"Dead Crow Use"
by Staff Advisor Dick Mermon

If there was one factor I learned early in my crow hunting days which has remained with me to the present, it is that crows know the difference between a dead bird that has fallen to the ground and one that lies among the decoys. Usually, this bird is in an awkward position, with wings spread, or totally out of the natural look of the set. Never, and I repeat, never, allow a downed bird to be in this position for any length of time unless the response of fellow crows are in a fighting mood and the shooting is hot and heavy. Whenever possible, either pull the dead bird from the decoy set, or straighten it out in a position so as it will look at least a little lifelike. If nothing else, secure it in a setting pose into low tree branches and secure it there on with some black colored thread. In this way it will resemble a natural bird setting in the lower branches facing the decoy spread.

One of the finest uses of a dead crow (that is if it is not to be eaten) is as an attractor. When there are crows off in the distance that will not respond to the hand calls or to the electronic calling, stop all sounds for about a minute. Let things settle down for this short period of time. Then, with the hand caller begin a fighting call, screaming and sounding off as if all hell has broken loose, simulating that something is getting at one of the crows near the decoy set. Crows are a curious lot and they want to know about things, that’s how they learn the good from the bad. After about a minute of this fighting, screaming call on the hand caller, take a dead crow, which you should already have in the blind and toss it high in the air, outward into the decoy set. This will get the attention of the distant birds that refused to be called in before and they will want to know why their fellow comrade has fallen. They will want to know what that bird has gotten into or what it has found to feed on or fight with. As those distant crows begin getting close, tone the calling down but keep the fighting language going until you take the shot. Don’t miss, because those crows will not return again for some time no matter how much persuasive calling and dead bird tossing you do.