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  #31  
Old 05-18-2010, 09:14 PM
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Crows can also decimate duck and other eggs. The Crow will watch to see when the hen leaves a nest and then will eat the eggs or young birds. They can really put a major loss in duck eggs around a body of water by doing this.
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  #32  
Old 05-19-2010, 03:20 PM
whiskybaron whiskybaron is offline
 
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Mud bug you are very correct Ravens and crows are one of the largest predators of bird nests around and people do not realize it I have seen ravens catch a hen mallard in teh open and eat the newly hatched chicks whole before they could reach water. Some people have asked why wopuld you shoot them my answr is we control everything else on this planet including deer and waterfowl etc then we need to help them out by controlling their predators at least that is what I think I will shoot every raven (on private property) and crow and magpie that I can
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  #33  
Old 05-20-2010, 12:43 PM
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I've downed a couple crows this year and a few magpies , hate those suckers . not exactly easy to get sometimes though , pretty smart
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  #34  
Old 05-20-2010, 04:32 PM
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Originally Posted by Scotty P. View Post
I have never witnessed it myself but I have been told by a cattle rancher that crows and ravens can and will kill new born calfs just after they're born. Apparently they go after the eyes and the O ring. If it's true, it's a terrible way to go.

Yes this is true...I had first hand experience with that growing up on a cattle farm in Manitoba. And ever since I have had all crows, ravens, and magpies (especially them!) on the shyte-list. Those are three birds that serve no useful purpose on this planet. Actually, I'll add a fourth bird to that list:

The Manitoba Mosquito!

If you've lived there...you know.
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  #35  
Old 05-20-2010, 04:36 PM
archerynewb archerynewb is offline
 
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Originally Posted by Jack&7 View Post
Actually, I'll add a fourth bird to that list:

The Manitoba Mosquito!

If you've lived there...you know.
The hum of the spray trucks in the dead of the night still haunt me.
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  #36  
Old 05-20-2010, 06:19 PM
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Originally Posted by flyguyd View Post

I believe they can live to be twice that and they look quite stunning mounted
Yes, yes they do!
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  #37  
Old 05-20-2010, 06:21 PM
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Originally Posted by Erik View Post
I've seen them harass bald eagles. Two or three crows will dive bomb/tail an eagle to either steal fish or just for the 'fun' of it. They can be extremely cruel birds when they desire. They are also incredibly intelligent and very plucky. They use to outsmart (not incredibly hard to do with the characters I worked with) a team of deckhands at the fishing lodge I worked at and would often be found gorging themselves on salmon eyes/scaps.

Should you witness the injury or death of a crow in the company of other crows you will be treated to the most awful blood-curdling shrieks ever heard. No sound has ever disturbed me more than 100 crows calling out to their brethren in distress. A truly haunting experience, something very Hitchcock-esque.
A good shot can wing them and let them scream in otrher targets - so I'm told.
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  #38  
Old 05-20-2010, 06:42 PM
IR_mike IR_mike is offline
 
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A good shot can wing them and let them scream in otrher targets - so I'm told.
You have been told right.
I have found watching a magpie shot and left in the open were it is visible can result in a few more till they wise up.
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  #39  
Old 05-20-2010, 10:43 PM
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The one good thing I've ever witnessed crows do is kill pigeons. 3 crows would attack them midair and pluck em till they hit the ground then tear them apart. I will still blast every one of the things I can though. I've heard they can put an end to up to 30% of the eggs layed by ducks in certain regions every year. Reason enough for me, as well as the fact they tear open garbage and aren't blessed with the best singing voices...
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  #40  
Old 05-20-2010, 11:04 PM
tappen tappen is offline
 
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As a sheep farmer, and having witnessed what ravens/crows do to a new born lamb when they get the chance, if its on my land, it is dead, the regs/rules don't matter to me in a situation such as that, some of you may find me ignorant, but im sure you wouldn't lets ravens kill what your family depended on.
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  #41  
Old 05-20-2010, 11:21 PM
Jon_Boy Jon_Boy is offline
 
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Yeah, those birds sure can be a nuisance! Raise heck with my dog and the nice birds around the farm. I got two magpies this morning but they sure are clever. Would be a lot easier if there weren't so many cattle around the yard and could just pull out the .22-250. They always seem to stay just out of range but the 870 and a little patience did the trick today.
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  #42  
Old 05-20-2010, 11:55 PM
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Default Weird.....

