Darn Crows! How do I keep them away ?

[SCRich]

I planted roughly 5 acres in various pieces across my property about 2 weekends ago. Most of what I planted was deer food, winter rye, oats, clover, wheat, and millett. I then planted some Kentucky 31 along my road frontage to repair the damage from construction equipment over the past year, it's quite a bit maybe 3/4 acre in various spots along a 550ft strech we have.

The road frontage has not been too bad, I tossed straw over most of it but the NorEaster we had yesterday blew most of it all over the place I am waiting till' it dries up tomorow to go back out and rake it back into place.

My food plots between one 2 acre one and 3 1ac plots seem to be invaded by LARGE crows, dozens of them. Any suggestion as to how to keep them away? I hear them in the distance and can see them headed to some of the plots from the house but all of the plots are outside of visual distance due to the dense pine tree stands. I am afraid that most of the seed will be eaten (if not already) before germination.

Most of the clover and rye seems to have germinated but this is my first time for oats and wheat, don't know how long that will take. The millett seems to be coming up now.

 

[scott_vt]

Good Mornin Rich,
Crows are definitely a pain ! I dont know if it would work for you but my neighbor has used an air cannon, compressed air, set for a blast every 30 seconds to keep those darn things out of his large garden. I see you have a good sized piece of property so maybe the noise wont be a problem for your neighbors !

 

[Egon]

A small boy with a .22 may just work!

 

[SCRich]

Belive it or not Crows are a protected species here and even my hunting license will not cover me till' November 1st which is the opening day for Crows. Now I know I got a lot of land and who would know...but still I don't know what a .22 would do with so many of them unless you stay out there and shoot them all. I know that Vultures will not venture to an area where another dead Vulture is, we use them (by permit) at communications towers to keep them from nesting there and making a mess on top of our buildings and equipment. We will get a fake or real stuffed vulture and have a tower climber hang it by a noose at about 100ft and that keeps them away.

I wonder if a few dead crows on each plot would keep the others away?

Yes air cannons are used in some cities to keep birds from making a mess on sidewalks and windowsills. No I have no neighbors nearby but my Mom is here all day long, I could do something like that. I had thought about using a small compressed air horn that you find at sporting events, one at each plot. If I can find a large electronic plunger I can have a friend write a PIC program (Chip on a Computer) to fire every X seconds, connect the output to a relay and then the relay to power the plunger that would push on the air horn button. The PIC can have a clock programed into it and I can set it to fire early morning and evenings when it seems that most of them seem to be here. I think between the trees, the house and the distance the sound would not be too loud to be bothering her.

Actually I have an old Moultree feeder that got knocked over..humm. The motor drive housing mounting points broke and that plastic just does not like to be glued or epoxy. I replaced the motor but kept it...I think I can take the output leads to the spreader motor and accomplish the same thing to fire a relay or a plunger. Now my only thing is that I need to find a plunger that operates at 6v and is strong enough to push an air horn button.

But before I get too busy, it will take some time and at this rate the seed probably will not last. Does anyone know if dead crows will work ? I am afraid of using streamers or a scarecrow since I don't want to spook the deer either.

 

[Egon]

The Kid with a .22 presence in the field should keep them away. At least that was my experience when I was the KID with a .22 Cooye.

Suggestion of a lighter note: Place an imitation snake in the middle of the field and place a sign on the edge of the field saying "Poisonous Snake". All the fellows packing should be out presto to protect themselves from the snake. Their presence should drive the crows away.

 

[SCRich]

Interesting.. never thought of that. Maybe a couple of plastic snakes would work on each plot. I have not seen them in years but maybe the local Wallmart may have them in the toy department.

Now let me NOT go outside with my 10/22 and my 8 year old.

 

[Bird]

I wonder if a few dead crows on each plot would keep the others away?

I never knew crows were a protected species anywhere. In Texas, I know of some big commercial pecan orchards that use the propane cannons. And I always heard that you could hang a dead crow on the fence and the other crows would stay away. So one year, the crows got every kernel of the corn I planted in my garden. I replanted and they got about half of that planting. I'm talking about a vegetable garden that wasn't a hundred feet from my back door. I tried going out the door and they'd all fly away, but come right back. I tried shooting the shotgun in the air with the same results, but I finally shot and killed one and hung it on the fence. No more crow problem. Was it the dead crow that did it, or just that my persistence with noise that finally worked? I have no idea.

