I'm selling sets of crow decoys on Ebay. I received this message from an Ebay member -
Dear GoodcrowDecoys,
I do not mean to start any problems, but I am curious to know why you would want to kill crows? Crows are probably the smartest bird on the planet. I collect crow items, and like your item, but it disturbs me about the only good crow is a dead crow. Please help me to understand. thanks
Signed, XXXXXXXX
I thought this was a very legitimate question, probably from a young girl.
So I took the time to write this response.
Dear XXXXXX,
First off, let me apologize for my late reply to your question - I've been out of town for the last 7 days and away from a computer.
(Thankfully my wonderful wife was kind enough to monitor my Ebay business for me during my absence and ship the few orders that came in.)
Your question certainly deserves a good explanation, and I appreciate the opportunity to help you understand and your willingness to listen. Oftentimes discussions between those who hunt animals and those who are non-hunters do not start in such a mature and intelligent fashion, as both parties have made up their mind about an issue and don't intend to listen to the other or be open to learning or understanding. I commend you for your desire to understand.
You are absolutely correct in your attitude of respect for a crow's intelligence. They are certainly one of the most intelligent and most social animals on the planet. The reason I advocate crow hunting is two-fold....I support farmers and I support hunting.
Crow feeding habits cause millions upon millions of dollars in crop damage every year, most notably to newly planted corn crops, where crows pull seedlings and consume the kernels. They also target other crops such as ripening grain sorghum, watermelons, peanuts, commercial sunflowers, pecans, and others. In vary rare instances, they have been known to attack newborn livestock such as very young calves, lambs, goats, pigs, and free-range hatchling chickens and ducks. Most people think of crows as scavengers, but they can be strong and vicious predators. Studies indicate that 1/3 of their diet can be animal matter. They will attack the young of other birds, as well as destroying nest eggs.
They are constantly on the move and because of this hyperactivity require large amounts of food to maintain body metabolism. An adult crow fills its crop eight to ten times a day. They eat anything, from road kill to dumpster scraps, and among their favorite treats are bird eggs. Crows are nest raiders. Besides eating the eggs, they will pluck a young bird or duckling from its nest without hesitation. The Department of Agriculture conducted a survey of crow predation on waterfowl nesting grounds in the U.S. supplemented with data from Canada. The facts revealed that crows destroyed one-third of waterfowl egg production. So for every crow a hunter harvests, it can be figured that he saved at least a dozen ducks, not to mention untold songbirds.
It's kind of hard to put a pricetag on how much money you save a farmer for every crow you harvest. All I know is that I know fellows who have invested thousands of dollars in planting fields, watch the seedlings sprout, then watch in despair as 1/4 - 1/3 of the field is destroyed by crows, blackbirds, and other "varmints". Imagine if you put $2000 in a drawer and someone stole $500-$650 of it
away from you - that would be a little frustrating.
You are aware no doubt of the waterfowl consevation efforts that have been going on for some time. As wetlands shrink and disappear, so have populations of ducks, geese, and other migratory waterfowl. These birds, unlike crows, do not have the ability to adapt and change environments. Controlling a devastating predator like crows is a possibly helpful and necessary step in preserving this valuable resource, which I am sure you will agree we don't wish to see diminished any further.
On a personal note, I was raised in a "country" environment, where respect for farming and acceptance of legal and ethical hunting was the accepted norm. In regards to attitude toward wildlife, I was taught that a good hunter will only take what he intends to eat. This was a hard and fast rule, out of respect for the wildlife and God's bounty. With one exception - varmints. Varmint animals such as crows, groundhogs, and coyotes were to be eliminated upon sight. Varmints that can wreak havoc are in open season anytime.
As far as "a good crow is a dead crow" - that's a play on words, a marketing thing to help people remember the name.
There is a famous quote by a Civil War general "the only good Indian is a dead Indian".
Many people know the quote, and it's been changed/different names inserted by many folks and has become part of our language/culture. And it just so happens that my last name is Good. So I named my decoys GoodCrow Decoys.
Then the tagline just made sense.
I hope that my answer helps you to understand my attitude toward crow hunting, and why the tagline works for me.
And make no mistake - the crow is a resilient animal, able to adapt and thrive. They will be around forever, despite all the efforts of farmers and hunters to control them. We just have to do our best when we can.
Best wishes to you,
Dan
I have yet to receive a response to my explanation. I only hope they took the time to read it with an open mind and show the same respect to my opinion that I did to theirs.