I just finished up a job at the Calgary Auto Mall. I took out 20 spruce trees in the Ford's dealership complex. Every tree had a minimum of one nest in it. Mostly crow, but with a mix of magpie.

There were four nests that were active. The first was just eggs (easy), but today resulted in three with not yet feathered young ones. Fugly buggers, but still living creatures. They were dispatched as humanely as possible. To be totally honest......it sucked.

What puzzled me was the lack of protective adults, and nest proximety. Just a very weird situation that after 15 years in the business in Calgary I have never experienced.
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  #43  
Old 05-21-2010, 03:52 PM
Jims71duster Jims71duster is offline
 
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Really bad carma to shoot a raven!!!!!Surprised none of the aboriginals havn't spoke up yet lol,,oh ,,guess one just did. Those of you who have magpie troubles its real easy to make a large live trap that gets lots of them at once. 4ft x4ft wire cage with a 6 in. hole on the top with a wire tunnel going down, neck this down to about 4in. But dog food or old meat under the tunnel, they will drop in and tuck their wings to get in but can't fly back out. works gr8
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  #44  
Old 05-28-2010, 01:04 AM
Marisa Marisa is offline
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Originally Posted by TreeGuy View Post
I just finished up a job at the Calgary Auto Mall. I took out 20 spruce trees in the Ford's dealership complex. Every tree had a minimum of one nest in it. Mostly crow, but with a mix of magpie.

There were four nests that were active. The first was just eggs (easy), but today resulted in three with not yet feathered young ones. Fugly buggers, but still living creatures. They were dispatched as humanely as possible. To be totally honest......it sucked.

What puzzled me was the lack of protective adults, and nest proximety. Just a very weird situation that after 15 years in the business in Calgary I have never experienced.
There are places where you can take the injured or orphaned wildlife - there is no need to kill it - ever. What a tragic loss! Medicine River Wildlife Center will have a volunteer pick up the animals - all you have to do is make a phone call. 4-403-728-3467. Please do not kill andy more animals needlessly.

M.
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  #45  
Old 05-28-2010, 01:06 AM
Marisa Marisa is offline
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Originally Posted by tappen View Post
As a sheep farmer, and having witnessed what ravens/crows do to a new born lamb when they get the chance, if its on my land, it is dead, the regs/rules don't matter to me in a situation such as that, some of you may find me ignorant, but im sure you wouldn't lets ravens kill what your family depended on.
Wives tales. They don't eat the babies. They may go for the after birth but that's it. If the baby was already dead, that's another story but they do not kill the babies.

M.
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  #46  
Old 05-28-2010, 01:11 AM
Marisa Marisa is offline
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Originally Posted by Jack&7 View Post
Yes this is true...I had first hand experience with that growing up on a cattle farm in Manitoba. And ever since I have had all crows, ravens, and magpies (especially them!) on the shyte-list. Those are three birds that serve no useful purpose on this planet. Actually, I'll add a fourth bird to that list:

The Manitoba Mosquito!

If you've lived there...you know.
They actually do serve a usual purpose on this planet. Did you know that Raven's are the second most intelligent bird in the world? The only bird that is more intelligent than a raven is a Macaw. They are likely going after the afterbirth on the calves. They hunt small rodents so unless you have mouse sized cows, you are safe from the ravens and crows. They will go for the calf if it's dead. Look to other things for killing the calves.

