Blowing a crow call.

[deerbasshunter3]

Are crow calls pretty much blow and go, or do you have to cup them and find the right amount of blowing, like with an owl hooter, to get it to sound right?

[pappy]

I am glad this question has come up. Many crow calls are used in the field for locating a Tom, but...there are also many crow calls out there that are used to attract crows! When you use a crow call as a shock call, you could surely blow and go....because you are just jabbing the air with a sound (sometimes identifying yourself as a crow) but the realism isn't there as far as making true crow sounds. Just like a turkey has 17 identifiable sounds in their language, the crow has the same identifiable uses for their sounds. So, to answer your question, can you blow and go, certainly, but if you are trying to make true crow sounds, then do some research on them, many sites have true crow soundclips, it is something many would be surprised to know, that thousands of crows are hunted every year, as a preventative or protective system against crop destruction. Check out this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ5iippq3rA

[Lonehowl]

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[lhprop1]

Most guys that locate turkeys with a crow call, I think are just blowing air straight through the call, getting that higher pitched sound. Usually with little or no rasp. Some crow calls are intended for locating and are tuned so.

A crow hunter will blow a crow call completely different.  They put some "voice" into the call. A crow caller puts rasp into the call by rolling, or slightly gargling/vibrating his voice (for lack of a better description) to get that crow rasp. Some guys call it" humming" into the call. Depending on how and where you present  air to the call, you can get older crow sounds and some young crow sounds, pleading sounds and distress sounds etc.

I blow my crow call similar to the way I blow a short reed goose call.  I don't give it the guttural grunt that I do with my honker call, but I do get some vibration going on in the back of my throat.  The best way I can describe it is that I hum the word "all" or "aww" into the call while giving a sharp burst of air from the diaphragm.  It's not perfect, but I'm not calling crows.  It's good enough to get a gobble or two and that's all I need.

[deerbasshunter3]

So, basically a blow and go call for strictly locating gobblers?

[g8rvet]

Not really for me.  I tend to blow at least 3 different cadences (CAAAAAWWWWWW, then,  CAW CAW CAW, then cawwww, cawwwww, cawwwwww).  I have had birds gobble at one of the 3 and not the others.  I then use what he gobbled to if I need to check him again, but I do think you need to vary it some before you give up and head to a new spot.

I do the same with owl hoot (my voice).  I give a perfect "Who cooks for you, who cooks for you all" then if no answer just the "who cooks for you all" but a little louder and off cadence - called a caterwaul, then if still no answer a female "Whoooo-awwwww".  Have had them gobble at any or all, but if I use it again to check where he is, I use the one that worked.  I just looked this up on google, but all turkey hunters have heard these.  I called one in to the tree right above my head during preseason scouting.  Got some nice pics.  He followed us through the swamp until he finally landed right above my head.  If you hoot at the right time, usually the owls will take over for you.
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barred_Owl/sounds

My nephew used a Canada Goose call one year to good effect.  The birds on this public tract never gobbled much to crows or owls.

[mommicked]

 I blow a sharp, LOUD about 2 sec. first blast followed a second later by 4 or 5 quicker, slightly softer calls. It's a common call here in N.C. and crows come to this call about every time, the loud first call makes the toms go off. I've noticed some newer calls are not very loud or sound funny if blown too hard. A louder, higher crying crow call will make them gobble more and at longer ranges. I have an old black/green plastic Quaker Boy call that sounds like the real thing and louder than my older wooden call.