# Tree Stand Hunting



## Scottie_The_Boy

Has anyone here ever taken their ladder stands,lock ons or climbers and Place them along the crows evening and morning travel routes and placed on their safety harness and placed decoys in the near field with the speaker placed as far as the speaker wire will reach away from them and tried to hit some of them crows in the larger groups?

As they don't seem to respond much to my calls and decoy set ups as the sun starts to set and they have a bead on their route to the evening roost...

So as there is lots of High swamp trees near this route I felt I may cart out my tree strap on steps and place one of my loc on stands 20-22' feet up So I can get a birds eye view into the group and use my new 870 12 gauge and see if without my electronical call I can get a few to drop...And pull the climbing sticks off the tree each evening so others won't steal these stands like the new loc on I had taken last deer season...

As it gets closer to 4:40-5:30 I can count groups of 60 or so heading northwest beyond my location, and if I was to sit closer on the ground I wouldn't be able to reach that far over the trees they travel over...

Figured I'ld Place a few branch hanger crow decoys on the east side of the woodlot so some shall see them and circle or dip down lower....

Really Bummed out that I had to Pass up a intire Friday,saturday,Sunday and Monday of calling some crows with this chest and head cold and sore throat..

But the weather channel says Friday temps 50 ,Saturday 42 and sunday 40s...yet rain/snow mix all three days... I won't melt Yet hate to get the guns wet. But Crows gotta eat and shall be out searching for food,So I can't pass up the chance....

One thing I Don't Like about using my loc ons thou is that I welded them from 1x1 square tubing with thick walls...yet the platforms are Only 24x24 hardly anyroom to circle to shoot fast...

yet I hate to cart out one of my buddy system ladder stands as they are Bulky ..THOUGHT alot more platform and have a shooting rail and padded seat...room for my camo back pack of gear,ammo and coffee thermos....

Just want to hear Your views on the idea of a stand hunt for crows..

Scottie


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## Bob Aronsohn

Scottie Boy,

Your just asking for trouble trying to shoot crows from a tree stand. If you ever fall and break your neck your hunting days will come to a screeching hault!

Get on some high ground where you have good visibility plus your call will carry further.

When you say you don't feel like you can reach that far over the trees, what do you mean exactly? Do you mean they can't hear you? If so you can either move closer to them or get an e-caller with a lot more volume.

It's difficult trying to hunt crows that have been hunted before if there are a lot of guys doing it in your area. It's much easier to get anywhere from one to say half a dozen to come in than mobs of them; besides, you don't want mobs anyway! You wise to many up when you have large groups come in at one time.

Bob Aronsohn


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## Scottie_The_Boy

Hello Bob Aronsohn,I agree after I made the Post I Thought someone will get this idea and actually try it and get hurt.. Yet I am new yet and don't know how to delete my post if they are off the wall...

This Crow travel route I been Hunting is all in the Low river valley between Hornell and Canisteo N.Y. in the valley..there is chopped corn fields,soe bean and golden rod fields. None of which have High areas in the property... And the property that does have some elevation to it that i can hunt, Would place my shots shooting dirrectly over a roadway thats only 60 yards away.. I hate to have pellets fall on cars,trucks or folks walking their dogs... So I leave some crows I guess for seed for next season and others to harvest..

Tomorrow Is the last day of Crow season for us in N.Y.S. So I headed right out with the atv and my Johnny Stewart Convert a caller and a crow cd and my small cd player....GLAD I had my 5 mouth calls along with me.. As the connection between the battery unit and the amp had broken leads when I got home and took it apart and fixed it.. But with my Pro crow call,Cranky Crow, and Power Crow call I would listen for crows in the distance or spot a few or solo crows.. and Give three blows on the calls and then a 4 blows on the calls.. and it helped fool a few and bring them right in..Some to close.. yet all in all I had a fun last day of season as I am back to work tomorrow Morning..

