"Crow in the Next County - Almost!"
by Gary Releford

Let me start by saying this. I can’t think of anyone who likes shooting crows more than yours truly. I find it difficult to fathom that such a person exists. That said, I would like to tell you about my longest witnessed kill ever on one of these "Anthracite Antagonists."

It was the third of September, 2002. Down in the hills of Owen county Kentucky is a privately owned and funded bird hunting club by the name of Pheasant Ridge. This club offers real fine bird, deer, and turkey hunting. The crow hunting is excellent also. All the way at the end of one of the ridges with lanes cut through for the hunters and dogs is a wheat field that had just been clipped.

One of the owners, Park Perkins, informed me a couple of days before about crows coming into that field bright and early. I made plans to be there at daybreak. I was there and set-up at 7:00 AM. Mr. Perkins greeted me at 7:15 as he left for work. Just around 7:25 AM, things started getting interesting. At the extreme end of this field crows were landing. Almost at once there were 12 to 15 of the "Ebony Rogues" on the ground.

They seemed to want to stay together, maybe there was a concentration of grain at that spot. Sprinkled around the outer perimeter of this group were a few individual stragglers. Taking my time, I lasered the cluster of "Black Bandits". My RF-1 Swarovski range finder informed me that they were 484 yards out. That is a barrel stretching distance for a target so small. Oh…what a challenge!! Referring to my laminated wallet size chart, I concluded 25 or 26 elevation clicks. This from a dead-on zero of 100 yards. So… I cranked up the Leopold Ultra M1-A 10x Sniper scope 25 elevation clicks.

I felt a very slight breeze on my right cheek. But, I had no way to know what was happening out there almost five football fields away. I tossed a handful of grass straight up anyway. I watched as it ever so slightly went to my left. Considering this, I decided to go after the "Maize Marauder" on the right edge of the group. Putting the fine crosshairs on his head, really tiny at this distance, the quarter minute dot covered the head completely. My reasoning was, if there is a breeze out there, maybe it will drift the bullet into his body. Or, if it goes past him, it might catch one of his buddies. Hey, I’m trying to hit him anywhere at this distance! Going through my breathing routine, I touched the one and one half ounce (built for this gun) Jewell Trigger. A milli-second later, the 51 grain 22 PPC projective found its mark.

The entire flock of "thieving rascals" exploded sky ward. It was like some strange black fireworks display erupting straight up, with the exception of one. He flopped once or twice and lay still. Needless to say, I was very ecstatic. I had just pulled off one phenomenal shot. I threw up both hands and shouted "Yes"!! After some high fives, I calmed down and said to Stacy Perkins, Park’s son and co-owner, "Let’s go get him". We then drove back to the ridge to get my trophy.

Normally, the crows are discarded, but this one was special. The distance at which he was taken made him eligible for a trip to the taxidermist. After consulting about who should do the work, I headed out for Noem’s Wildlife Artistry in Union, KY. Dave Noem is a grand master award winning taxidermist and it sure shows. He did a beautiful job on the "Corn Crop Connoisseur" and it now occupies a place on my desk. Now let me say that I realize 484 yards is no big deal if the target is a prairie dog, rockchuck, woodchuck, coyote, fox, etc. I am confident that kills are made quite often. However, I doubt it happens much with a crow because of the tiny target area. The kill zone on all the varmints mentioned is generous indeed when compared to the hen egg sized target that is offered by the crow underneath all of those thick, glossy black feathers. Take the Prairie Dog for example. He has a figure like a gourd with virtually the entire animal as a kill zone. Quite a bit of difference. Oh, by the way, obviously there was nothing of a breeze out there that September morning. I hit him in the head, right behind the beak and exited out the neck.

I know it was a lucky shot. I have had three others as well. One was at 425 yards, no witness. One at 442 yards witnessed by Park Perkins, and one at 421 yards with nine witnesses present. This one made me feel especially good when you consider a target so small almost in another zip code.