You gotta be smart about the environment and eco system - you kill off a bunch of one preditor and then your farm will be over run by some other pest. Ravens and crows ... they least of your worries.
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  #47  
Old 05-28-2010, 01:12 AM
Marisa Marisa is offline
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Originally Posted by Jims71duster View Post
Really bad carma to shoot a raven!!!!!Surprised none of the aboriginals havn't spoke up yet lol,,oh ,,guess one just did. Those of you who have magpie troubles its real easy to make a large live trap that gets lots of them at once. 4ft x4ft wire cage with a 6 in. hole on the top with a wire tunnel going down, neck this down to about 4in. But dog food or old meat under the tunnel, they will drop in and tuck their wings to get in but can't fly back out. works gr8
And then you turn it over to Med River to relocate it. Magpies are the cousin to the raven - it's not cool to shoot them either.
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  #48  
Old 05-28-2010, 01:16 AM
Marisa Marisa is offline
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Originally Posted by burningfreak View Post
The one good thing I've ever witnessed crows do is kill pigeons. 3 crows would attack them midair and pluck em till they hit the ground then tear them apart. I will still blast every one of the things I can though. I've heard they can put an end to up to 30% of the eggs layed by ducks in certain regions every year. Reason enough for me, as well as the fact they tear open garbage and aren't blessed with the best singing voices...
You could get an animal proof garbage can and if the crows actually caught a pigeon and killed it, it's likely the pigeon was injured or sick. A healthy pigeon can fly circles around a crow - they are fast!

Stop blasting at everything that moves and start thinking about what you are doing. It is not necessary to kill everything that gets in your way. C'mon we are suppose to be a civilized society. This is not whe wild west and Yosemite Sam is not a good role model.

M.
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  #49  
Old 05-28-2010, 01:21 AM
Marisa Marisa is offline
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Originally Posted by IR_mike View Post
Maybe if your doing it in town limits...........joke.

Crows are considered a pest like gophers. No season, no bag limit.
Just a heck of a lot of fun.
Fun. You think it's fun to shoot one of the most intelligent birds on the planet. That's just not right man. You need to do some soul searching because killing things for fun makes you walk the path between sanity and something else. It's not a good road to walk.

M.
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  #50  
Old 05-28-2010, 01:25 AM
Marisa Marisa is offline
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Originally Posted by 209x50 View Post
A good shot can wing them and let them scream in otrher targets - so I'm told.
If you were shot in the arm, you'd screem too. Stop shooting at intelligent birds and play within the laws of whatever hunting license you get. If you must hunt - how about being ethical. Have some honor and quit killing things that don't stand a chance. You - as an intelligent human being have been put on this planet to protect those who can't protect themselves. C'mon and man up.
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  #51  
Old 05-28-2010, 01:28 AM
Marisa Marisa is offline
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Originally Posted by mudbug View Post
Crows can also decimate duck and other eggs. The Crow will watch to see when the hen leaves a nest and then will eat the eggs or young birds. They can really put a major loss in duck eggs around a body of water by doing this.
And hunters shoot the biggest, strongest deer of the herd. Tell me that that doesn't hurt the deer. You can't blame one animal in nature because of how it manages to survive. There are many other things out there other than a crow that will eat duck eggs. Eagles, hawks, squirrels, muskrat, otter, foxes, cougars, bears .... so what's the deal of picking on the crow?

I don't get the logic here.
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  #52  
Old 05-28-2010, 01:34 AM
Marisa Marisa is offline
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Originally Posted by whiskybaron View Post
Mud bug you are very correct Ravens and crows are one of the largest predators of bird nests around and people do not realize it I have seen ravens catch a hen mallard in teh open and eat the newly hatched chicks whole before they could reach water. Some people have asked why wopuld you shoot them my answr is we control everything else on this planet including deer and waterfowl etc then we need to help them out by controlling their predators at least that is what I think I will shoot every raven (on private property) and crow and magpie that I can
The biggest predators of bird nests are cats. That's right, your house and/or barn cat will kill more birds than all the other natural predators of birds. Merlin's (a small falcon) does nothing but hunt birds - the same applies to you the regal Peregrine Falcon. Gyrfalcons and all hawks also hunt other birds so ... what are you going to do .... shoot every bird out there?

