Shooting greycrows - Stock protection

johngalway

It's one of my favorite shooting related activities. As a farmer I set out on this task as a preventative measure for stock protection. Last Monday morning I missed a ewe when gathering up some of the flock to separate out a few of last years ewe lambs. Got that job done anyway and headed back to the farm again to look for her. I found her on her back in a lot of distress. I believe she may have had the beginnings of Twin Lamb Disease, either way, she ended up defenseless on her back - not good. One wheelbarrow journey later, an investigation of her wounds indicated the crows had been. One eye was damaged, a hole had been opened in her cheek, and the fleshy underside of her tail had also been opened.

Initially she was in a bad way, but, where there's life, there's hope so I fully intended to give her every chance. She got her wounds disinfected, a preventative shot against infections, Twin Lamb Remedy dose, as well as painkillers. I housed her in my small shed on fresh straw, made water, ration and hay easily available. Touch and go for the first day and a half really, then she started making a fast recovery once she got access to the safe small garden beside the shed she refused to let Dad put her back into the shed while I was away :pac:

No farmer can be with his or her stock 24/7, no one is at their job 24/7, and certainly most farmers around me are usually unarmed checking their stock - unless they have the luxury of being able to do it from the quad/jeep/tractor, then it's easy to throw the shotgun or rifle on board.

To that end, as a preventative measure with regards to lessening the number of greycrows in the area to attack my stock I set about some shooting during the cold weather we had.

Most were attracted by the entrails of a fox I'd shot, some by a tin of baked beans on the snow. Red on white was definitively in fashion.

I did shoot some out of two trees. It's important to note that there was a large hill behind these trees and there was no chance of the bullet flying off into the ether.

In no particular order:

johngalway

Vegeta

Nice stuff there John.

What kind of range where you taking them at?

johngalway

Farthest one was out to something like 190 I think Veg. Most would have been around the 80-120 mark, the goal was easy shots and definite kills.

Vegeta

johngalway wrote: »

Farthest one was out to something like 190 I think Veg. Most would have been around the 80-120 mark, the goal was easy shots and definite kills.

Ahh good stuff, the only reason I asked is because in the first picture I found it hard to judge the distance of the big hill.

johngalway

It's a ways off, the snow makes it deceptive. The stone wall is something around the 110 mark. I opened the fox's belly and placed her near that wall. The crows then land on the stakes on top of the wall, clear shot. The neighbours (where I also have permission) land provides a safe backstop.

clivej

Again good shooting Johm
I can never get near enough to the gray backs to get a shot off, they have good eyesight

johngalway

clivej wrote: »

Again good shooting Johm
I can never get near enough to the gray backs to get a shot off, they have good eyesight

They have indeed Clive. Better tactic may be to bring them to you, get them used to feeding in a regular spot. Could use something like a spring pheasant feeder for a simple option. I hadn't a lot of cover above as you can see, couple of raggedy furze around me, but I made sure I was in the shadow of them, had the rifle covered with scrim netting and I was head to toe in cammo. Can be laid stock still for a period of time, any time I needed to move the rifle for a shot I was real slow, and real deliberate.

One of the local crows favorite food sources at this time of year are any field that contains a horse getting fed. Usually out of fish boxes etc. Hoss takes a mouthful, looks around, spilling meal all over the shop.

Can be a good idea for ambush scenario that you get there and set up before it's light. Often done this and you'd be surprised that crows will be on the move when you can't see your hand in front of your face. Bit like the fox, take advantage of them at the start of their day when they're hungry. Another idea is to look for flight lines and patterns and pick locations accordingly, on their way out or home.

garv123

good stuff.
good to see the lamb made it too.
what rifle were you using?

poulo6.5

great shooting john.
i shot a grey crow there a couple of weeks ago with the .223 @ around 120y.

they make a loud crack when hit and a big poof of feathers.
you defiantly know when you hit them .

well done;)

johngalway

Garv, I used the .223 purely because of the chance of needing to take longer shots.

