OT-Predator hunting at night, owl trouble.

[rangerider7]

While on the ranch I decided to try my luck at night because late in the evening had been unproductive lately. I have a Polaris Ranger utility vehicle rig out for predator hunting and a Lightforse light mounted on my rifle scope. I put the Foxpro out on the hood of the Polaris and started calling. After about 15 minutes a couple of coyotes appeared. The red light had their eyes glowing in the halo and I was about to take a shot when I felt a thud on my cowboy hat. I almost missed up my wranglers. It was a large owl coming in for the kill. It came to the sound of the distress cotton tail and thought my hat was the rabbit. The hat showed a couple of marks but no major damage. I guess it recognized my hat just in time. I could see in the light as it flew off that it had about a 4 foot wing span. I never heard it coming. They fly silent. Has anyone else experienced this. I'm putting a top on the Polaris tomorrow. I don't think I could not think about it while calling anymore if I didn't. Let me know if this happens often now days. I have been calling predators since I was 13 and It has never happen before. I have seen them come to a tree near by but not attack.

[bsaride]

Never night hunted, but I thought owls had excellent night vision, maybe, but seems like a dumb bird for tryin that one (hungry maybe).

My owl story is the one in our house in the late 70s.

[Paladin]

I have owls come into the call a few times while hunting at night in the hills of WV had one perch 10 feet above me in a tree that got my attention as I saw it come in through the starlight goggles. Never had one closer than that.

[stretch]

Wow! I've never had one attack me.

I did have one fly right over my head just before sunrise
while I was deer hunting though. He couldn't have gone by me
more than a few feet away. Big wingspan, (4 or 5 feet), and as
you said, utterly silent. Banked right through a path in the trees and
was gone.

Folks who don't hunt miss these kind of experiences.....

-Stretch

[dr walker]

Good thing you were wearing that hat. i've had owls com in and sit on a nearby tree to see what exactly was for dinner, but never had one land on me.

[Stan in SC]

Not an owl but I did have a small hawk hit my hat just like the owl did to yours.I was up in a tree in a climber and trying to sit really still.When I turned to look he was sitting on a limb about ten feet away looking at me with a "what in the world is that?" look.After a couple of minutes he flew off.A very neat not often experienced outdoors minute.

Stan in SC

[DBW]

Only bird attacks I've ever experienced have been from irate blue jays and mockingbirds when too close to their unseen nests. I did take out an owl the other night as I rolled across I8 in Arizona. Scared the poop out of my wife who was sound asleep in the bunk. The owl impacted the windshield of the truck just above my line of sight, then slowly slid away to the left along the windshield before falling away. Left behind a big splotch of dust on the windshield but little else. Just glad it didn't bust out the windshield.

[Sixgun]

Wow, talk about a surprise attack! Might be enough to take a slug of old Jim Bean.
I see them around here on a somewhat regular basis and majestic birds, they are.--------Sixgun

[mescalero1]

Had a burrowing owl come to a call once, landed down the hill from me, walked up the hill within 1 foot of me, looked me in the eye, bobbed his head up and down twice and flew off.

[DixieBoy]

Rangerider - I had a similar experience as yours, but it wasn't while hunting. I live on the east coast of central Florida, and had promised a friend that I'd look in on his place while he was travelling. I often stopped by at night and had a look around to make sure that doors and windows looked okay.

One night I had a "swoop down" just like yours, and just like you, it darn near scared the poop out of me. I didn't hear a thing while it was coming in. It must have seen my (mostly) bald head through the vegetation in the yard, and was at least coming in to investigate. It barely brushed the top of my head. Good sized owl too, as I saw where he perched once I'd regained my composure. Those guys are certainly very quiet predators. - DixieBoy

[kimwcook]

I almost missed up my wranglers.

RR7, I'm still laughing about that. Too funny. Made my morning. It's amazing what happens in the "Real world". Glad you didn't have to cape your shorts.

[shawn_c992001]

I set-up one cold, clear, bright night yote hunting against some brush at the edge of an old strip mine at the bottom of a locust tree. I settled in, propped the .17HMR up on my knee and was reaching in my fanny pack for a call when a Barred Owl let out a Wooooooooooooooo right behind me no more than 10' away. I just about needed fresh Fruities!

[Hobie]

I had one perch on a limb right next to me in my deer stand. I know it saw me but it apparently wasn't worried. That was a very good day.

[RIHMFIRE]

A coopers hawk tried to steal my hat while turkey hunting...
Had an immature bald eagle come in, trying to grab one of my
turkey decoys....I had to get up and chase him away!
and I have had owls come in many times while using a fawn bleat...

[Kansas Ed]

One of my fondest memories as a youth is taking moms little cassette deck and my squealing rabbit tape and heading for the big cornfield below the bluff. I placed the tape player in the corn stubble, and then walked up the bluff to overlook it with dads #4 Enfield. Wasn't long before there were several owls (4 IIRC and all great horned owls) walking in a circle around the recorder looking for the rabbit. That memory makes me smile every time.

Ed

[Old No7]

RR7, I must be (un?) lucky, as it's happened twice to me...

First time was way back in the 80's, while calling fox with my brother. I was using a mouth-blown call and he could see me where we were set up... He saw the owl come out of the trees to dive-bomb on me and it turned away at the last second! Like you, I never heard it, and only saw it as it was flying away. If it had connected, I'm sure I would have messed up something!