 

[SCRich]

Yes belive it or not. It is considered a Migratory bird and you need a Migratory Bird Permit on your small game or big game license to hunt them. The season starts November 1st here.

Protected in the way it's considered a Migratory Bird and in SC you need a permit to hunt any migratory bird and they do have a season. If it were not classified as migratory there would be no season and just fall under small game.

That's the LETTER OF THE LAW...I am glad to hear that crows behave just like the vultures. Let me go get dressed now and go for a "walk"

 

[Bird]

I guess crows are just not the threat to crops that they once were. The largest flocks of any kind of bird that I've ever seen was the flocks of crows in the Marlow, OK, area in the early '50s. I once saw where a flock was roosting and the trees were literally black in an area that was roughly a city block wide and perhaps 3 city blocks long. And in the mornings, there were times when I watched a string of crows from horizon to horizon for over an hour going from their roosting area to feed, and then the same thing in the evening with them going the other way, back to their roosting area. Men used to get a crippled or wounded crow, tie it in a tree near a bridge or big culvert along the highway, then hide under the bridge. The crippled one will call lots of others in and they'd be shooting them. It wasn't unusual to see dozens of dead crows under a tree along the highway. And while I didn't see it, I heard that where one of the roosting areas was, such as I mentioned above, men went out, tied dynamite in the trees with a cardboard tube around each still filled with BBs (or smaller shot), ran all the wires to one hole in the ground that they dug, in which one man stayed until that night, and set off the dynamite. They said it killed thousands of crows that night.

 

[shvl73]

I always heard that you could hang a dead crow on the fence and the other crows would stay away.

I've seen it done, though can't verify the results. Seemed like it was a good warning to anyone wandering on the property, there was more room on the fence!

 

[davitk]

I don't know about crows, but purple grackles are a problem here in the spring when literally hundreds show up at once. I usually spend about a week with a shotgun, by then they have decided to do their nesting elsewhere (they must fly off and re-group every time they hear the gun. I swear they do roll call - after the 20th or so casualty they call it quits) . Maybe next spring I will try hanging a dead grackle from a branch -

 

[Bird]

I may not have the numbers you have, but we always have too many grackles all over the whole area and just about year round. Summer before last, I think we had 15 nests in the trees in the yard and I hadn't really noticed the nests until the dog started bringing us baby birds, some dead; some alive that had fallen out of the nests. So that Winter, I tried to clean all those nests out of the trees, and I'd love to use a shotgun on them, but I'm in town where that isn't allowed. So between banging pots and pans together frequently or hitting limbs on the trees, I think last summer I only had 3 or 4 nests. I'm still not sure how many nests are up in those leaves this year.

 

[Redbug]

Crow shooting is great sport in many areas. I have some crow decoys in my shed that I set up and are used along with my mouth caller to attract them. There are different vocalizations to get them to come in and investigate. You may get off a few shots, then you have to move to another location. Crows are one of the smartest birds so they catch on quick to our ploys. When I was a kid, (before store bought decoys), we would take an old black boot, hang it on a limb and attach fishing line to it. Then, pull the line making the boot decoy shake and use the mouth caller to bring them in. Although I don't know and just guessing...I would think a few dead crows hanging around may work...crows aren't dumb.

I would also think that you could shoot them anytime if they are depredating your crops. I will look it up to be sure...but I think I read it in the DNR SC regs that you can if they are affecting your property. You have a good resource there...and don't know it!

 

[SCRich]

I did read about that in the DNR regs last night but I need to wait and call Monday morning about it. I do not know if they would consider my "deer plot" crops but I guess by the letter of the law I do have several crops. Depredatation is by permit, I do not think it takes much to get it (probably just a phone call like a burn permit) but the regs did list regional numbers to call for the permit and stated that it was good for 30 days and can be renewed if necessary at the end of the initial 30 day period.

With the rain we got and the wife having been called in to work late today I did not get a chance to walk out there. With this clay we have I avoid walking out on the property while it is still moist and wait for several days of dry weather to take the tractor or ATV out. Nothing like compacting clay even more!

