Minnesota has crow hunting seasons. These are opportune times to reduce local resident population levels. To find out when the season is, refer to the hunting and trapping seasons calendar.
These birds are difficult to hunt due to their wariness; however, electronic calls or sounds and decoys can be utilized when hunting. Great horned owl calls are very effective in luring crows within shooting range, as these avian predators will cause crows to mob the area from which the sound is being emitted. Owl decoys may also be used in conjunction with the calls to induce this mobbing behavior, thereby increasing hunter success.
No license is required to hunt crows. They may be taken by legal firearms (shotgun not larger than 10 gauge, rifle, or handgun), bow and arrow or by falconry. There are no daily or possession limits, and shooting hours are 1/2 hr before sunrise to sunset.
Crows are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act but can be taken out of season, without a permit, when caught in the act of committing, or about to commit, damage to ornamental or shade trees, agricultural crops, livestock or wildlife.
Lethal means of control can also be undertaken when they are concentrated in large numbers, such as communal roosts, and subsequently constitute a nuisance (e.g. noise) or pose a threat to human health, as would be the case when accumulations of fecal materials pose a sanitation risk. Legal methods of take are the same as during hunting seasons. Crows cannot be taken outside of the damage area.