Crows and doves

[Bgoodman30]

I got a crow problem and a lot less dove than I like.. We had 150 crows on the field when I checked it last Wed. They have eaten out most of my wheat field not sure about the sunflowers but a lot of it is gone as well.. Our dove hunt Saturday was much slower than I would like. I did go Sunday morning and killed 2 crows. I was hoping that example would deter them but they kept coming. Any tips?

 

[TnKen]

I've heard hanging the dead ones from a post will keep the others away. I have no idea if it really works.

 

[portugeejn]

I've heard that about dead crows before & don't know if it works, but it wouldn't surprise me as crows are pretty smart birds.

 

[clwg97]

I read somewhere if you are crow hunting shoot the first one. Don't let the first one get back to warn the others. Basically if one goes out and doesn't come back the rest assume he is safe and eating and they are missing out and will start piling in. I cannot remember if it was a field and stream article or where I read it.

 

[Mattt]

Wound the first one. More noise and movement he makes the more and closer they come. Stuffed animal that looks like a dog near the wounded crow and you can stand out there and use a tennis racket. Gets crazy

 

[GUNNERX2]

I read somewhere if you are crow hunting shoot the first one. Don't let the first one get back to warn the others. Basically if one goes out and doesn't come back the rest assume he is safe and eating and they are missing out and will start piling in. I cannot remember if it was a field and stream article or where I read it.

If you read that in a magazine, it was bs. Birds are not capable of cognitive thinking.

 

[UCStandSitter]

I've heard that about dead crows before & don't know if it works, but it wouldn't surprise me as crows are pretty smart birds.

They are smart. You never see them hit by cars on the road. Anytime crows are on the road and a car comes you can hear the rest of em warning em, "CAR, CAR, CAR, CAR!"

 

[Crappieaddict]

For what it's worth, they were pulling up my corn shoots this spring. They would pull the shoot and eat the kernel it sprouted from. My dad was a believer in hanging a dead crow, so I shot one and hung it. That solved the problem.

 

[ADR]

If you read that in a magazine, it was bs. Birds are not capable of cognitive thinking.

https://www.birdinformer.com/crow-intelligence/
There has been a lot of research that contradicts your statement. Especially for crows.

 

[Chaneylake]

For what it's worth, they were pulling up my corn shoots this spring. They would pull the shoot and eat the kernel it sprouted from. My dad was a believer in hanging a dead crow, so I shot one and hung it. That solved the problem.

Put a few ounces of turpentine in with your corn seed.
the smell will deter the critters from digging up your seed.

I have been doing this for years.

 

[GUNNERX2]

https://www.birdinformer.com/crow-intelligence/
There has been a lot of research that contradicts your statement. Especially for crows.

Oh, no doubt they are smart but my contention is that how they act is from learned experience and there is nothing in the linked article that would contradict that.

 

[ADR]

Oh, no doubt they are smart but my contention is that how they act is from learned experience and there is nothing in the linked article that would contradict that.

Sorry, linked the wrong one

https://myanimals.com/animals/wild-animals-animals/birds/the-cognitive-ability-of-crows/

 

[Mattt]

Oh they get gun shy quick idk what any article says. Smart enough to pick up on movement or a shiny face just like ducks. Idk about hanging a dead one but a wounded one is a magnet.

 

[GUNNERX2]

Sorry, linked the wrong one

https://myanimals.com/animals/wild-animals-animals/birds/the-cognitive-ability-of-crows/

Not going to open that link as I must agree to all their rules to agree to all of their data sharing. I don't need that.
Several years ago, there was a BBC show about the cognitive abilities of crows and the upshot was that while it proved that crows were extremely smart, some of the methods used to determine their cognitive ability were somewhat suspect. I remain suspect myself. Learned behavior, I believe, is how they become "smart" and it doesn't take many lessons to learn that behavior as in maybe only one.