Crow Hunting 9-25-16

[Doom_Saloon]

Had some fun out there earlier this morning. Got some shots off at the crows on using the Shotkam.

https://goo.gl/photos/5T9fiSKVowx9muJY6

[BC Buck]

That is cool. Never seen that cam system.

[Doom_Saloon]

I was using 7.5s which I've heard should be adequate but it didn't seem to be dropping them right away. Maybe I'll consider using a 6 load. Anyone else have any input on this? I'm pretty new to Crow hunting at this point I've shot 5. Only one of the five I shot was dead before he hit the ground. You can see in one of the videos I had to shoot one twice while I was still in the air.

[BC Buck]

Do a search on this sight about what loads to use. I remember someone else posting the same problem.

[Weasel]

Smaller shot seems to work better. Instead of going to size 6 shot, try #8. Patterning your gun is a must. The load and choke will have an affect on the pattern. You want a uniform, dense pattern at the ranges you are shooting.

[Doom_Saloon]

Thanks Weasel. Come to think of it, I was using #8's on a previous outing where I dropped the first of a pair that came dead in the air and then got the second one which fell to the ground and was still alive but mortally wounded. This was the first time I used 7.5s the other day. I'll go back to the #8's. Thanks a lot for that.

[Doom_Saloon]

I have to say that the other thing I learned from this outing was to stand if possible when they come in. The time before this last outing I went in the mid-afternoon and saw nothing. A lot of standing around and moving to a few different areas and trying but nothing. So this time I bought a small collapsible stool and went early in the morning. I had head to toe camo on and was well positioned against some trees and brush.

But as they came in, I think it threw me a bit standing up suddenly and then orienting toward the crows to start firing. The act of standing and then raising the gun probably also gave them a bit of an advanced warning.

When they are responding to calling, they seem to come in pretty fast and I think I'd try standing up against brush and trees and being in more of a ready position instead of being seated and then having to lurch to get up.

[jacobhwrd]

Yeah if you are going to be doing more run and gun then you will want to stand in place where you will be making your shots. Im not as much of a fan of run and gun so i have a net to use for a blind in tree lines inside of my decoy bag that hold everything i need except my gun and shells. Being hidden is by far the most important thing when it comes to crow hunting. If you start to get a lot of birds flaring as they come in then its always time to question whats wrong. I have saved MANY hunts by changing small things from decoy spread to cutting down limbs to break up my back a little more.

[jacobhwrd]

As far as shot size goes i usually prefer 8s but i will use 7 1/2s if my brand is on sale when i go to buy for the season. Way to many people think you need 6s or larger but they go down really easy. The issue is getting enough shot on them to do the trick. Larger shot leaves to many gaps in your pattern. They are much thinner skinned then people realize because of their size so to many people want to over correct on shot size.