How To Get Rid Of Crows?

Hire an expert who loves her job like my lovely lady Kita:

http://sugarmtnfarm.com/2006/02/25/raven-baiting/

She eats crow. (and coyotes, possum, fox, mice, snakes...)

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SugarMtnFarm.com -- Pastured Pigs, Poultry, Sheep, Dogs and Kids

Before the balance was thrown off, I doubt coyotes ate many cats. Crows are opportunist and if the things they used to eat are hard to find, eggs and poultry will fill the bill and are becoming much more common to find.

They harass the redtail hawks here and apparently steal their eggs and young. The redtails definitely steal my poultry, so I guess I'm in the let them stick around crowd. My f-i-l hated them because they destroyed his garden every year until he or dh could shoot one to hang out at the field and yes, it works every time.

Crows are protected by the Migratory Bird Act, however it is mostly state laws that determine the hunting season, bag limit, etc. Usually, there are allowances made for nuisance birds, so check with your local F&G as to what you have there.

I have trouble getting close enough to shoot them too. What I do is set a trap... one of those jaw types, with a few kernels of corn glued to the trigger. Once I catch one, I tie it up on a fence post.... the others keep their distance as long as theres a dead one hanging.

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"Nothing so needs reforming as other peoples habits." Mark Twain

Just remember that most crows migrate. The crows around in the summer move south a bit, and new crows come down from up north. If you train your winter crows, you will have to train your summer crows, too.

Crows are fun hunting. I get in full camo with a face mask, and an electric caller. I like to get in the woods near a field they frequent. I pick a spot with a hole in the canopy (when the leaves are on.) That way they have to fly directly over to see what the noise is, into shotgun range. Sometimes I can get shots at five or six before they wise up, and I move on.

I've not had crows- I have ravens. When I had a dog, her job was to chase ravens. She would take out after them then come back for praise. It certainly kept them "elsewhere." She only went after them when they landed. I don''t think she scared them as much as she erritated them.
Now that she's gone, they are all over the place- pooping in the horse troughs, bringing in garbage from the neighbors compost pile. They are getting bolder and bolder.
I miss that dog.

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Just curious as to what the purpose is to go hunting for them. Do you eat them?

I can understand shooting them if they're a nuisance but I'm not sure I can wrap my head around why anyone would shoot them "for fun" if they're not bothering anything - unless, of course, you eat them.

I guess I've just never seen the "fun" in killing living creatures that aren't bothering you or that you're not going to eat.

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Whatever floats your goat!

Kitten season is here. Please spay and neuter. You'll save lives.

All those talking about shooting crows need to be aware there are both Federal and State regulations involved:
Don't just start shooting without finding out what YOUR laws are.
Here are some of the Federal rules:

http://www.crowbusters.com/begart5.htm

Quote:

crow hunting regulations are handled differently and are subject to different restrictions than hunting regulations for other birds. Crows are not considered a game bird and Corvidae is not included in the list of families under the definition of game bird. However, there are two provisions specifically for taking crows under Federal regulations (50 CFR Parts 20 and 21). Section 20.133 provides States with the opportunity to set sport-hunting seasons without notifying the service. These seasons must comply with certain restrictions: Crows shall not be hunted from aircraft. The hunting season or seasons on crows shall not exceed a total of 124 days during a calendar year Hunting shall not be permitted during the peak crow nesting period within a State and Crows may only be taken by firearms, bow and arrow and falconry Section 21.43, which covers depredation situations, provides for the taking of crows without a Federal permit, when crows are found committing or about to commit certain depredations upon ornamental or shade trees, agricultural crops, livestock, or wildlife or when they are concentrated in such numbers as to constitute a health hazard or other nuisance. For instance, a crow in the proximity of an agricultural field with documented depredation damage would likely be considered as "about to commit depredation"; whereas a crow in a forested area or on a game management area would not likely be considered in the same way. Provision would include that: a) none of the birds killed or their parts are sold or offered for sale b) anyone exercising the privileges granted by this section shall permit any Federal or State game law enforcement officer free and unrestricted access over the premises where the operations have been or are conducted and will provide them with whatever information is required by the officer concerning said operations and c) that nothing in the section authorizes the killing of such birds contrary to any state laws or regulations and that the person needs to possess whatever permit as may be required for such activities by the state concerned.

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ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

I've also seen several of those shows about the crows and ravens telling their children about certain "bad people", who then tell THEIR children, so generations later, they are still afraid of a certain "look" even though they've never seen it before... Their stories pass down. Soooo... Here's an idea. Could you get a mask and wear that outside when you shoot at the birds? And after a while, when they scatter every time they see the mask, post the mask up outside on a scarecrow?

Does the "clear line" trick work for corvids like it does for most seagulls? Tying the fishing line from tree to tree, so they're scared to fly down toward the poultry area? (Probably not, as they're smart enough to figure out where the lines are, but it's worth a try?)

I find it weird that the birds know to stay away from YOU with the gun... Perhaps you need to sneak out to the barn before light, and surprise them, so they stop knowing when and where you'll show up?

I personally love corvids. They are the coolest birds. But with ravens ranking #1 most intelligent bird, and crows coming in at #2... You've got your hands full for sure when it comes to outsmarting them!

That PBS special mentioned above called them Feathered Apes, meaning they are VERY smart! Here are some interesting tidbits about crows...

http://www.cracked.com/article_19042...you-think.html

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you've never ate crow crow before?.I have LOL ,,bur seriously I think it is more for population control than anything.I don't have much of a crow problem here,they are kept in check by the hawks ,eagles and owls

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when i lived in texas they would shoot 1 or 2 and hang them up the other crows gave awide distance to there place