Encountering a Great Horned Owl

The tracks in the snow beside my ski trail a few months ago were a good 4" long, and I wasn't sure just what bird had made them, but I knew it had to be a big one. I ran to the house for the camera, field guide, and a ruler. And... I left the dog inside so she wouldn't walk all over my new-found work of art. The late afternoon sun made some good pictures possible, and the guide quickly led me to believe that these were tracks of a great horned owl!

Two thick and puffy toes of each print pointed straight ahead, with a third, shorter toe spread at a near right angle to these. A small heel spur was also evident. The prints were approximately four inches apart, a walking gait.

You won't often see their tracks except in snow. They seldom light on the ground except around a kill site, or to investigate a potential food source, such as a road-killed animal. But this owl didn't get the dinner it had hoped to catch, and apparently walked a few steps while pondering this error in judgment before it flew away again! The path of the rabbit continued, angling to the east, and diverged from that of the owl.

The great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) is the largest owl of the northeast United States. If you've ever seen one you won't forget! They are about 22" long, bulky, with feathered tufts- the "ears." They give three to eight loud, deep hoots. An adaptable owl, it is found throughout North America. They hunt mainly at night, and take prey as large as skunks and ducks. The male's voice is usually higher than the female's, and a pair may sometimes be heard calling together, almost in harmony.

This past fall I had another great horned owl encounter. A small (for a great horned) owl was stumbling through the woods ahead of me in the cemetery. She seemed unable to fly. I ran home to get a heavy towel and a carrying cage. We both got pretty wet in the creek before I captured her, but without too much trauma I settled her for the night in a wire dog kennel. She seemed alert, but of course, wary. It was also pretty obvious that one of her recent meals had indeed been a skunk!

The following day I took her to the Braveheart Raptor Rescue, near Muskegon. First, "my" owl was sprayed for flies, while she attempted to peck the arms of her handler. I was told that this meant she was very ill, since Great Horned Owls are usually quite docile, despite their fierce demeanor. Nevertheless, I had visions of "my owl" being treated and released, or at least being rehabilitated as a demonstration bird. Alas, it was not to be. She was very thin, and had so badly broken one wing that they put her to sleep.

But for one day I got to study the intricate, subtle patterning in shades of brown feathers, to stare into those huge yellow eyes, to consider the strength in those sharp claws and beak, and to feel the wild spirit of a proud creature struggling through pain and hunger.