Dear GoodcrowDecoys,
I do not mean to start any problems, but I am curious to know why you would want to kill crows? Crows are probably the smartest bird on the planet. I collect crow items, and like your item, but it disturbs me about the only good crow is a dead crow. Please help me to understand. thanks
Signed, XXXXXXXX
I thought this was a very legitimate question, probably from a young girl.
So I took the time to write this response.
Dear XXXXXX,
First off, let me apologize for my late reply to your question - I've been out of town for the last 7 days and away from a computer.
(Thankfully my wonderful wife was kind enough to monitor my Ebay business for me during my absence and ship the few orders that came in.)
Your question certainly deserves a good explanation, and I appreciate the opportunity to help you understand and your willingness to listen. Oftentimes discussions between those who hunt animals and those who are non-hunters do not start in such a mature and intelligent fashion, as both parties have made up their mind about an issue and don't intend to listen to the other or be open to learning or understanding. I commend you for your desire to understand.
You are absolutely correct in your attitude of respect for a crow's intelligence. They are certainly one of the most intelligent and most social animals on the planet. The reason I advocate crow hunting is two-fold....I support farmers and I support hunting.
Crow feeding habits cause millions upon millions of dollars in crop damage every year, most notably to newly planted corn crops, where crows pull seedlings and consume the kernels. They also target other crops such as ripening grain sorghum, watermelons, peanuts, commercial sunflowers, pecans, and others. In vary rare instances, they have been known to attack newborn livestock such as very young calves, lambs, goats, pigs, and free-range hatchling chickens and ducks. Most people think of crows as scavengers, but they can be strong and vicious predators. Studies indicate that 1/3 of their diet can be animal matter. They will attack the young of other birds, as well as destroying nest eggs.
They are constantly on the move and because of this hyperactivity require large amounts of food to maintain body metabolism. An adult crow fills its crop eight to ten times a day. They eat anything, from road kill to dumpster scraps, and among their favorite treats are bird eggs. Crows are nest raiders. Besides eating the eggs, they will pluck a young bird or duckling from its nest without hesitation. The Department of Agriculture conducted a survey of crow predation on waterfowl nesting grounds in the U.S. supplemented with data from Canada. The facts revealed that crows destroyed one-third of waterfowl egg production. So for every crow a hunter harvests, it can be figured that he saved at least a dozen ducks, not to mention untold songbirds.
It's kind of hard to put a pricetag on how much money you save a farmer for every crow you harvest. All I know is that I know fellows who have invested thousands of dollars in planting fields, watch the seedlings sprout, then watch in despair as 1/4 - 1/3 of the field is destroyed by crows, blackbirds, and other "varmints". Imagine if you put $2000 in a drawer and someone stole $500-$650 of it
away from you - that would be a little frustrating.
You are aware no doubt of the waterfowl consevation efforts that have been going on for some time. As wetlands shrink and disappear, so have populations of ducks, geese, and other migratory waterfowl. These birds, unlike crows, do not have the ability to adapt and change environments. Controlling a devastating predator like crows is a possibly helpful and necessary step in preserving this valuable resource, which I am sure you will agree we don't wish to see diminished any further.
On a personal note, I was raised in a "country" environment, where respect for farming and acceptance of legal and ethical hunting was the accepted norm. In regards to attitude toward wildlife, I was taught that a good hunter will only take what he intends to eat. This was a hard and fast rule, out of respect for the wildlife and God's bounty. With one exception - varmints. Varmint animals such as crows, groundhogs, and coyotes were to be eliminated upon sight. Varmints that can wreak havoc are in open season anytime.
As far as "a good crow is a dead crow" - that's a play on words, a marketing thing to help people remember the name.
There is a famous quote by a Civil War general "the only good Indian is a dead Indian".
Many people know the quote, and it's been changed/different names inserted by many folks and has become part of our language/culture. And it just so happens that my last name is Good. So I named my decoys GoodCrow Decoys.
Then the tagline just made sense.
I hope that my answer helps you to understand my attitude toward crow hunting, and why the tagline works for me.
And make no mistake - the crow is a resilient animal, able to adapt and thrive. They will be around forever, despite all the efforts of farmers and hunters to control them. We just have to do our best when we can.
Best wishes to you,
Dan
I have yet to receive a response to my explanation. I only hope they took the time to read it with an open mind and show the same respect to my opinion that I did to theirs.
