Owl called in...

[boomer]

A few years ago I went to blow my owl call to try to locate a gobbler. But where I decided to blow it at was right under a Owl. Not sure who was more startled him or me. But by sounds we made we did get a couple gobbles out of it.

[bamagtrdude]

A few years ago I went to blow my owl call to try to locate a gobbler. But where I decided to blow it at was right under a Owl. Not sure who was more startled him or me. But by sounds we made we did get a couple gobbles out of it.

HA!!  You heard 3 gobbles that morning, huh???  LOL 

Ya, this past Saturday, as soon as I went to blow again, he cranked up right along with me - pretty cool stuff! 

[Selluwud]

My grandfather used to catch owls, he had one mounted. Spooky looking creatures with some fearsome looking talons and beak. He would hang a dead chicken on a sawed off 4-5" sapling and put a smooth foot trap on the top. The Owl would come to perch and eat the chicken and set off the trap, then it was a sight to see an owl trying to get out of that trap. I know it's not Kosher in these days and times, but when you raised chickens and eggs for your livelyhood, an owl was a deadly predator to your bottom line.

[bamagtrdude]

My grandfather used to catch owls, he had one mounted. Spooky looking creatures with some fearsome looking talons and beak. He would hang a dead chicken on a sawed off 4-5" sapling and put a smooth foot trap on the top. The Owl would come to perch and eat the chicken and set off the trap, then it was a sight to see an owl trying to get out of that trap. I know it's not Kosher in these days and times, but when you raised chickens and eggs for your livelyhood, an owl was a deadly predator to your bottom line.

I bet!

[Selluwud]

My grandfather used to catch owls, he had one mounted. Spooky looking creatures with some fearsome looking talons and beak. He would hang a dead chicken on a sawed off 4-5" sapling and put a smooth foot trap on the top. The Owl would come to perch and eat the chicken and set off the trap, then it was a sight to see an owl trying to get out of that trap. I know it's not Kosher in these days and times, but when you raised chickens and eggs for your livelyhood, an owl was a deadly predator to your bottom line.

I bet!

The crazy thing is, my now 90 yr old Dad, did the same thing about 10 years ago because the owls were killing his peacocks. After he found a dead peacock with his neck cleanly severed into and the breast picked out, the ole foot trap chained to the tree with a dead chicken did the trick once again.

[bamagtrdude]

The crazy thing is, my now 90 yr old Dad, did the same thing about 10 years ago because the owls were killing his peacocks. After he found a dead peacock with his neck cleanly severed into and the breast picked out, the ole foot trap chained to the tree with a dead chicken did the trick once again.

I don't doubt it; I've seen turkeys dead, in the roadways, on a piece of land we have, exactly the same deal as your Dad's peacocks...  An "owl kill" is unmistakable, once you know what they do with other "prey" birds...

[870FaceLift]

A few years ago I went to blow my owl call to try to locate a gobbler. But where I decided to blow it at was right under a Owl. Not sure who was more startled him or me. But by sounds we made we did get a couple gobbles out of it.

\   Had the same thing happen in TN a few years ago.  We were walking down an old trail to roost some birds.  I made a few hoots, looked up, and there was a small owl looking at me and my buddy.  He stretched his head out as if he was puzzled.

[Muzzy61]

Cool,  The most I've ever been spooked in the woods is one morning a couple of years ago in a deer stand. Had the largest owl I've ever seen land on a limb about 4 feet from me. He was beautiful and creepy at the same time.

[bamagtrdude]

... He was beautiful and creepy at the same time.

The big ones are definitely "fearsome" creatures.

