Crow-Hunting Equipment

EDITOR'S NOTE: Tad Brown, of Columbia, Missouri, enjoys hunting crows and has hunted crows for numbers of years.

QUESTION: Some people use electronic callers, and others use mouth callers to call crows. We've talked about how easy calling crows is with an electronic caller. What call do you use when you call with your mouth?

ANSWER: I use a M.A.D. or a Lohman's crow call. Lohman's has two versions. One is an old version with the wood reed, and it's probably one of the most realistic-sounding calls on the market. There are some custom crow calls. But for the average crow hunter, the wood-reed call is a good choice because it's very inexpensive. Lohman's also has a model with a molded reed mouthpiece, and M.A.D. offers one with a molded mouthpiece. A crow is always eager for a fight or some other action, so you'll be successful if you sound anything like another crow.

QUESTION: What guns and shells do you use when you hunt crows?

ANSWER: Crows are fairly big birds. They're not as big as pheasants, but they're larger than quail. Since I compare the size of crows to small to medium-sized ducks, I shoot accordingly. I like High-Brass No. 6s, not Magnums. I usually use a full-choke gun, like a Remington shotgun, because I like to reach out there and make some good shots. Hunting crows is similar to hunting waterfowl. If you've got them coming in to the decoys well, an open-choke, a modified- or an improved- cylinder may suit you. If you're in tight brush, use an open-bore gun. I like to hunt on the edge of a field where I've got good shooting with a full-choke gun.

QUESTION: Some people set up for crows in tall timber, and that's usually a mistake, isn't it?

ANSWER: Tall timber can limit your shooting and visibility quite a bit. It also limits a crow's ability to see your decoys. I don't know if setting up for crows in high timber is a mistake, but you probably will have better shooting if you take a little more time to select your setup on the edge of a field or some sort of opening in the timber.

For a copy of "10 More Secrets for Calling Crows," write Tad Brown, % Outland Sports, 4500 Doniphan Drive, Neosho, MO 64850, attention Kim Thurman.

TOMORROW: CROW-HUNTING SECRETS

Check back each day this week for more about How To Call Crows ...

Day 1 -Calling Crows
Day 2 -Where and When To Call Crows
Day 3 -Timing Crow Calls
Day 4 -Crow-Hunting Equipment
Day 5 -Crow-Hunting Secrets

John's Journal