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The crow hunting atmosphere in a hunting blind is identical to the duck hunting atmosphere, which allows for conversation with fellow hunters until crows are called in and the shooting action starts. The "crows" in the nearby trees were actually plastic decoys during this March hunt. Decoys bring realism to the scene for incoming and very sharp-eyed crows.

The American crow is a very unique bird that I admire. It is extremely intelligent and has eyesight as sharp as a hawk, a very good memory and a real clannish nature with its own kind, often involving large flocks, with a good network of communication and a variety of vocalizations.

The crow is also often vilified, usually justly so, because it likes devouring the eggs and even the young chicks of other bird species, including ground-nesting game birds and waterfowl.

I remember a lady complaining to me about crows invading inside city limits. It turns out she had a robin’s nest on a bush in front of her kitchen window, and she enjoyed watching the robin parents feeding their freshly hatched young.

Then the crows suddenly appeared, and while some crows harassed and distracted the adult robins, other crows flew in and snatched up all the baby birds, much to this lady’s horror. But that was a prime example of a crow’s way of life. It is highly adaptable in surviving near humans, even in urban settings.

Crows can also be a nuisance to farmers by converging on freshly planted grainfields and eating seeds which have just sprouted. A friend of mine had just planted a wildlife food plot with soybeans last spring which, being a compact size when compared to larger fields, was quickly destroyed by a large flock of crows as soon as the seeds sprouted.

Bean sprouts are obviously a crow delicacy, not to mention other grains, leading to the creation of “scarecrows” way back when, to deter crows from eating the profits.

Crows have been blamed for the spread of the mosquito-borne West Nile Virus (WNV), but are not vectors. Rather, they are the first victims due to scavenging on dead birds infected by WNV. Hawks and owls are involved as well due to feeding on sick prey. (Birds infected with WNV are lethargic, tilt their heads and have tremors, and die soon after.). Research in this regard is continuing.

On the good side, crows eat a lot of grubs and harmful caterpillars. I also truly enjoy listening to crows vocalizing with each other, and I look upon the presence of crows as natural part of the outdoors.

My first close interaction with crows occurred when I was a kid, near the large orchard behind our farmhouse. I knew crows had a large nest (built with sticks) in top of one of the apple trees, and I was on my way to the barn when I could hear the crows making a commotion at the edge of the orchard.

That is when I noticed a young crow lying on the ground which was just learning how to fly and was none too good at it, yet, anyway.

I got the sudden brainstorm that a young crow would make a great pet, and I took off on the run, quickly catching up to the young bird which was scrambling and futilely trying to perform a takeoff. It was making hissing noises intermittently with crow-screams for help, when I picked it up, and I suddenly had a flock of crows flying just above me and screaming out their complaints as well.

That is when a couple crows, probably the parents, became real aggressive and started strafing the top of my head. They didn’t make contact, but were close enough that I could feel a breeze from their flapping wings and one crow just missed my face.

Well, folks, there comes a moment when you either hold or fold, and I realized a “pet crow” wasn’t such a good idea after all, and I dropped the young crow and made a fast retreat, with the pair of crows continuing to strafe me, but they soon backed off. The whole flock kept making a loud ruckus for a bit afterwards, I guess to make sure I stayed away, which I did!

The American crow is federally protected and can only be hunted during a couple of timeframes. Here in Michigan, the early crow season is August 1 - September 30, and the late crow season is February 1 - March 31.

This allows crows to have a successful mating and nesting period, and the hunting seasons are set in place to control crow numbers. Crows can definitely be “nuisance critters,” especially in areas where they are abundant.

As you may have guessed, folks, I dearly love crow hunting and look at it as being a superb wing-shooting experience using a shotgun, right on par with duck hunting. In fact, duck hunting and crow hunting share the same features, such as camouflage, blinds, decoys and calling, and the atmosphere in a crow blind is identical to that found in a duck blind.

Hunters can converse and joke amongst themselves right up until birds are being lured into range. Then, the action can become fast and furious, so to speak. I have found crow hunting with a shotgun an ideal way to tune up and sharpen one's wing-shooting skills. Incoming crows can make very challenging targets!

Crows aren’t very shock-resistant and are usually quick to cash in the chips, so to speak, when properly struck. I’ve dependably taken crows during the early season when shots are relatively close due to leaves still being on the trees, while using a 28-gauge and 7 ½ lead birdshot, but number sixes are probably the best for most situations.

I’ve also taken crows while using a .410 for squirrel hunting in September (I always carry a crow call during an ongoing crow season). I’ve shot crows with every shotgun bore size except 10-gauge, and my favorite all time “crow shotgun” is a vintage 16-gauge double barrel (choked modified in the right barrel and improved modified in the left barrel). A modified choke is my favorite for crow hunting.

Even though I enjoy using mouth calls, electronic callers are allowed for crow hunting, and I must admit they do a fantastic job. It was some years back when I purchased a Johnny Stewart electronic caller which used different cassettes for varmints, and even crows.

The early crow season hadn’t started yet when I took the electronic caller out on my back deck and turned the crow cassette on just to see what the reaction from crows in my neighborhood was going to be. I didn’t have to wait long and the crows must have been having a family reunion nearby, because a whole bunch of crows were suddenly swarming overhead and cawing loudly. I can only wonder what anybody driving by right then might have thought was going on at the Lounsbury homestead!

In case you are wondering, crows are edible, and I’ve been told they taste just like duck and that any duck recipe will work fine. Well, folks, I do like to eat ducks (woodies and mallards are my favorite), but I draw the line when it comes to “eating crow." But I do believe in controlling crow numbers, and I respectfully give them a proper burial after a hunt.

As I mentioned before, I truly admire crows for being the unique birds that they are and for how, in their distinct way, they enhance the great outdoors.

Email freelance outdoors writer Tom Lounsbury at tlounsburyoutdoors@gmail.com