Hoodie hunting is very popular among fans of air guns. Some of its species have even emerged as a separate, in my opinion, purely poaching direction, known as “crowhunting.” However, normal hunting raises almost more questions than other types, especially in terms of legality.
Let's leave aside from consideration shooting in populated areas, which is clearly interpreted as an offense (a hefty fine plus confiscation of weapons). We would also include shooting from car windows there and for the same reasons. Well, and the hunt for other corvids, typical of “crowhunting” - rooks, jackdaws and even Ravens (in the photo below - on the left, the rest of the characters are identified without problems). The latter may generally be present in the Red Book of a particular region, for example, in Moscow.
We are talking exclusively about hunting grounds and legal methods of obtaining objects of the animal world. So what is it about these hooded crows, how are they different from ducks or quails, and why is hunting them so unclear?
The history of the “crow” question
For hundreds, perhaps thousands of years, crows were outside the scope of true hunting. Still, it was always just a trade (for some, amusement), and the ultimate goal was the extraction of meat or skins. With regard to “pests”, this was precisely shooting for, as they would say now, population control. In general, when crows or wolves began to cause very obvious damage, they were simply destroyed. Having no visible material profit from this. It was at least possible to skin a wolf, but what about a crow?
Even hunting legislation from the moment of its inception not only did not prevent the extermination of pests, but also encouraged it in every possible way. And only literally in recent years has everything changed so much that even experienced rifle hunters, not to mention airgunners, often find it difficult to answer the question - is it possible or not to hunt crows nowadays?
It would seem that not so long ago the “Hunting Rules” included an article “Regulating the number of animals that cause damage to hunting.” It said, in particular:
- On the territory of the RSFSR ( then the Russian Federation, author's note ), the number of wolves, jackals, hooded crows, as well as stray mongrel dogs and cats is subject to regulation throughout the year.
Harvesting these animals without the use of firearms, special preparations, as well as snares and traps is permitted to all citizens throughout the year. In this case, it is allowed to destroy the homes of these species.
- The hunter has the right to shoot the animals listed in paragraph 72 during any legal presence in the area for the purpose of hunting.
Roughly speaking, any hunter, when hunting legally (i.e. during the season, with a hunting ticket, voucher, etc.) had the right to shoot so-called harmful animals and birds completely freely. Without any restrictions. Moreover, this was encouraged financially; for example, upon presentation of crow’s feet, depending on the region, one could receive cartridges or a credit for “working out.”
Permission to shoot crows was especially popular. This is understandable: this paper gave the right to be in hunting grounds with weapons even in the off-season. Again, nothing prevented me from shooting at targets during this period - it’s great! Not everyone was given such a tempting thing. But they prescribed them to me regularly, because not only had I never been caught poaching, but I also actively worked with the same game wardens. True, I had to submit a report, presenting my paws and thereby confirming that it was not just that I was wandering around the forests with a gun :)).
But in those days, as you can see from the second paragraph of paragraph 72 of the Rules, any person in general, even without being a hunter and not having a firearm, could also legally join in the hunting of certain birds and animals.
Therefore, no one raised the question of the legality of shooting crows; for decades everything was quiet, peaceful and understandable. The consequences of this are still being felt, since then legislation began to change regularly and dramatically, literally jumping from side to side. Hence the current confusion.
In general, I have the opinion that the above points were excluded from the Rules precisely because of the massive appearance of air rifles in Russia in the 90s (they were once banned for ordinary citizens). Well, of course, citizens, especially teenagers, who had gotten their hands on weapons that did not require permission from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, enthusiastically began firing at everything that moved. And as for the “harmful crows” - and in general with completely good goals and on a seemingly legal basis. So we finished shooting...
In general, legal regulation of the number of hooded crows then came to naught. But the problem remains - the predators themselves have not gone away.
Then, already in the early 10s of this century, the hooded crow, at the discretion of regional authorities, began to be included in the list of hunting species. Clause 60 of the Rules appeared: “When legally hunting for any species of game animals, the hunting of wolves, jackals, crows (gray, black and large-billed) is permitted, if the latter are classified as hunting resources by the laws of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation.”
That is, if, say, in the Ryazan region a crow was approved in the list of hunting resources, then please shoot it during the season, like in the good old days. And if in Tula the governor “forgot” about it, then let them multiply.
But that’s okay, because by Order of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources dated April 10, 2012 No. 98, paragraph 60 was also eliminated.
It is not surprising that even experienced hunters eventually managed to get confused in domestic lawmaking.
Using decoy
Hunting a crow is difficult because it is difficult to get close to the bird. Hooded crows are cautious and do not allow the hunter to approach them. You can deceive the bird with a special decoy.
It is a small electronic device with speakers that plays the sound of crows. The decoy can be purchased at a special hunting store or made by yourself. To do this you will need a smartphone or player, high-quality portable speakers and a power source.