[Mason Dixon]

"I started Turkey huntin' in the mid-90's. Bought some slate calls...hand made wing bones....diaphrams.....push/pull......a Hunter Specialties Owl Hooter. My huntin' partner also bought some stuff. We started at the same time not to long after Maryland opened it's first season.
   I told him I was going down to our Hunt Club to try out the Owl call....just to play around. An area had been logged along the course of a stream.....leaving about 30 feet of timber along it's edge. I got up on a 2 foot tall pine stump...full woodland cammie/gloves/head veil/boonie hat.
  I hooted and was immediately hooted back at. "Nawwwww"....this can't be happening. <I don't consider myself very adept at anything right off the bat>.
I hooted again and was hooted back at....but closer. Again...."HOOT"....with a "HOOT" in return....but obviously much closer.
   I thought Gerald had gotten there first...was hiding....and screwing around with me....but realized it couldn't be him with how fast the "HOOTS" were moving.
   Suddenly....two Great Horned Owls swooped out of the bottom land and perched in a tree not 15-20 feet from me...about 15 feet up. We all three stared at each other.
My hand holding the hooter was up under my face veil.....so I "Hooted".....
   Their eyes got even bigger and they went to town. All three of us had a "HOOT-NANNY". This went on for a number of minutes....till I guess I irritated them. Then did a very aggressive territorial call that I couldn't replicate. They "bobbed" their heads...swirled them around....muttered "rookie"....I think.....and returned to the bottom land. Depressed that no one was there to appreciate the show.....but it was wonderful.....
   Then there was the time I wanted to practice "Hooting" at a local nature park. Wore a hand-made ghillie suit and proceeded to call in a Barn owl.....several times in his roosting area. Then as I strolled along a trail further along the river....a young Barred Owl came in....and followed me around the little island we were on.
   A couple of years ago....it was the last evening of the Maryland rifle season. I was in an Ameristep Dog House blind....watching a logging road. Light was just disappearing over the horizon so I put on a green head light and started to remove my gear from the blind. Standing half in and half out....bent over.....evidently my light attracted a Screech Owl...that I didn't hear perch over my head in a young pine tree.
   When it screamed my blood turned to ice and I fell over myself grabbing my rifle. I thought Jack the Ripper was cutting a victim open right over my head...close enough to feel the blood dripping on me. Never saw that owl....but I described the scenario to an ornithology professor. She figured it was a Screech Owl....."

[bamagtrdude]

Ha, cool story, MD!

[RutnNStrutn]

I love it when that happens!! There are owls out the whazoo here in FLA. I usually just call them in and let them take over.

[Redfish]

Many many years ago I got invited to go deer hunting with a neighbor of my Dad's in Georgia. He promised to put me in one of his stands. Well he was about 110 pounds soaking wet and the "stand" he soon showed me was a 2x4 nailed about thirty feet up in a hickory tree with nothing but the tree limbs to climb to it. I am 6'7" , at the time weighed about 240, and have never been real agile so when he shined his flashlight on that little board and walked away I was not excited about climbing to the top of that tree in the black dark with a tiny flashlight in my mouth. When I finally got seated in my perch I found that the whole top of the tree swayed with my every breath (I admit I was breathing pretty hard by that time). Fortunately fear of death caused me to tie my rifle sling and my belt together from the board to my waist (this was before anyone had heard of safety harnesses for deer hunting)and settled in to wait for daylight. A short while later I heard a faint swoosh and a tiny tick above my head. Just about the time I was wondering what the heck that noise was the screech owl that was about six inches above my head let out with a blood curdling scream and I assure you that if I had not tied myself to that board I would have left the top of that tree like I was shot out of a cannon.

[WV Ridge Reaper]

2 years ago me and my buddy was out coyote hunting one night and while driving to our next spot we hit a screech owl.

Didn't mean for it to happen but he flew into the grille.wasn't anything I could of done to prevent it.

So we got out and it appeared to be dead,I said well heck let's take it and I'll see if I can get it mounted...That will look awesome beside my bear mount.

So we tossed it inside the truck and continued on to the next set up,well when we went to get out at that next spot that owl came to life.

I thought one of us was going to die haha...So it finally settled down and we sit it out in the field but it wouldn't fly away..It would fly maybe 10 yards and hit the ground.

So I put it in a bag and bought it home,stuck it in a building and left it until later the next day I called the DNR and asked them what they wanted me to do with it.

I told the guy what had happen and he said take it out in the woods find a really thick pine tree and put the owl in it..If it wasn't gone in a day or so to call him back.

I done what he told me and the next day it was gone...The guy I spoke to said I just stunned it and it needed some time to recover.

[bamagtrdude]

Wow - wild stories; love this pics, man!!!  Awesome!