Poulo, I find it makes a loud pop, and there's no wondering about the hit. Save for one, which I did appear to wing (pardon the pun) from the track on the snow.

12gaugedave

The snow really shows the true impact, the length of some of the blood splatters which you wouldnt really notice on just grass. love to see those rats with wings falling.
Well done.

Birdnuts

How many hoodies have you got this season JG??I've got nearly 20 between the gun and Larsen trap - Great work BTW:)

blackstairsboy

Can anyone give me a bit of advice on getting grey crows with the shotgun. I have no rifle so need to get them in close. I have the u caller and it seems to work some times but not all times.

lb1981

Good stuff ,scurge of a bird , one of the heifers had to be put down on one of the farms we shoot on as a result of these bastards picking at a cut on its back.
Farm manager went mad, we build a crow trap now we are lashing them out of it.

johngalway

I've given up keeping a tally on birds to be honest. I've shot a few more than the above, but haven't started trapping yet.

For the shotgun, couple of things, nice bait and lots of camo, stay still in close to a hedge or tree, or get a layout blind if you're flush :pac: They may come into a pigeon magnet type arrangement, I'm not sure, never tried it. Another thing to try is find out where home is, settle yourself in well and take shots when they're coming in to roost at night.

Gonna make a weldmesh Ladder trap soon - busy on the farm at the moment and the Genny is RIP. Another thing I'm going to try is sticking a shot fox into the call bird section of a larsen trap, see if I get a call bird that way, maybe not, but will try it when I get a chance.

Need more hours in the day :eek:

johngalway

lb1981 wrote: »

Good stuff ,scurge of a bird , one of the heifers had to be put down on one of the farms we shoot on as a result of these bastards picking at a cut on its back.
Farm manager went mad, we build a crow trap now we are lashing them out of it.

We have mostly blackface sheep. Young ewe lambs have very "springy" horns. One particularly inquisitive lamb poked her head through a gap in a stone wall. On the way in, her horns compressed, then sprang out and effectively trapped her head in the wall.

Now that's not a life threatening situation, as she'd be found on rounds. But, in the meantime the crows had lined up on the wall and begun pecking holes in her back. Think that was two years ago now.

It's what they do to survive, but it's how they do it makes me dislike them so much.

Tackleberrywho

I take no greater pleasure than a .223 Vs a GreyCrow

Them and Magpies!

Eddie B

blackstairsboy wrote: »

Can anyone give me a bit of advice on getting grey crows with the shotgun. I have no rifle so need to get them in close. I have the u caller and it seems to work some times but not all times.

Buy a pigeon flapper, and instead of a dead pigeon stick a dead grey crow on it!
Works brilliantly with the U caller! Any grey's that come over, even if their in the elements will come right in, some even landing on the ground beside the flapper, and BANG!!
Give each spot about five minutes and then move onto another if there's no action!
Hope this helps

Malaga2

Crows over here are much smaller...clever as all hell. Every time I go back to Cork on vac I really wish I could take a 22 and play havoc with them...great shooting

J. Ramone

johngalway wrote: »

the goal was easy shots and definite kills.

Yep there is only one education I'd give them.

lb1981

have any of you lads tried making a crow trap, we are having great success with it , catch magpies ,greys and rooks in them with a few dead bunnies.
We started off with eggs in it and were catching up to 10 magpies at a time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZLYiOn83Po

we made our one a bit lighter than the one in the video above so we can transport it around the land.

johngalway

Yep, Ladder traps, Larsen traps, Funnel traps, Net traps (the first and third & fourth are variations of a theme) are all effective.

I've bob wires for pigeon traps, when I eventually get to do it I'm going to try a "walk in" trap (the funnel trap can also have walk in access) for greycrows, just to see if it works.

2"x2" galvanised weldmesh in 4'x8' sheets is great trap making material, cable ties are handy then for assembly.