[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Owls (Page 1 of 3)
Posted: 12/24/2009 5:16:08 PM EDT
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I have never ever seen a Owl in the wild. Don't think I've even ever heard one in my whole entire life at night doing the "Whoooo! Whooo!" thing they do. Where do these things like to hang out, or are they just so endangered that they are rare to see in the wild? |
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I have never ever seen a Owl in the wild. Don't think I've even ever heard one in my whole entire life at night doing the "Whooo! whoooo!" thing they do. Where do these things like to hang out, or are they just so endangered that they are rare to see in the wild? Try getting out more.... City boy. 
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Owls are cool creatures. Some species may be rarer than others ... but they are common here.
At night we will hear then hooting, usually in the fall, sometimes in the winter, and always in the summer. I live at the border between truly rural and outer suburbs. Lots of woods, farm fields, fallow fields, etc. I usually don't see them except when deer hunting in thick woods. They will sail by at the crack of dawn, perch on a limb and sail off. |
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I grew upin san diego and I played in a canyon ––-crest canyon and areas near there in del mar,
there were little steep canyonettes with caves scupted from the wind and elemnets and owls used to hole up in them –– kinda hard to get to but you could sneak up on them and lean over and check'em out pretty neat animals |
| I've had a lot of owl encounters deer hunting in Minnesota, but this year I watched a red-tailed hawk swoop down and attack a great horned owl. Feathers flew for probably less than a minute when the owl had enough and flew off. I'm not sure what they were fighting over, probably breakfast. Incredible experience, I was able to pick up a few feathers later that morning after the hunt. Seen a barn owl in the woods this season as well. Its amazing what you see in the woods and swamps taking your time and being still. |
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I had one scare the hell out of me a couple of days ago. I was walking along a path and just happened to look right, maybe I sensed something, and just as I looked over a great horned owl passed within 4-5 feet of me at head level. I never heard a thing coming or going. That was here in Homosassa, I see barred owls and screech owls regularly as well. |
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Quoted: I see and hear barred owls all the time while turkey hunting. Last December I posted pics of an eastern screech owl perched upon my grill in my suburban back yard. I heart owls. What part of Michigan are you in? We're *shitty* with owls. Grand Rapids area (West Michigan) |
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I've seen them way out in the desert in New Mexico, but only very briefly flying into the illumination of my headlights at around 3am.
I've heard them in New Hampshire once a few years ago, at around 3am in the summer with the windows open. The greatest part was, I could hear one a few hundred feet away, then one answering much further away, very faintly. If you've never heard them- google search for their sounds- some sound really creepy, not at all like the Whoo Whoo sound. |
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I've seen plenty of owls. They are majestic birds and are often underrated as compared to hawks and eagles.
My favorite is the Great Horned Owl. 
Since I moved to North Texas, I haven't seen one, but there is a nice sized Barred Owl that lives in the large Oak tree in the back of my neighborhood. 
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I have never ever seen a Owl in the wild. ..... Where do these things like to hang out, or are they just so endangered that they are rare to see in the wild? Not where but when. When the weather is warmer I often go bicycle riding in the early morning, starting at 4 AM, before sunrise. I will see one go by now and then, but never for very long. (it helps if your bicycle doesn't squeak or rattle!) I live in mid-lattitude Illinois and just for comparison, I see way more hawks and crows than owls,,, but they are out there. ~ Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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When I lived east of Trinidad, CO, we used to have a local owl who would sit on top of the utility pole behind the trailer. His body seemed to be about the same diameter as the top of the pole; pretty large bird, and not bothered by us humans down below, at all. He or she was most welcome around there. Hell on the mouse population! |
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Quoted: Quoted: Who cooks for you?!?!? Barred owls kill a lot of rabbits and squirrels. My woods is infested with them.  Between the cooper hawks, red-tailed hawks and owls, the squirrels have it pretty rough on our property. The funny thing is when the squirrels see me , they just move to the other side of a tree or just casually run away. If they see a cooper or red tailed hawk sailing through the woods they go 100% ape shit, so rattled they even fall out of the trees trying to get away. Guess I'm just not as good of a hunter to strike that kind of fear into them.  |
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I have never ever seen a Owl in the wild. Don't think I've even ever heard one in my whole entire life at night doing the "Whooo! whoooo!" thing they do. Where do these things like to hang out, or are they just so endangered that they are rare to see in the wild? Try getting out more.... City boy. +1 
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Get out in the woods son. Been in the woods plenty of time. Used to goto my Grandmother's place out in the woods on the lake at least once a month during the spring and summer. I'm not a hermit.... If you spend any amount of time you will hear one. I hear them early mornings before light sitting in tree stands. Had them fly past my face more than once . pretty scary , didn't see them just a dark shadow Old barns , abandoned mill buildings Easy place for them to feed. |
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One year when I was in high school we had a screech owl living in our neighborhood. I never saw it fly, but I do remember seeing it nesting in an owl house that some of the neighbor kids had put up. I also remember it making noise when people got too close to its tree. They're kinda loud.