I shot the first three crows 1 shot pr crow, then I Missed a crow and hit it with the second shot and winged it as it drifted off and I never found it....

In all I shot 6 crows today ...two landed right within' 10 feet of my New Hiden Location, Second two I shot landed right in the river and floated down stream on me.. and the last two was the two I Hit and they staggered in flight and started to crash into branches and gain their flight and drifted off to a chopped corn field area outta site.. I circled that field twice with the atv when done shooting and just couldn't locate them...
used the 870 with my 28" barrel and my Improved choke...#7 1/2 shot Federal did the Job again.With this New gun I seem to reach much further up compared to my semi auto remington model 48 sportsmen.. or my over under bioto 12 gauges...

Also I was Just informed yesturday of a locals farm 6 miles away thats onto of a Hill that is becoming over run with crows and they are nesting in trees in his lawn and darn near Killed his pine trees from last year as they pluck at branches threw out the night as they get bored or spooked easy and it helps them relax and not become stressed threw the night if they Nip at branches and take out energy with them devilish beaks.. As I was bit three times this season by crows and third one hurt them most as he stabbed the side of my finger with his upper bill with mouth wide open as I reached for um.

Didn't cart any of my 20 decoys with me.. Just the Mouth calls as season moves further threw the season it seems they Learn and wise up fast to our Electric calling systems that play 5 minutes of crow in distress sounds...

Thanks alot Bob Aronsohn for your safety Tips....And I Look forword to gettin' your video's

Scottie_The_Boy


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## Bob Aronsohn

Hello Scottie,

I used some of the Federal ammo that comes in the four packs this past season. I used both 7 1/2's and the 8's as well. They make a good 3 dram load!

I'm glad the new shotgun is working out so well for you. When you go crow hunting ( a tip ) always keep a backup gun in your vehicle incase you have gun trouble.

I grew up in Long Island, New York and hunted crows on Long Island and UpState New York in the 1960's.

Good Hunting!

Bob Aronsohn


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## Scottie_The_Boy

Bob Aronsohn, I Agree I Should Have a back Up Shotgun along.. But not sure if N.Y.S. Laws allow More then one gun pr hunter afield.. Sorta Like Fishing we are allowed 2 Poles pr person to fish with at a time.... If we could cart a second gun that Would be a Plus.. As my Model 48 Sportsmen has been gettin neglected as it's a Modified choke barrel and can't change out choke tubes in it...But I also Like to take out the over and under as it's just a neat fun gun to shoot ,Just a pain to have just two shots when you have 6 crows fly right in and circle close and you miss on the first shot and connect on the second with the full choke barrel, yet takes to much time to reload to think of even gettin another shot at that group atless.... I could always take my wifes remington 20 gauge 1100 which I have a modified and full choke for and leave a full choke in it...Or I Could atless leave the Second shotgun strapped on the atv as I Park it within 50 feet of my spot in weeds ..so I can watch it from theiving fingers thou the key is in my pocket...

When I First started calling in crows and shooting at them last year I was using #4 and #6 shot and Missed alot of crows with a old .12 gauge Noble pump I had... I then started looking at the empty shells in the brush blind and see others are using #7 1/2 and #8's... So I Bought #7 1/2s and I was doin' alot better the very next time I headed afield with them shells...

After I read your reply I started thinking about making myself a E-caller which I could loan out to locals and get More interested in crow hunting..I have a Local Kid with a Older 512 Johnny Stewarts call system for sale right now for $25.00 comes with camo bag,speaker,predator cassettes and I beleave the charger... It has a cassette right now stuck in it ...

I Never Made it Out today the last day of crow season, The Itch was there to go afield one last time to call in some crows, But I Felt I would rather end on a high note of harvesting 6 crows yesturday then to head home today skunked and shivering as thetemps dropped alot here overnight...But I will Think of Crow decoys and Brush Blinds and calls and so on till season returns.. as once in the vains it's Like that Morning cup of coffee.. It's a addiction and part of life to get us motivated....