The last time was this September on a wild boar hunt over in Bavaria (was in Germany on business and had the weekend open). I had no rifle, but was in a stand 50 meters from my host. After settling in at about 9PM, along about midnight, my hat was knocked off with a thud (luckily no damage to me...) and the owl circled around 6 - 7 meters out and came back for another attack! I had a large 4-D cell flashlight (to spot any boars I might have seen) and I defended myself with that. Must have been the feathers and wild boar tassle on the loden green hunting hat (a loaner) that attracted his attention. No boars showed, so that was the only action we had.

Happy huntin'! (And keep your head down...)

Old No7

[Batman1939]

About 45 years ago while living in Tucson, Az. I had great-horned owls come into a jackrabbit call on a few occasions. Once, like RR7's experience, an owl actually hit my cowboy hat. This was most unnerving, to say the least, and resulted in a limited ability to focus on terrestrial predators. Owls do have good night-time vision, but the combination of the calls and a slowly moving hat are apparently sufficient to provoke a strike. It'll sure keep ya alert for the rest of the evening!!!

[kimwcook]

It'll sure keep ya alert for the rest of the evening!!!

So's you don't mess up your Wranglers! I laugh everytime I read it.

[76/444]

Owls are fantastic birds,... have been since the Greek Goddess Athena put them on the history map by declaring them her protector. They have a wing feather like no other bird of prey. It has a specially developed feathering on the wing tips that allows the silent flight they are famous for. Like most surviving predators,... instinctual reactions while hunting can mean the difference between a full belly or death. I can totally understand a spontaneous split second reaction to the right call and the right colored hat moving just right. Just like a prey animal's ability to survive depends on split second reaction to threats,.... so it is for predators survival in catching them. When ever I see an Owl, I know it will be a good day. Very contrary to my Comanche pard who believes them the bird of death.

[Doc Hudson]

This is not a hunting story, but it suer involves an owl.

A bit over 20 years ago, I was headed home late one evening. It was a nice cool night, I don't remember if it was late spring or early fall, but I had my window open enjoying the cool night air.

About a mile and a half from home, something swooped in the window, nearly knocking my glasses and hat off. I quickly slowed and pulled off the road to try and figure out what the hell had happened.

I straightened my glasses and hat and looked around in the car. I spotted a small brown owl, don't know the species, peerched on the back of the back seat with a dazed expression on his face.

i drove on home. When I arrived, I woke my parents, telling them they had to come see this so I'd have witnesses.

When we got to the car, the owl was sitting on the seat, still dazed. I started to leave the owl in the car with the windows open then thought better of it. I figured that even if a cat didn't get in and attack it, it would poop in the car or tear up the upholstry, so I decided to get him out.

I was not dumb enough to attempt lifting a live, wild owl with my bare hands. So I got a box and a broom, intending to sweep him into the box and place him out of reach of cats.

Instead, the little owl took exception to both broom and box. He hopped around a bit, spread his wings and flew off a few yards and perched on the back of a porch swing near the front of the car.

He stayed perched on the swing for a long time. Somewhere or another, I have a photo of him sitting on the swing's backrest.

The only reason I ever figured was that the owl was swooping onto prey and didn't notice the oncoming car. i guess our timing was perfect for the non-fatal collision. If he'd been a second faster, he'd have hit my windshield, and if he'd been a second slower, he'd have hit the rear door's window. Either of which would have been fatal to him, if not to my windows.

[mescalero1]

In Apache culture, the owl is also the harbinger of death.
Only in white culture is death to be feared.

[piller]

Hunting Pheasant years ago out in South West Kansas my brother had a huge white owl take off right in front of him. It was eating on a rabbit and we were hunting at first light. Pheasant make a whale of a racket when they get up and we were all amazed at how silent the owl was. It was early after full sunrise and we had no trouble telling what it was, but that is the only owl I have ever seen in the daylight.

[BenT]

RR7 I have a question about night hunting. When your calling them ,how do you know they are there ? Do you have a light on? I have a growing coyote problem and I can't seem to get them to come to calls during the day. I have pictures of them on my game cam any where from midnight to 3 am and 8 am. Any suggestions would be helpful for night hunting ,since the days are getting shorter. thanks

[mescalero1]

BenT,
Get a red filter for your light, when you shine the light ,point it at the sky, so you get the edge of the light, look for thier eyes,then drop the full beam down.

[rangerider7]

Ben T, there are different companies that make lights that fit on you scope. I recommend Lightforce because some of the others are worthless. Wait until you can identify your prey for sure before you shoot while following mescalero 1's technique. If you hunt in pairs take turns handling the red light. If you are in a utv or pickup you can use your 12 volt power outlet. If you are on foot make sure you have charged you light up good or have a fresh battery with extras in waiting. There are all kind of lights and calls pick the ones that suit your needs. This is a good forum for helpful information. http://www.predatormastersforums.com/fo ... hreads.php

[mescalero1]

Thanks Rangerider,
I SHOULD have added the caveat of making sure of your target in the first post.

[BenT]

Thanks Guys , I figured that you weren't shining your light around at all times thanks for the info. I'll have to get some gear and give it a try.