I hired a local farmer to do 3 out of the 5 acres with a tiller and I did another 3 with a box blade and a disker. The last thing I want to do is screw up these tests and I am sure the crows are doing it. I want to see how much better the tilled land is over the rough work I did with the growth. Walking much or driving over it will also throw my little test off.

I am learning a lot by trial and error and Rome was not built in a day. I get 2 opportunities a year to try different growing techniques and I want to try to come to a good decision this fall so I can get moving on it next spring.

 

[Redbug]

Rich...I knew I saw something about it...Get out your 2008/2009 DNR Rules and Regs booklet. On page 30, under "Crows"..."Crows damaging crops may be taken at any time without a federal permit (50 CFR 21.43)".

Bang!, Bang!, Bang!

 

[SCRich]

Thanks Dave...I guess I know what I will be doing in a few hours. I should have brought the 10/22 upstairs from the safe.

I had to go down there and load up. I was out on the deck having a smoke and counted 11 gunshots REALLY REALLY close by. It's pitch dark out here in the forrest and I got no NV but I swear it was well inside of the property line, possibly closer than I am guessing now that I think about it. I loaded up the .45 and an M4 replica I have with a laser and flashlight just in case.

I have a box of CCI Mini-Mags I'll load that up and get a few to hang, then I'll let the kid have at it and try something other than paper for the first time if they are stupid enough to return.

 

[Highbeam]

Do tell us how it went! We in WA also have a season for crows except we also have the "in the act of depradation" clause so I would shoot at will. Honestly though, I would be using a shotgun until my arm got sore and then shoot the ground dwellers with the 10/22. Be ready for a lot of shooting since once you kill one, the others will come out of the woodwork to eat it or mourn or whatever. The dead crows will act as decoys for additional crows to fly in.

You may actually shoot hundreds before you're done.

 

[Redbug]

Not being too funny...but you CAN eat crow. There's some pretty good recipies out there for crow breasts. We have tried them and I have to say they are good. Meat is meat, pretty much, you know. You should see what people eat in other countries. If you get a chance, post a pic or two also, Rich.

A few recipies...
Crow Busters - Recipes

It also has some good techniques to hunt them...
Crow Busters - The Complete Resource For Crow Hunting and the Crow Hunter

Only one last comment, then I'll be quiet...Eat more iguana, the other green meat...

 

[SCRich]

No pics to post. I don't have a worthwhile shotgun the only one I got is a 870with a short barrel for home defense use so I took the 10/22 out. They sure are big crows but I could not get close enough since the plots are surrounded by dense pine trees for clear shots.

We had a NorEaster blow through the past couple of days, it's sunny now and the ground is drying up a bit. When I got back this AM my sneakers were just balls of muddy clay. At 5 or 6 I'll take my blind out and set it up, I would like the ground to harden up a bit underneath with as much sunlight as possible now. I may need to take some plywood I have and drop it underneath to add some stability for my chair. I was meaning to do it last weekend anyway.

I did observe them for a bit using the pines as cover and they are quite smart/sneaky. It appears that they will designate several of them as lookouts and they will perch on the very top of several of the largest trees around the perimiter of the plots. The others eat away, most of them were found at my feeder/food plot eating the corn and the remaining ungerminated seed. Once I was spotted the lookouts sent out a triple CAW and they all took off in all directions then regrouped mid-air and went to another location behind more trees. Observing from far away it seems that a LITTLE bit later a few crows returned to my main food plot and then the others returned in a cycle.

 

[SCRich]

The blind is set up and I spent a little time on the largest of the plots since it was a bit firmer. When all you got is clay the last thing you want to do is walk, drive, or even look at it while it is moist since it will turn into concrete better known as "Hard Pan". It was still wet in many locations but I found a good spot and dropped a bit of plywood and put the pop up blind over it.

I am not sure if I had poor germination, or the crows cleaned up the seed but there are several spots that are bare now. They are along the edge of the plot and I gave a few extra passes with the spreader there since I wanted thick growth/root system to control errosion. Unless our rain covered a lot of the seed with dirt the birds ate a lot of it.

I'll be trying to drop a few crows this week and I'll hang them from sticks or just keep them on the ground. I do not have many trees nearby with low branches, most of them are 80ft pines.