This is my first time posting here, so I'd like to say hello to everybody. Anyway, about six months ago I was lucky enought to move into a house on my in-laws property. I've got 215 acres of orchards to hunt all by myself. We've got rabbits, sage rats, rock chucks, crows, magpies, and a few coyotes. I was just wondering if anybody else had any experience hunting in orchard country and what techniques they used to get at the smarter animals. Especially coyotes and crows. Every time I've seen a coyote, it runs 10 yards and dissapears. The crows really tear up the cherry and apple crops in the spring, so they are a high priority. I've tried calling but can't seem to get them close enough to hit with a shotgun, and they land in the tree's, so a rifle isn't really the answer. Any help would be much appreciated.

For crows, find a bare tree within shotgun range of an evergreen that you can get under or build a covered hide. Stuff a bunch of black socks with paper towels and hang them in a tree with an owl replica. Get a crows fighting owls tape and set a remote speaker up under the bare tree. Hide under your cover. Play the tape and wait for them to start landing or spinning tight loops over the bare tree. Hop out and lay waste to the black devils. They see well so full camo is good. This works especially well on foggy days where their vision is limited. They are also smart so you must change locations regularly. Hang the shot crows in the trees with the socks. After you bang a bunch keep the wings and hang them with the socks to provide action for the sets.

Carnivior has set you on the right track with the crows. Make a good hide or blind, get some crow calls and put out some decoys. They will also hang around for a bit longer over a carcass if you can put somthing out for them, and it will put them on the ground for you. Just make sure it can be seen from the air.
try shooting them over a bait with .22 shorts or subsonics(silencer if allowed?) as opposed to the shotgun, as sometimes they will hang around after a quiet shot and peck at wounded companions.
You can make up some wire "tripods" on which you prop the dead crows up on to make them more convincing.
They will quickly catch on to whatever trick you make up, so try to let them settle over a bait of get used to a blind before going out and change tactis often. Also try to dedicate a good days slaughter to them, rather than lots of little attempts to get one or two.

An old dairy framer I knew once had a dead cow in a paddoc and after a while it was covered in crows. He filled the carcass with dynamite and blew the lot to peices!!!

Hey, there! If you have more critters than you can shoot, give a holler I'm still trying to find places to shoot around here.

Also, you might try crowbusters.com Appears to be lots of good info there, though I've never been out for crows myself.

Monte

Depending on terrain, take a look at the new 17 HMR rinfire. If you have a high spot whit some background to shoot into this is a 200 yard rimfire round that from the reports I've read leaves a nice puff of feathers on a hit
Look to call the 'yotes on the edges. I would spend some time taking walks in the middle of the day with a map and keep track of ALL sign found. Plan your blind/calling locations based on what patterns you find from the information over time.

Good Luck!

Thanks for the help. I've looked into a suppressor for my 10/22, but it looks to be a royal pain in the ass to aquire legally. I guess I'm just going to have to get better with a shotgun. Milanuk, if there were to many things to shoot out here, more than likely I wouldn't be on the computer, lol. I have heard that there is some really hot spots in you're area for coyotes, and rock chucks in the spring. Good luck.