I was just out on a smoke break in my shed as we don't smoke ciggs inside.. and looking at my atv rear rack and the rabbit cage I have setting on a shelf with 20 crow decoys placed in it and thinking How I can make up a box type unit so the decoys when on the atv rack and strapped in view of all as i drive the truck and atv to the country to hunt, that the decoys and what i am doin' doesn't draw attention as i had a few ask me in a Gas station why I have so many birds packed in one cage..... I then had to tell them they are all Plastic Decoys..they thought they was Real and that I was Cruel....

Also I have to figure out a way to cart 2 or 3 shotguns on the atv and this time Not get the stock and barrel tips Muddy from heading back to my truck after a hunt... I'm already searching the weather channel to have a day to go afield and find some spots and Build some blinds with branches and brush and old corn stalks and golden rods..... As season will return before we know it and we will be out tring our luck once again...

Got to try and get some Pics of a Crow I seen now three different Times near work that someone had Shot 2/3rds of the feathers off it's one wing, yet it still flys alot and I seen it a few times today and It's a really cranky crow and rest in tree tops alot.. But I Need to try and get some Pics in flight so the wing is shown to share with you all..So It's one crow thats Wiser Now that outsparted one of us crow hunters...Seems it took some full choke to the Wing as it has Just three feathers near the arm pit and 2 near the tip....Odd Bird ...

Best wishes and Come On back Home when ya want some western new york Crow Hunting Fun again....

Scottie_The_Boy


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## Bob Aronsohn

Hi Scottie,

I was hunting crows in New York State near Auburn a few years back. You guys sure need an ATV once that ground gets wet. In Kansas you have a lot of sand, so when it rains it's easier to get around. Dry blow sand can stick a four wheel drive if your not carefull.

Why don't you just keep your shotguns in a soft case when you transport them on your ATV. This way mud won't get all over them!

Well it's almost october now and it will be about another month before I start in on the crows. All our crows are migrants out of Sasketchewan, Canada.

Have a safe season.

Bob Aronsohn


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## Scottie_The_Boy

I Made it out one day to call in crows as I drove by a sweet corn field and it was plucked and covered with 60 or so crows...
So After I got home grabbed my calls ,I headed back there to see all the crows had moved slightly to be in a tall tree ..So I drove the jeep to the spot to unload all 20 decoys,my speaker call unit,shells,shotgun and drove the jeep back 200 yards and was crows headed down to fight with my decoys before I got back,so I had to hurry up and get in place with atless the shotgun in hand...

out of all them crows I could call in huge groups of 20 at a time, Yet didn't think my 870 with #7 1/2 would reach um.. Till I atless tried on a few and I was dropping them like black snow flakes.... Then the Group got wise and flew off on me, thou I dropped 7 that time of calling to them for maybe 30 minutes... It was quick action and had to move on, as they are gettin' wiser eachtime I hunt um' and I haven't yet seen the huge flocks like last two years here....

I Lost my Cranky Crow Mouth call..So I I bought another in a pinch... As it was my only good mouth call so far that I used that really sounded real and worked them in close when my Electronic unit acted up on me...

Now that Early goose season is over and I got my dayly limit of them on the last day 8 total for me out of 4 guys hunting we dropped 30...It was fun like shooting larger targets and the practise on the crows Payed off for me.....

For now as I can't seem to come up with trailer funds and such,that I drive the jeep wrangler in 4 wheel drive to any muddy areas to hunt so I won't spin up the farmers fields...

It may be our means to cart out this seasons whitetails also..in low range 4 low it crawls so thats a plus for these huge 31x10.5x15 mudders on it. Thou the atv would make the job alot better and more compact,I could place my gun holder on the front rank,Not as much dust or Mud gets up there...But a Gun sock wouldn't hurt at all..

Take care and best wishes,Hopeto get into some crow action here shortly...

Scottie_The_Boy In Steuben County N.Y.


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