Years ago, I was on a hiking trip in Central Oregon and saw a spotted owl in a tree. Very cool thing. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Get out in the woods son. Been in the woods plenty of time. Used to goto my Grandmother's place out in the woods on the lake at least once a month during the spring and summer. I'm not a hermit.... If you spend any amount of time you will hear one. I hear them early mornings before light sitting in tree stands. Had them fly past my face more than once . pretty scary , didn't see them just a dark shadow Old barns , abandoned mill buildings Easy place for them to feed. I've probably heard them making their call plenty of times, just didn't know that it was an owl. I guess not all of them use that famous "hoot" call. |
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Get out in the woods son. Been in the woods plenty of time. Used to goto my Grandmother's place out in the woods on the lake at least once a month during the spring and summer. I'm not a hermit.... If you spend any amount of time you will hear one. I hear them early mornings before light sitting in tree stands. Had them fly past my face more than once . pretty scary , didn't see them just a dark shadow Old barns , abandoned mill buildings Easy place for them to feed. I've probably heard them making their call plenty of times, just didn't know that it was an owl. I guess not all of them use that famous "hoot" call. They can screech also but mostly you will hear the hoot. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Get out in the woods son. Been in the woods plenty of time. Used to goto my Grandmother's place out in the woods on the lake at least once a month during the spring and summer. I'm not a hermit.... If you spend any amount of time you will hear one. I hear them early mornings before light sitting in tree stands. Had them fly past my face more than once . pretty scary , didn't see them just a dark shadow Old barns , abandoned mill buildings Easy place for them to feed. I've probably heard them making their call plenty of times, just didn't know that it was an owl. I guess not all of them use that famous "hoot" call. They can screech also but mostly you will hear the hoot. Yeah, don't ever recall hearing a owl hooting. Maybe I just never paid close enough attention to my surroundings. |
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Get out in the woods son. Been in the woods plenty of time. Used to goto my Grandmother's place out in the woods on the lake at least once a month during the spring and summer. I'm not a hermit.... If you spend any amount of time you will hear one. I hear them early mornings before light sitting in tree stands. Had them fly past my face more than once . pretty scary , didn't see them just a dark shadow Old barns , abandoned mill buildings Easy place for them to feed. I've probably heard them making their call plenty of times, just didn't know that it was an owl. I guess not all of them use that famous "hoot" call. They can screech also but mostly you will hear the hoot. Yeah, don't ever recall hearing a owl hooting.
Maybe I just never paid close enough attention to my surroundings. If you still go to your grandma's Get up early before light a couple of hours and just take a walk . Then just listen to the woods. Chances are you will hear one , you won't see it ...but you will hear it. 
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You're in Grand Rapids?
Blandford Nature Center used to have an evening walk where they would call in a screech owl. Screech owls don't really hoot they sound more like a far away horse whinney or something. I'm near Kent City, and if you spend a few evenings at the Rogue River State Game Area in the March timeframe you will hear great horned or barred owls hooting. Hoot, Hoot. Who Cooks for You Who Cooks for You All J. |