Crows in our sweet corn....

heckinohio

heckinohio

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We have a corn/tomato/crow problem in our house garden.......located at our farm property, 10 miles west. Anyway.....I see and hear them in a tree about 100 yds SW of the driveway where I have to get out of the truck to unlock the gates. They continue to sit in the tree while I am moving around in the driveway, plenty of time to get a shot at them with an appropriate rifle, which I think I have.

Does anyone remember S&Ws line of heavy barrel hunting rifles from about 1986??? Seems they offered these in four calibers. I have one in .223. I have fired it, but been many years ago.

Anyone have any experience with these rifles?? I was told at that time they were SAKO's.......from Finland??? But the gun says "Made in Japan"....

PJH
 
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Sounds like you're talking about the S&W 1500's. I'm pretty sure they were made by Howa. I picked up a 1500 (.270 Win) for my older brother and a father/son team at our deer camp used them too. Howa also made Weatherby Vanguards. They're excellent rifles and quite accurate!

It's probably not a good idea to shoot a .223 at a 30 or 45 degree angle into the air. They can travel a long way and have to come down somewhere. Even rimfires can go up to 1-1/2 miles.
 
Made by Howa of Japan, fine rifles. Earlier S&W rifles were made by Husqvarna of Sweden.

Crows are pretty smart, they know the difference between you putzing around in the truck, and pointing a rifle at them.

Also, you should consider how far those bullets can fly if you miss, and what damage they can cause to people and property.
 
In Louisiana crows are considered "Pest" and may be taken from Sept. 1 through Jan. 1 , with no limit ...
If crows are depredating or about to depredate ... any crops , ornamental plants , shade trees , agricultural trees or plants , livestock . wildlife , or when concentrated in such numbers as to be a nusiance and/ or the spread of West Nile Virus ... may be taken year round , no limit .
You can bait crows and use crow calls to lure in crows for hunting .
I like to get set up and shoot them over bait or a call with a shotgun as they fly in . But I have anbushed a few when they alighted in trees and didn't see me .
Gary
 
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Yes Howas. Nice rifles. Not quite Sako level, but great guns for the money.
 
crows

10-4..... Since we don't live there, it is difficult to get set up with a shotgun. I have to drive in a 1200 ft driveway on top a hill. They usually see the red truck, then I see them about 500 yds out.

The little tree I am talking about is below the crest of a hill, any missed shot would imbed itself below the crown of the hill. I really don't care about killing a bunch of them, just need one or two to hang near the garden.

We are putting fruit tree netting over things now. Real pain to use and then later something to store.

PJH
 
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I've heard a realistic hawk decoy will keep them away?

I know an owl decoy will attract them, and drive them wild. I shot a few that way years ago. An owl will take a crow at night, when they are vulnerable, and the crows don't forget.

Larry
 
It doesn't take a crow long to figure out a Hawk decoy isn't going to hurt him ... I had a nice crop of LSU Purple Figs getting ripe when the crows came ... the Hawk decoy worked for maybe an hour ... as did the fake Snakes i I put in the tree limbs ... in the end the crows ate the figs and flew away ... the tree still has the Hawk decoy and rubber snakes ...
They ain't fooling noboby !
This middle of the city ... BB Gun territory at best ...
but them crows ate all the figs and were gone before I could find any BB's !
Gary
 
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heckinohio said:
The little tree I am talking about is below the crest of a hill, any missed shot would imbed itself below the crown of the hill.
PJH
Click to expand...

A very fragile light varmint bullet might stop/fragment against the ground. Something like the Sierra Blitz King. Not necessarily true with bullets of more substantial design, especially if you've been suffering a drought.
 
I have successfully trapped crows in a "Hav-A-Hart" trap,,
This year, I have trapped three, my best year ever.

BUT, the reason to trap them, I have a "coil" made out of barbed wire,,
the coil is just the right size to hold a crow carcass,,

Hang the crow in the garden, near the corn,,

(I use a 6 foot tall "T" post to hold the barbed wire coil)

the other crows are smart enough to know there is danger,,
They will stay out of the garden.

I have done this for several years.
 
Once or twice a year I take one out with a pellet gun. The others in the murder go absolutely nuts. When they figure out their pal is not getting up, they disappear and stay gone for a good long time. Sooner or later one of the rogues comes back, hangs out for a while and the murder returns. They're still wary; all I have to do is open the back door and they're gone. Eventually, they lose their wariness and I pop another one. Yeah, I think they're smart, they learn and they don't forget. But I also think they're smart enough to push the envelope. That's why they return.
 
SweetMK said:
I have successfully trapped crows in a "Hav-A-Hart" trap,,
This year, I have trapped three, my best year ever.

BUT, the reason to trap them, I have a "coil" made out of barbed wire,,
the coil is just the right size to hold a crow carcass,,

Hang the crow in the garden, near the corn,,

(I use a 6 foot tall "T" post to hold the barbed wire coil)

the other crows are smart enough to know there is danger,,
They will stay out of the garden.

I have done this for several years.
Click to expand...
Ahh.....the old "Game of Thrones" approach. I like it :D
 
Krogen said:
Once or twice a year I take one out with a pellet gun. The others in the murder go absolutely nuts. When they figure out their pal is not getting up, they disappear and stay gone for a good long time. Sooner or later one of the rogues comes back, hangs out for a while and the murder returns. They're still wary; all I have to do is open the back door and they're gone. Eventually, they lose their wariness and I pop another one. Yeah, I think they're smart, they learn and they don't forget. But I also think they're smart enough to push the envelope. That's why they return.
Click to expand...

I live in a rural area but have neighbors close by. I don't use a shotgun anymore as the neighbors are more sensitive to gunfire than they used to be. All of them are newish from the pavement except one. I use a scoped model 36 RWS now. It kills crows about like a 22 short would (900 fps) but range is +/- 50 yards. Good from cover if you call them in. They know when you drop one and mark the area as hazardous to their health.

I know, buying a $400 air rifle isn't a solution for most but I've had mine since I lived in town which was about 27 years ago. I used to shoot rats and starlings with it in town and nobody knew. Silent and deadly.
 
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