HAVING A HOOT WITH CROWS
WHY WE SHOOT
• Crows are destructive agricultural pests. They cause serious crop damage, and feed on songbirds' eggs and chicks.
• Scavenging crows prey on vulnerable lambs causing pain, distress and ultimately death.
• Damage caused by hungry crows can impact on farmers' livelihoods, so controlling them helps the rural economy.
• Time spent ambushing crows from a hide is a great way to unwind and enjoy the countryside.
THE QUARRY
CARRION CROW
Corvus corone
PEST STATUS: A major problem for farmers, especially in the spring, crows peck the eyes from newborn lambs. They also feed on the eggs and chicks of other birds.
HABITAT: Crows have a wide range of habitat, but feed mostly around farmyards, in woodland and on crops. They favour nesting sites in tall trees either in woods or along hedgerows.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Crows are sharp-eyed and very wary of man. Getting within range usually takes a high level of fieldcraft and concealment.
Crows are a yearround problem on most of the farms where I shoot and particularly on the holding where I'm targeting them today. These
