"Boom Box Birds"
by Steve Rist

I believe in God. I believe our founding fathers were right when they wrote the second amendment. But when I hunt crows, I believe in decoys! Never will any call exceed the effectiveness of a properly deployed decoy spread.

Here in Kansas the wind blows, a lot, and most all the time. As a crow hunter you have the option of passing and finding the days that have lower wind speed. As a guide, that option is taken away from me. I have a job to do and a reputation to uphold. I have no choice but to hunt on those days. Scouting, planning and lots of good fortune are essential, regardless of the conditions. However, the effects of these three essentials are magnified on strong wind hunts. If the wind is out of the north, I go north of the roost to hunt. I want my birds to have the convenience of me being there for them.

Enough of the lead in, lets get to the “meat and tators” of this article. Decoys are essential. Decoys can be seen much farther than sound will carry. End of discussion!

Wind effects sound, plain and simple. Wind dissipates and disseminates sound quickly, even in the downwind direction. This can be a discouraging thought as you start your hunting day, but with the right equipment and tactics, strong wind days can be even more successful. This article is going to give you solid information to gain the edge over high wind conditions and have that successful hunt you have waited all week for.

The hand call is quick to get going and allows me to talk directly to the bird. The JS 24 Watt and the Walkman produce constant sounds for the birds coming in with the speaker’s in the decoys. Sounds like a normal set right? Now the decisive factor – the Boom Box by my feet.

Yes a portable, battery operated boom box. Not the little ten ounce one you have for your kid. Get serious and get results! Bigger is not just better, it is the only way to make this tactic effective. You need wind piercing power, and it won’t come in a small package.

First, I really blast the birds with a “hail” or “come here” call when they are a little over half a mile away. I don’t want them to get enough of the boom box to decipher the quality of sound it produces; I just want them to look my way. Sometimes I will let go with the boom box hail two or three times, but generally only on singles and pairs. I don’t over do it, not every bird is going to respond to a call no matter what. Those birds that fly on by are not getting a free education and I can come back another day to hunt them again. When the birds turn to the decoy rig, I get busy.

The tape I use is one that I made for myself when nobody was at home. This is real simple to do, and doesn’t cost a lot of money either. Just turn off all the TV’s, the washer and dryer, and any other device that makes noise. Go down stairs with your hand call and a cassette recorder. Start your tape recording and blow a “hail” or “come here” call. Nothing more. Keep doing this and maintain a pace of 1 series of calls each 15 seconds for ten minuets. (This part is not as easy as it sounds)

Second is the hand call. It is very well implemented in moderation. Blow just a few notes, and think like you are directly talking to the one bird. Don’t keep calling with the hand call so long that the birds can peg your location by sound. Be gentle, let your other calling equipment and the decoys do their job.

Third is my JS 24Watt set up with 2 Power Horns ( I dig them in to hide them better). The horns are set in the middle and as far up wind as I can get them. I use it louder at first, and slowly turn it down as the birds approach.

Fourth is the CD walkman which uses two small amplified speakers. I have modified decoys to hold them and it is very effective. Again volume is an issue. Too much is worse than none at all. I keep it on all the time but keep the volume low.

These four calling tools allow me to:

• Get the attention of a bird at a distance.
• Talk directly to the bird.
• Keep them looking.
• Maintain the most natural sound by keeping speakers in decoys.

A couple of other things you need to know:

• Eliminator type blinds are extremely effective on crows, especially in high wind.
• Set your blind a little downwind of your decoys.
• Make your set upwind of the flight path.
• Don’t be afraid to move if the birds are completely out of calling range.
• Decoys must be anchored so they don’t blow over.
• Use very few decoys in the tree on high wind days.
• This is not the time for the “Hush Puppy” and low velocity loads.
• I have used this Boom Box technique on several occasions and recommend you DO NOT implement it except in high wind conditions.

If you are not a die hard, “wade through Hell and fight a circle saw” type of crow hunter, you probably will not invest the time or money required to make these tricks work for you. But if you do, a whole new set of conditions will soon become your favorite. Each of these four calling techniques has its place in the process of decoying high wind birds.

A well placed decoy spread, the proper calling equipment and tactics, and good scouting, and you just may have trouble keeping your gun loaded.