Thinning flock

AUBURN - The survivors must have warned the rest of the flock.

After being on pace Saturday to shatter last year's number of kills, hunters at Cayuga County Crows Unlimited third-annual shoot only bagged 1,061 crows in all, six fewer than last year.

Organizer Tom Lennox said the result was still good, considering there were 20 fewer teams than last year and potential hunters had other activities to draw them away. He's lost a few teams to ice fishing, and some teams weren't sure if the contest would continue under new ownership at J&B Bar and Grill on Orchard Street, home to the hunt.