on the sill. As soon both legs of the bipod were on the sill, the 2 other crows take off but mine stayed! I acquired her through the lense quickly but she then flew to another branch up higher and a little further back (~2yds). It looked like she 's going to take off the other way. But no, she makes a 180 and faces me at at a slight angle. That was all the time I needed. I don't think she had noticed me and instead was trying to locate me since she knew something was up when the others took off. I was dressed in full (Fall not winter) camo and had a neck gaiter on, hat, etc. so I think that helped. Some small & large branches were covering most of her body except for a very tiny part of her upper chest, neck & head. I realized this is going to have to be a head/neck shot. I aimed quickly just above the branch in front of her at the base of her head figuring if I don't get the head I should get some part of the neck. This is all in about 1 second after she turned around because I knew it was a matter of seconds or miliseconds before she spotted me and took off. I squeezed the trigger and heard a "crackling" impact. She falls dead while she was in the middle of cawing which was cut short by the pellet's impact @ ~900fps.
I am glad the others had taken off so they didn't witness the demise of their comrade, but I 'm sure they knew my intensions. I noticed later when I placed the crow on the fense to attract more of them, that the Eun Jin had entered the neck area somewhere above the chest and had exited higher at the base of the skull where there was a steady stream of blood drops still coming out when I hung her head down after taking some pics. I am glad I did not spend time looking at the new B-Square level to center the gun because I could have missed the window of opportunity. You only have a couple of secs at the most to react with these intelligent birds.
Anyway this crow was about 20% smaller than the one yesterday which I know is the largest crow I have taken so far. Its wing span covered 2/3 the length of my 45" long Condor, and that's (30" wingspan) about as big as the North American crow gets. Today's crow was a decent size too, but.. the pic may not depict it well - yesterday's crow has a beak 1/2" longer and is wider than today's harvest.
I doubt this trick will work again, or that they 'll be back any time soon, but we 'll wait and see what develops in the next couple of days. I have to devise a new plan of coming at them instead of that same spot. You have to keep them guessing because they learn your ways fast.
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Sorry to hear you're sick. Fortunately you had some action to make you feel better. Maybe we'll get pics later? Regardless, good shooting with those heavy pellets. Out of curiosity, how much drop do you get with those, compared to the predators?
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Thanks Johnathan.
The pics are there. Are you logged in? You can only see them if you are logged in. Maybe you logged in while posting your reply?
The predators' POI is about 0.3" higher at 30yds and much more at 40 or 50. I like using heavier pellets better in this gun. The Predators go about 1,050fps with a fresh fill at the lowest power setting and always hit higher but the Kodiaks and Eun Jin's have very similar POI so I use those mostly. I have taken a couple of squirrels with Predators too a few weeks ago and posted those as well.
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GREAT SHOT HARRY!!!!!! and pic's.:) The ol decoy trick got em now for your next move, their waiting hehehe. You might want to prop em up in the yard on a stick or something, the others might think it's ok if their buddies are hanging out on the ground.:) Ed
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I was logged in when I read your post and when I replied. That is odd! I read your post again and pop! There they are! Maybe I replied before my computer could download them? Anyway, nice crows! Too bad I can't shoot those kind of pellets in springers! Maybe I'll have to turn to the dark side some day...
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Ed,
That might not be a bad idea, but the neighbors and my wife now think I 'm weird enough as I 'm hanging crows from branches and my fence :-) I don't think I want to go to the extreme propping them up on sticks like in the middle-ages or Count Dracul(a) from Romania used to do with the Turks in the 15th century! :-)
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The best kinda crows.....dead 1`s :)
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if ya want decoys, i have 3...never used em...got em from cabelas, and just never tried em...you can have em if you want.
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Oh Harry I think our wife's and probably a few others think we crossed that weird hunting bridge awhile back. LOL. Ed
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Well done Harry! Crow are crafty and tough prey. I have only ever got two that made the mistake of landing in trees in my yard, both took multiple shots to finish.
