[Fast Frank]

I don't know how many of you have ever tried to kill a crow before, but let me tell you this... It isn't easy.

See, Crows are smart. They see you coming from a mile away up there in the top of that tree and sound the alarm for all their buddies down there on the ground.

I don't know how they know what a gun is, but they do. If you have a gun in your hands you won't get anywhere near close enough for a shot and if you even look like you might try to aim they are history.

So, that leaves two choices. Sneaky Pete, or The Long Shot.

Sneaky Pete might use a blind, or some sort of camo, and move real slow until he gets just close enough to watch them fly away.

Today I was out in the woods with my Marlin, playing around and plinking. Just enjoying a beautiful afternoon with a great rifle.

And there he was... about 120 yards out... busily digging up a worm or something.

I've never been able to kill a crow before but I figured I might give him a go.

I sat down, bent my knee up and rested the rifle on it, and checked him out in the scope.

My scope is set for an inch high at 50, and that's about two or three inches low at 100.

I guessed him to be at 120 or so. I needed probably eight inches above his head for the bullet to drop in on him.

Yep, that's a long shot all right! I cranked the scope up to nine power and cocked the hammer.

He was a big sucker, so I figured I could spare an inch or three either way and still get him.

Deep breath.

Let about half out.

Sight picture's good.

Steady... Steady... Steady... Hold that picture still...

I don't remember squeezing. The rifle bucked. Short pause. Mr crow went down.

My first Crow ever.

I love my 39. It's an awesome rifle in every way and made this kill easy.

I think I'll keep it!

 

[me]

Fast Frank them crows are known to live about 15yrs in the wild up to 40yrs in captivity and as you say smart.Heard of a test done that crows could keep track of 7 people going into a blind and coming back randomly .I've killed a few and dumb luck plays a part.

 

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

Good shootin' Frank! Can't say that I've ever bagged one.

 

[44-40 Willy]

Good shooting. I've always tried to kill every one of those "Satan's imps from hell" that I get a chance to. My Granpa used to give us kids a dollar for every one of those evil creatures we killed.

Did I mention that I don't particuarily like crows?

 

[Greenhorn]

Fast Frank them crows are known to live about 15yrs in the wild up to 40yrs in captivity and as you say smart.Heard of a test done that crows could keep track of 7 people going into a blind and coming back randomly .I've killed a few and dumb luck plays a part.

As for smart, they have been shown to learn the idea of "half"...and have shown tool use. Most have thought that only higher primates have shown tool use, but crows, bluejays, nutcrackers, family is very smart. Great shooting!

 

[Halwg]

The 39 is the Cadillac of 22's!

 

[44-40 Willy]

As for smart, they have been shown to learn the idea of "half"...and have shown tool use. Most have thought that only higher primates have shown tool use, but crows, bluejays, nutcrackers, family is very smart. Great shooting!

I had a pet blue jay for years and he always amazed me with how he could figure things out. At times I thought he was smarter than the kids.

 

[1895Gunner]

If you didn't get a head shot you can always do one of these for your trophy room and they don't take up much space. ;D ;D ;D

 

[Gaterskiner]

Damn Crows even seem to know what kind of gun you have. If you have A shotgun they don't fly to far away, if A rifle they fly farther. ;D

 

[Jaguar]

Nice shooting Frank.

So, do they taste like chicken? ;D

 

[Catherine]

Good shooting!

Catherine

 

[rhendrix]

They are pretty smart and awfully difficult to kill. I don't know if it is true or not but I have heard you can split their tongue and you can teach them to talk like a parrot. I have seen them gather nuts and then fly over a paved parking lot and drop them to bust them open. They will do several and then fly down to eat the meat from the shells.

 

[450 Sniper]

Where did you get that one piece scope mount???

 

[Fast Frank]

Where did you get that one piece scope mount???

That is a DNZ Game Reaper.

It's far more rigid than the factory setup and it improved the way my rifle shoots quite a bit.

You can get one here.

http://www.dnzproducts.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=66_92&products_id=678

 

[MarlinXL7]

The 39 is the Cadillac of 22's!

Yes, but the Remington 547 is the Rolls.

 

[gradninja]

As an amateur ornithologist, I can tell you that Crows and Ravens are the smartest birds in the world, check this video out of a common raven in a lab in England...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7nszKp29j4

I mean, I know some people that wouldn't think of that! :

 

[gradninja]

also this national geo video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8L4KNrPEs0&NR=1&feature=fvwp

 

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

As an amateur ornithologist, I can tell you that Crows and Ravens are the smartest birds in the world, check this video out of a common raven in a lab in England...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7nszKp29j4

I mean, I know some people that wouldn't think of that! :

THAT IS FRICKEN AMAZING! I was impressed when he thought of using the wire. I never imagined he'd be smart enough to make that modification: simply amazing! The second video isn't bad either.

 

[Greenhorn]

As an amateur ornithologist, I can tell you that Crows and Ravens are the smartest birds in the world, check this video out of a common raven in a lab in England...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7nszKp29j4

I mean, I know some people that wouldn't think of that! :

not sure if its the lab in Oxford, England or in Lincoln, NE....both worked on this study and I have been in both. My ex-wife was the one who imported the Jackdaws from England for the Lincoln lab, although these are crows. They are amazing and fun animals to work with! I think the most amazing part of the study was that them manipulated the wire into new tools, sometimes 3-4 times!

 

[Fast Frank]

Well, I'm going to go ahead and say that the bird in that video is smarter than the one in my pic. ;D

The second one thought 120 yards was enough to keep him safe from a Marlin 39!