The success of hunting with a decoy depends on the purity of sound reproduction. The clearer the sound, the higher the likelihood that the crow will be deceived and approach the hunter's shelter within shooting distance.
The advantage of homemade semolina is its relatively low cost. You can purchase all the components at an affordable price, especially if you take advantage of sales or buy secondhand.
In addition to imitating the cry of a crow, the recorded cries of a hare, a mouse squeak and the alarm cry of another bird's chick work quite successfully. However, decoys work better when hunting young individuals that have recently left the parental nest.
For decoy hunting, it is very important to build a shelter. The hunter, hiding behind a fence or in the bushes near the nest, turns on the decoy for a few seconds. It is enough for the cry to be played 1-2 times, and then the decoy needs to be turned off and wait a while. After 5 minutes the manipulation can be repeated. If a young and careless crow is nearby, it will probably show curiosity and quickly go looking for the source of the sound. Here the hunter needs to wait, take aim and shoot at the prey.
The current state of affairs with crow hunting
So what now?
, a crow must be included along with them . Again, if it is classified as a hunting object by regional legislation. That is, something like the aforementioned paragraph 60 of the Rules has returned, only with serious restrictions. In addition to the mandatory mention of these birds in the permit, shooting crows is now permissible only during hunting for birds, and not for “any species of game animals,” as before.
That, in fact, is all that concerns the current state of affairs with the “crow” hunting legislation. Just remember to carefully read the regional/territorial/republican Hunting Rules and include crows in the permit in addition to woodcock or hazel grouse. Moreover, no additional fees are required.
How to choose a weapon?
Air guns can be used by any adult
When choosing a weapon for hunting crows, preference is given to pneumatics. First of all, this is due to economic benefits. Crow hunting is a sport, not a commercial activity, and often acts as a hobby and entertainment. In addition, this type of hunting is often chosen by beginners who are not yet ready to spend large sums on the purchase of high-quality and reliable firearms. Air guns are much cheaper, do not require special operating skills, and purchasing them is not difficult.
The second “pro” in favor of pneumatics is safety. An inexperienced hunter will not be able to cause much harm to others if he handles the weapon incorrectly, but he will be able to catch a crow.
Perhaps the main thing that makes air guns the best choice for sport hunting is the absence of the need to purchase a license. You can buy air guns in any store without filling out any documents other than a warranty card. Permission and license are not required for this; it is enough to prove that the buyer is over 18 years of age.
You don't need a safe to store pneumatic guns, because they are safe weapons that you can simply store at home.
Additionally, air guns are great for beginners who want to learn how to shoot. With it, it is possible to develop accuracy in hitting a target without special investment, because ammunition for pneumatics is several times cheaper than bullets for firearms.
In addition to the undeniable advantages that make pneumatic weapons accessible to everyone, one more nuance should be noted, making them the main enemy of crows - this is a very quiet shot. Pneumatic guns will not frighten all the crows in the area with one shot, which adds additional hunting excitement, since the hunter can count on several trophies at once.
Perhaps the only drawback is the insufficient firing range of air guns. This makes it necessary to hunt crows at a short distance - no more than 40 meters. However, this also adds excitement, especially to novice hunters, since it is necessary to be able to get close to the prey within an effective shot.
Spring-piston rifles for beginners
The weapon is inexpensive and easy to use
This rifle is perfect for those who really want to become a good hunter, but do not know how to gain experience. The advantage of such a rifle is its ease of reloading. To do this, you just need to break the barrel. The whole process takes no more than 5 seconds, although it is accompanied by a lot of noise.
Another advantage of such a rifle is its affordable price. This is due to the simple and uncomplicated design of the weapon.
Handling such a rifle requires skill, which is not difficult to acquire. However, in order to shoot really accurately, you will have to separately purchase an optical sight, the price of which can be steep.
Multi-compression rifles
Another simple and convenient rifle, suitable even for inexperienced hunters. The principle of its operation is based on pumping air into the compression chamber using a pump.
This rifle has several advantages. First of all, this concerns shooting accuracy, which is noticeably higher than that of a spring-piston rifle.
An undoubted advantage for beginners will be the almost complete lack of recoil. This allows you to focus on the aiming process without worrying about pain and possible sight malfunction.
The main disadvantage is the relatively low power. To hunt with such a rifle, you should take care of cover, camouflage, purchase a high-quality decoy, and learn to get as close as possible to the prey, since the effective distance is reduced to 20 meters.
Another disadvantage is the long recharging process. Everything takes at least 30 seconds, which is important when hunting hooded crows. This time is enough for the prey to begin to worry, hear the falsehood in the decoy’s call, and quickly fly away. Nevertheless, you can get used to such a rifle, you just need to stock up on time and patience. In addition, many hunters find short shooting distances interesting, as it allows them to hone their skills in silent movement and improve their stealth skills.
