novice to hoody crow control

Mungo

Well-Known Member
I've recently been asked by a friend to help get rid of some hoody crows on a sheep farm.

I've not done this before, so would appreciate any advice.

I did go out for a recce at the weekend, and had a go with a .222. Fairly naively, I thought it would be straightforward to get in range and pick them off. Not so! They seem to know the effective range of a .222 down to the last metre, and flew off as soon as I was within 200m. I did eventually manage one after hiding in a hedge and waiting for them to land - by then it was obvious that was only going to work once.
 
my favourite sport!

they have incredible eyesight and will usually spot you well before you spot them when on the wing.

I staked out the gralloch of two stags we shot while the Quad was being retrieved.
They would fly within 10 ft of me lying in the heather but never landed until we were leaving!

I find more success from baiting areas and returning rather than ambushing.
If you can bait an area that allows a straight forward return unseen you have more chance of getting within 200yds when they are feeding and if you are lucky you will get more than one with a through shot.

If the farm is large enough you can also bait two or three areas and move between them to save time waiting for return birds

I stuck a hind ribcage out in the snow near a mate's farm, went for a coffee for 1/2 an hour and returned by car.
we shot them from the car on the track at about 75yds!

had we got out of the car they would have flown.
 
Just out with mine in a mo for a fox patrol ,gotta admit pre moderator days the 22/250 was well rather noisy ,modded it and it's a pussy cat .
regards Norma
 
I've done a lot of corvid control, and I take it by hoodies you mean rooks? - no good baiting them and shooting them straight off, you need to regularly bait an area that's in range of your chosen hiding spot and build up their confidence.

After a couple of weeks they should be showing up regularly to feed. At this point it's crucial you arrive before they do and don't let them see you arriving or leaving. Start picking them off with something quiet (a .22lr or air rifle). They will fly off sometimes but normally come back quickly as long as they haven't seen you and you don't get up to retrieve the kills. Don't miss or they'll quickly work out why their mates are popping then laying still!

If you prefer shotgun then you'll need 4 blokes at each end of the field who you trust with shotguns (pump actions ideally) - you can get a lot this way but they never come back after the initial killing spree! This obviously has the potential to be very dangerous so only attempt it with people who you trust to stick to a safe line of fire at high birds, and ensure hides you use offer sufficient shelter from any stray shot!

Alternatively find where they're roosting and set up a hide with an air rifle if it's on your mate's land. You'll only get an hour or so in the morning or evening but you'll need to be there well before and after in order to avoid them working out where you are and buggering off!

Traps are ok but you really need a live bird in there in the first place for it to be effective... and it's not really feasible to wing a bird deliberately so you can leave it in a trap! If there are large numbers of corvids this won't work as they wise-up too quickly!
 
I've done a lot of corvid control, and I take it by hoodies you mean rooks? !

no, hooded crow is the Carrion crow's evil cousin


hoodedcrow_300_tcm9-139930_v1.jpg
 
As someone said carrion crows cousin, very similar in habit, in fact so similar that here where we have both they interbreed quite common to see a breeding pair where one is a carrion crow and one a true hooded crow.

As others have said ladder trap,funnel trap or larsen will all work but you will get best results in spring

Ladder trap, and funnel trap will work with just bait, but better with a call bird , failing that get hold of an owl decoy, they can't stand an owl and they will mob it.
 
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The next deer you skin peg the hide out in a field and sit back in a hide and shoot the greybacks, foxes and magpies that come into feed on it. It is a great way to pass an afternoon. I usually peg it out and shoot it the next day. The skin is tough and if you peg it in a couple of places the foxes won't carry it off. I use a t-bar that I have for ferreting.
 
Trapping will always be a more effective method of control than shooting, the OP was asked if he could get rid of them, now you may argue shooting is better sport, but this sounds like the OP was asked to control a problem , you might eradicate a couple of hoodies by shooting but if they are in greater numbers and this sounds as if there are, then you really need to consider some type of trapping method.
 
Depends on how much time you have, i catch far more with round multi-catchers moving them every 3 days to different areas where pairs are nesting,even managed a couple of ravens last year(it was unintentional and i have a licence for executing 10 ),it is good sport shooting hoodies but at lambing time when its starting its good to check the traps, then go lamping for Mr Bright eyes you feel as though you trying.
 
I was under the impression that a ladder trap was better for the more gregarious species like Rooks and Jackdaws, and a Larsen was more suited to Crows and magpies.
 
I was under the impression that a ladder trap was better for the more gregarious species like Rooks and Jackdaws, and a Larsen was more suited to Crows and magpies.


Not necesserly ladder and funnels can work well, as principle is the same , better with a call bird also if a brood has fledged you can sometimes pick up the whole family with a cage style trap.
 
12 gauge, hide, decoys and a crow caller!

When it was lambing season we used a large white towel and splattered it with blood. They could not keep away!
 
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