10
April, 2015
I’ve experienced first-hand that these birds have a language, and the calls I hear actually mean a great deal. The cadence, the duration, and the volume of the cawing all contribute to this species’ ability to interpret and share what’s going on in the world around them. Hunters have recognized the value of learning this language and created hand-held and electronic callers that can attract crows from great distances.
Additionally, crows can be very aggressive at times, especially in the presence of raptors, like hawks and owls. Crows will throw caution to the wind and harass these larger birds in an attempt to drive them from their presence. This trait has also allowed hunters to become more successful. The use of owl decoys is a common tactic to bring crows into range.
Crows brought to hand through hunting are not considered to be the best table fare, however pub-lic perception can be misleading. Searching the Internet for recipes that utilize crow did not take long and, when prepared properly, many people find crow to be an enjoyable meal.
In recent years crows have faced a new challenge that is reducing their numbers. The species is very susceptible to the West Nile Virus. When this virus was accidentally brought to North America and transmitted by infected mosquitos, it started to have an immediate impact on crow pop-ulations. It is estimated that the national crow population is down by as much as 45% since 1999. However, by all accounts, there are still lots of crows and the species is not under and special management plans in the US.
For more in-depth information on crows and crow hunting, check out Crow Busters.com.
Crow Recipes
Here's a recipe to get you thinking about making a meal out of the crows you harvest?
Country "C" Medallions
submitted by Marta Hnizda
Ingredients
24 pieces of crow breast meat (no bones) (12 crows)
2 medium onions (chopped)
6 tbsp of oil
5 slices of bacon (chopped)
1 big or 2 small turnips (peeled & chopped)
1/3 of celery root (peeled & chopped) - note: substitute with celery
3 tbsp wet mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
dash of paprika
2 bay leaves
2 juniper berries - note: substitute with allspice
1 tbsp Majoram (crushed)
1 heaping tbsp of mayonnaise
water
Preparation
Saute onions and bacon in oil until golden. Add meat and spices, then saute some more. Add vegetables and the rest of the ingredients except for mayonnaise. Add enough water to keep the meat almost covered. Simmer slowly, adding water as it evaporates. In about 3 hours you will see that the meat is soft enough to cut with a fork. Take the meat out and place on heated platter or dish to keep warm. Remove the bay leaf and put all the gravy (about 2 cups) in a blender and blend. When thoroughly blended, add mayonnaise and blend shortly.
Add gravy to meat and serve over rice with a winter salad. Serves four adults.
Note: the picture below is not representative of the recipe above.
Crows have strong bills to help them eat a wide variety of foods.
Grilled Crow
Photo courtesy of The Travel Channel