I have a small orchard and the crows keep looting it. The game warden has given me permission to shoot them out of season. This year we're heading for a bumper crop if the weather gods don't screw us (again). The crows have learned to stay out of shotgun range but will raid the trees very early in the AM when I'm asleep and too old to get up early.

I was told that the .17 Marlin sold by WalMart a decent, cheap gun.

Is this true? Is .17 a good round for crows at a dsiance of say 100 or 150 yards?

I don't know much about these calibers and guns so any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you

I shot some with the 17 HMR at 165 yards when I hit them they are dead

Killing a crow isn't the hard part, sneaking up and hitting them is the challenge. Since one assumes you are shooting at crows in trees, be sure of the backstop for your shots. Missing the crow and killing someone a mile or so away can ruin an otherwise good day. Also, crows are smart and can learn quickly. A couple of missed shots and you're busted.

.17 should work fine up to 100 yards. 22mag or .222 is also a viable cartridge. Birds will become wise once shot at. Shotgun and tape of crow in distress will bring them in. Owl decoy works good also.

17HMR will work further than 100 yards,
even out to 200 yards. Foes are killed
here in Aus out that far and a crow would
be easier to kill.
(Savage Thumbhole stocked varminter)

As someone said, watch the back stop.

If you can get up high and shoot down onto
them, maybe from even inside a building
through an open window, that would help.

Thank you for all the info. Max range around my little orchard is about 110 yards. My nearly shot-out .22 isn't good enough and mostly I can't get within shotgun range. I'v e been ground sluicing most of them or getting them as they fly over the woods heading toward the orchard.

It sounds as tho the .17 might be the ticket. I want to go as cheap as possible, not having any other use for this gun, and wonder if the Marlin sold at WalMart is good enough for this purpose?

I have to look into owl decoys - was not aware of that phenomenon.

Thank you all again!

Oxon,

An Owl Decoy witha Crow fight caller will bring 'em in like, Ugh, right now. The firefight only lasts about 15 seconds or so until they realize they got fooled. Only happens a coupla times until they smarten up; can reco a .12 gauge semi-auto with the plug (where legal) removed.

An orchard a new challenge for me with a rifle we usually use shotguns.

Fields a different story; getting above with a rifle is sage advice and we used to do it when bales of hay were normal square ones; today you cannot move 'em without a fork lift. Although rolling two large round ones close together and covering the space in between with desert camo netting has woked for us with shotguns.

When we were alot younger and full of energy we used to build really high fortresses outa hay bales with ramparts & firing ports - the Whole Nine Yards. Then we'd climb up and lay wait for 'em. Suprise! A .222 Remington just makes a blizzard of black feathers on the intital volley, too Cool, 17HMR also! 22lr & 22mag work but not nearly as spectacular.

Some ramblings but perhaps Food for Thought; you gotta be creative & smart with Crows.

I can imagine a hay-bale fort - that has to have been really cool!

1. Accuracy at the range you're shooting at is the most important. The Crows I've gotten with a rifle have been with either a 204 Ruger or a 270 Winchester.

2. Crows do learn fast. I got them to come in once to a crow in distress call; after that they have been wise.

3. I've had a couple of artificial owls out for a year or two and the ONLY bird that paid any attention to it was a hawk.

4. If there is a particular time of day they tend to come in, I'd be waiting, hopefully behind some cover to ambush them with a shotgun.

The Wal-mart 17HMR Marlin is about perfect for what you are wanting. My Marlin likes the Hornady 17 grain V-MAX loads. I've killed hundreds of crows with mine and its good as far as you can hit 'em. The crows will learn real fast to avoid your orchard. You can also hang dead crows up here and there, seems to help in the corn fields round here.

Good luck and God Bless, Louis

PS keep us posted on progress.

Thanks, young! Glad to get first-hand info. I'm going to try to buy one of the WalMart Marlins this week - they were out of them earlier.

Whenever I do nail a crow I leave it on the ground, wings outstretched, in the orchard and it does work for a while to keep crows away.

What scope do you use on your .17?

I use a Burris FFII 3X9X40 with the Ballistic Plex. The marks line right up zeroed at 100yds, then has marks every 50 yds out to 300yds. Seems like mine is about perfect at all the yardages. I've killed several crows right at 300 yds. A range finder is a must at that distance.

On your Marlin the forend screw will greatly effect accuracy. You will find a sweet spot if you play with the tension on the screw. Most of the Marlins will easily keep the group in about an inch and on good days in a dime.

If you kill some crows in the dead of winter and hang them in a barn they sorta freeze dry and then you can hang them in the orchard and they will last for months. Thats what we do in our corn. Hanging them up keeps varmints from bothering 'em. They don't stink much by then either. You can stock pile 'em in the winter when the season is open so you have 'em when the season is closed. Course you already have permission from the LEO.

Will your Marlin have the wood stock or synthetic? Blue or stainless?

God Bless, Louis

Plans are good, gun you have in mind is too.
I question why WalMart and not a local gunstore though. They need your business much more than w/m does. They'll also advise and help you get the gun n right scope setup and ready to use. W/m won't know what the H they're doing or talking about, don't care one way or the other whether you even buy from them, gun or otherwise.
Best wishes and good shooting.
George

George - I agree with you 100% about using local gun stores. I went to three of them and none of them had one and they really didn't seem interested in ordering one since apparently the factory is backordered a long time. You're right, W-M is staffed by people who really don't care. I really prefer patronizing the gun shops but they don't seem too interested in a $200 sale, either, unless it's off-the-shelf. I realize that they don't make a whole lot on a low-end gun and maybe that's why they don't try too hard.