How can you fault one species from doing its best to survive.That's nature and it really doesn't need you interfering with it. You'll only make the situation worse in the end. Butterfly effect man - you are causing more of a problem than solving it.

M.
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  #53  
Old 05-28-2010, 05:05 AM
IR_mike IR_mike is offline
 
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Originally Posted by Marisa View Post
And hunters shoot the biggest, strongest deer of the herd. Tell me that that doesn't hurt the deer. You can't blame one animal in nature because of how it manages to survive. There are many other things out there other than a crow that will eat duck eggs. Eagles, hawks, squirrels, muskrat, otter, foxes, cougars, bears .... so what's the deal of picking on the crow?

I don't get the logic here.

Because its fun?

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  #54  
Old 05-28-2010, 07:51 AM
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Originally Posted by Marisa View Post
And hunters shoot the biggest, strongest deer of the herd. Tell me that that doesn't hurt the deer. You can't blame one animal in nature because of how it manages to survive. There are many other things out there other than a crow that will eat duck eggs. Eagles, hawks, squirrels, muskrat, otter, foxes, cougars, bears .... so what's the deal of picking on the crow?

I don't get the logic here.

i thought i recognized you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVZD2x1Yqjg
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  #55  
Old 05-28-2010, 09:44 AM
fish_e_o fish_e_o is offline
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that 12 gauge sure makes a mess up close...
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  #56  
Old 05-28-2010, 10:07 AM
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The Fisherman Guy The Fisherman Guy is offline
 
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I wonder how long your anti attitude will be tolerated, clearly your views are against the rules of this board.

From the Rules Sticky:
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This message board is for hunters, anglers, trappers, and other persons who may be interested in hunting, fishing and trapping. Therefore, anti-hunters, anti-anglers, and anti-trappers are not welcome to the use of this message board.
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Originally Posted by Marisa View Post
They will go for the calf if it's dead.
Many calves are killed each year during birth from stress from ravens and eagles targeting a calving cow. They go after the eyes of the newborn, and they die shortly after birth.

Quote:
...hunters shoot the biggest, strongest deer of the herd...
Wow. Just wow. Ignorance defined.
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  #57  
Old 05-28-2010, 10:44 AM
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sorry Marisa I am going to believe the actual guys that farm and not you . My bro in law was a farmer and he told me magpies will pluck the eyes out of a steer . Maybe you need to get out in the country a bit . I don't think you will be around here long. The people on this board actually have some wildlife knowledge
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  #58  
Old 05-28-2010, 11:54 AM
Marisa Marisa is offline
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Originally Posted by IR_mike View Post
Because its fun?

It's not ethical though is it? There is no honor in this act. You are actually doing more harm to your hunting community than good. It's through careless, thoughtless acts such as shooting at animals that you will not consume that enrage the general public and endanger your sport.


M.
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  #59  
Old 05-28-2010, 11:55 AM
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She's just trying to get our backs up. It would be pretty boring for her, if she were to be ignored. She might just go away.
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  #60  
Old 05-28-2010, 12:10 PM
Marisa Marisa is offline
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sorry Marisa I am going to believe the actual guys that farm and not you . My bro in law was a farmer and he told me magpies will pluck the eyes out of a steer . Maybe you need to get out in the country a bit . I don't think you will be around here long. The people on this board actually have some wildlife knowledge
Here's the thing: Causation does not equal correlation. In other words, it's circumstantial evidence. The farmer may have seen a corvid around a baby cow but was that corvid actually pecking at the eyes? And/or, if that farmer saw a corvid pecking at the eyes of the animal - was it already dead? The third question is: Was that calf sick and dying or was it healthy. If it was healthy, it would survive the eye pecking and that would be some evidence against the bird.

Don't believe everything you hear - find out for yourself - do some research.

With all due respect, maybe I'm not the one who needs to get out in the country more. :-)


M.
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