Excerpt
…shot or even when they spotted a raiding party, they would raise
the alarm and fly off in a cacophony of squawking. We would
then resort to plan B, which was to destroy as many of the crows’
nests in the woodlots surrounding the farmstead as we could find
and reach.
To succeed, a certain amount of planning and equipment was
required. Since the crows built their nests in poplar trees, the first
requirement was a capable tree climber. A rifle was necessary for
“opportunity” shots in case the crows decided to attack whoever
was climbing the tree. As well, we needed a long stick, forked at
the poking end, to dislodge the nest from below. This was necessary
as the nests were normally built at the top of the tree, beyond
the point where it was safe to climb.
The raiding party, made up of two or three of us, would
quickly complete our collective chores and depart for the south
quarter section as early as possible in the morning. Nest hunting
was a springtime activity, before the leaves covered the trees,
making it difficult to spot the nests. The mornings were usually
bright and cool, and the early spring grasses and flowers were just
starting to poke through the woodlot floor. Many of the low spots
were still wet; therefore we would put on our rubber boots and
make sure our routes took us through the low areas where we
stopped to hunt tadpoles and to feel the coolness of the water
through the rubber boots. All these things added to the joy of
being young and alive.
Spotting crows’ nests was easy. Without the leaves, the nests
were silhouetted against the brilliant spring sky. Each find was
exciting as it presented its own challenges. Working our way in
through the underbrush, we kept an eye out for crow activity to
confirm a fresh nest. When the crows confirmed that the nest was
occupied, we would assess the degree of difficulty the knockdown
would present and planned our strategy as we stood under
the tree, surveying the circumstances. We considered all the important
challenges. Whether the tree was climbable was the number
one issue.