I remember when I was shopping for a rifle and called several local stores who wanted too much money to order what I wanted. Believe it or not, Cabela's had what I wanted and at the best price.

I now do most of my gun buying on gunbroker.com. I have an FFL holder who lives about a mile from me that does the transfers very economically. Gunbroker.com has lists of FFL holders that may be fairly local to you that you could call.

Well, I got one online, complete with the Marlin scope (about which I know nothing - have no idea if it's good bad or indifferent) It isn't as cheap as the W-Mart ones but at least it was available. Should have it next week or so.

Now, of course, comes the ammo problem. None of my local guns shops have .17 ammo!

Long winded old Geo Herter had a scheme I never tried but sound like you might care too.

Hit the 2nd had stores for larger skillets, big ones, 15 inches or more, any metal. You make a series of nests in each out of twisted grass like you are a big bird. Underneath the grass you put a couple "jump traps". And on top of the grass you put golf balls to look like eggs. Crows are egg stealing SOB's big time. Decent food and kills off competition. Crow lands to peck the eggs, trap snaps and that crow ain't going anywhere.

2). Crows and owls are natural enemies. Competiton I suppose. Crows are push overs at night for owls but will try to harass them to death by daylight. Owl decoys that move attract crows and the call sound is gravey. If you have the shotgun shells. You might try to attract some owls to your trees.

3). .17s are nice but you need very good accuracy. The .222 was "it" when I was little, but then the .223 wasn't out yet. With ammo shortage these days... You might look for a tired target rig. Groups only .75 or so. Reloaded .222s are cheaper and more available than rimfires... Marlin might make it and you might need to trade. Light bullets that explode and make clouds of feathers... FUN. Luck.

iiranger, you are evil!!!

I've gotta try the fake nest thing. What's a "jump trap?" Will a rat trap work instead?

I use to love hunting crows. I used a 22-250 and it would explode them. I hunted them when I found their roost and could only hunt them in the evening when they would come into the roost. I would camo up and find a vantage point off about 200yards and wait for them to come in. Shoot one and the others would fly up but not leave because of the roost. They would settle and bang I would shoot another. Would be like this until too dark to shoot. Only worked in the evening because in the mornings you could only get one shot off cause they would just leave the roost in the am.

Oxon--You didn't mention if you reload. If you don't, sounds like you have good reason to start. The crow problem will be ongoing--for as long as you own the orchard. For that reason I would use a centerfire that could be reloaded. I don't have one, but I think I'd like a .204 Ruger---I like .20 cal in air rifles much more than either .177 or .22. I'd go with a CZ and a Leupold scope, you should be good to go. You could reload it much cheaper than the $30 per hundred the .17 will cost you.

a jump trap goes back a ways. I'm not even sure they still make them. they are a underspring trap that actually jumped when triggered. it was supposed to be the cat's nuts as a mink trap. I used a number of them for muskrats and mink. can't say that they work any better than a coil spring or a long spring, though.
none of them are like a rat trap however.

Well, I got my Marlin 17HMR with heavy barrel. It feels very much like my old Remington 513 .22 and isn't something I would want to carry thru the woods for any length of time!

It stopped raining long enough for me to slog to the range and sight it in. So far pretty pleased. It came with a 3-9X Marlin scope and the 9X isn't quite enough for long shots but the reticle is reasonably fine and at 100 yards I can place the shots into crow profiles. That's all I wanted.

But the ammo is crazy hard to get.

As the reviews on this gun indicate, the magazines are sloppy fits. However both mags that came with the gun feed perfectly OK.

My all time favorite crow medicine is a 59' win varminter in 220 swift. I use any gun 22lr and 218bee thru .243 on them. My crows that visit my pecan orchard are very smart. they know my truck as well as me with a long gun. Fox pro worked like a charm till they lost 4 or 5 scouts..

As Youngsters we hunted farm fields with shot guns owl, hawk and crow decoys and mouth calls. we shot many a crow from fence rows that way. then one day we were out shooting the 243's in the back pasture when a flock of crows flew into the wood lot about 200 yards behind the pasture. Looked like a burst open pillow with black feathers floating in the skys. Havn't used a shot gun since. Favorite set up now is a Rugar 77-220 swift a home made call with sounds on a MP# player of a owl crow fight and a hawk crow fight. I think the crows hang around longer when shot at with a rifle from distance.

Al

quote:

I think the crows hang around longer when shot at with a rifle from distance.

They do, especially if you are not clearly visible.

If you have a hide or hide yourself, you do even better.

Well, my new .17HMR has ben waiting...and waiting...
The fruit in my orchard is ripening but the crows are staying away - I nailed too many with a shotgun and left them displayed between the trees and the crows have learned. If I hear them in the distance and use my crow call they run like hell!! I guess they've learned to recognize my accent.

I am waiting to try out the rifle on a real, live crow and suspect that if I hide in the bushes and nail them at 125 yds or so they might be a bit puzzled.

If you walk down to hide in the bushes,
get someone to go with you and take some
serious camouflage material and cover face
and hands.

Then two walk down, set up, one walks away.

If you want to try a safe alternative method you can use popcorn or canned corn on a string. Just string a few kernels on a thread and tie it to something solid. Crows will swallow the kernels and the string and they cannot regurgitate. Can't fly away and you can dispatch them at your convience.