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Thanks Stephanie, 2 is good! I only got 3 last season and spent countless of hours trying to get a 4th :-) They 're certainly tough to bring down too. I shot one with the 350 .22 using a Kodiak and it walked across the street and hid behind the neighbor's house. I 'd be really happy if I get 4 this season :)
Dave: thanks! Please e-mail me at only1harry@verizon.net
Ed: I don't know.. I seem to be stuck in the middle of that bridge with a little voice saying "don't cross it!!" hehehe. Maybe the day I setup a blind in the middle of my backyard with crows propped up on sticks all around me, that will be the day I cross that bridge? :-) Yeah you 're right I 've probably crossed it already because I think I got this cold hanging out by open windows at night in the middle of winter when it's 25-30deg. out. It's probably the 2nd and farthest bridge I 'm trying to keep away from? :-)
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Dang harry. thats 2. You do know I got 2 in 2 minutes the other day !!!! Right.. They are some smart varmits... I havent seen a 1 since I pilfered thier sentries...
Great shootin with the heavy loads also, I bet he felt that... Great story also. I can just see ya running around chasin a cat with a rat, wanting it back!!!! hheeeee hheeee
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Harry, are electronic calls legal in your state?!? They are down here. If you can catch a live one with a wing shot, string him out on a leader (like game fowl keepers do) and let them attract those corn field raiders. Bait the area real good and leave them be for a while. Then when the whole flock shows up, Whack'em!!!! Get some insulated cover-alls for the time being, drink plenty of chicken broth, and when you get to feeling better, suit up and go to it. If you do shoot them from the blind, don't leave it if you hit one,...you'll give away your position (play the sniper role),...just sit back and wait for them to settle back down!!!! And they will too. Cold winters make warm blooded critters hungry, and sooner or later, they'll be more bold to eat, than to heed danger. Crow breast ka-bobs, Mmmmmmmmm, tjk
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Fine shootin there Harry,,,, pic says it all.
Thomas is right,,,,,, crow is really very tasty and they have a good amount of meat on the breast...... Grill those suckers up :)
Jeff
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Nice bag Harry !!1 Try wrapping the shroud and bipod in the same fabric as your blind..Should break up the outline of the Monolith as it enters sunlight.
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Thanks guys,
I 've been thinking of wrapping something around the black "broom stick" 's barrel.. hehe. Wrapping the same material over the barrel sounds like a good idea! thanks.
What? catch a crow alive? I really like my fingers intact, thank you :-) Their beaks are the length of my pinky.. they can do a lot of damage. I wouldn't even attemp it with work gloves. They carry West Nile disease.. you just never know. Ask Jeff what happened to his hand when he picked up a squirrel last year that he thought was dead!
Jeff: The blind material you recommended seemed to have worked today and yesterday, thanks for the recommendation! I 'm going to try a Springer next and stick the barrel through it like you did with the Starlings. The Condor's shroud is too thick to fit through it.. unless I cut out a hole big enough which is what I might have to do. I 've cut out a large piece to fit over the window and I doubled it up so I get double the camoflage. With a single layer my wife said she could see me no problem when she was out back, but when I put another layer on, she said she could hardly make me out.
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Great shooting harry, two crows in two days....and a quick fast shot at that second one. Excellent marksmanship. Enjoyed your detailed hunting story....and get well soon.
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Boy that gun is leathal
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Come on Harry, beak bites only hurt for a little while. I wish I had a nickel for every gamecock snip I took back in the 'old days'!!! And them fella's hold on, twist, and try to rip too. But it was the spurs you really had to worry about !!! LOL's tjk
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Thanks guys!
Thomas: I 've been bitten by Blue Jays and Starlings that I shot with my 760 Pump when I was a teenager and inexperienced. Believe me it hurts but you 're right the pain does go away after 20secs or so, BUT a crow is no Starling or BJ.. I doubt the pain would go away soon if you got bit by a crow. Their beaks are longer than roof nails and easily > 1/2" wide. You will not forget a bite from a crow, trust me.. You will have a chunk of your hand or finger missing, but if I do wound one, I 'll wait for you to come over and handle her with your bare hands if you promise to let me video tape it :-)