I Want a Pet Owl

[Darkwind]

I found a wounded barn owl out here a few years ago. I marked his location on my gps and called game and fish. they took him somewhere set up to rehabiltate him, prescott, az i think. anyway, he wasnt easy for them to get ahold of but they did. he had been shot in the wing.

Illegal to shoot them but people do. Glad you got him to a rehabber.

We seldom see raptors with leg/foot injuries because they can still fly. It often means they starve to death because they can't catch and hold prey. Common cause of foot and leg injuries is electrocution. One of the most heart breaking I've seen was a huge female red tail with legs that looked like sharpened pencils. Needless to say, I took her to the vet to be put down immediately.

i see red tail hawks, bald eagles and of course ravens daily. once in awhile i spot a golden eagle or owl.
the saddest thing i continue to see is dead ravens from people putting out rat poison, and the ravens will eat the body.
when i first saw this happen, 3 ravens looked like they just say down on the ground and died. also called game and fish then.

i wish people wouldnt use poison like that. There are better ways, that dont killl birds

I was a Rural Carrier Associate for the Postal Service for about 4 years and there was a Golden Eagle in a valley I delivered to. Narrow enough valley that when she/he flew, you could get a good look. Big sucker too. Wingspan had to be a least 5 or 6 foot.

 

[ozro]

I live adjacent to the navajo nation, and count many natives as friends.
Their traditional belief is the owl is a messenger bringing unpleasant news.
Their name translated means little man in the woods.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

I found a wounded barn owl out here a few years ago. I marked his location on my gps and called game and fish. they took him somewhere set up to rehabiltate him, prescott, az i think. anyway, he wasnt easy for them to get ahold of but they did. he had been shot in the wing.

Illegal to shoot them but people do. Glad you got him to a rehabber.

We seldom see raptors with leg/foot injuries because they can still fly. It often means they starve to death because they can't catch and hold prey. Common cause of foot and leg injuries is electrocution. One of the most heart breaking I've seen was a huge female red tail with legs that looked like sharpened pencils. Needless to say, I took her to the vet to be put down immediately.

i see red tail hawks, bald eagles and of course ravens daily. once in awhile i spot a golden eagle or owl.
the saddest thing i continue to see is dead ravens from people putting out rat poison, and the ravens will eat the body.
when i first saw this happen, 3 ravens looked like they just say down on the ground and died. also called game and fish then.

i wish people wouldnt use poison like that. There are better ways, that dont killl birds

I was a Rural Carrier Associate for the Postal Service for about 4 years and there was a Golden Eagle in a valley I delivered to. Narrow enough valley that when she/he flew, you could get a good look. Big sucker too. Wingspan had to be a least 5 or 6 foot.

We have bald eagles here and see them almost daily. Right now, we have two juvies and their two parents, plus others in the area.Pretty sure there was a third chick and searched around the base of the tree where the nest is - no luck. Likely a predator beat me to it.

Those are ravens in the photo above. A handful and utterly delightful little brats. Once they graduated out of their nest (the box) and into a flight cave, we would have to leave glasses, earrings and the like outside. More than a few times, I would have a raven hanging off my glasses and trying to get my mouth open. Funny and cute but not good for them.

Somewhere, I have a photo is of an xray of a raven shot with bird shot but can't seem to find it. Not all the bird shot could be remove but he did survive and is now in an education program.

The huge red tail above was a head injury. She had literally forgotten how to swallow so I tube fed her. I would use scissors to cut off the heads of mice, remove the skin and tail and toss them in the blender. She was a real hand-full and made me incredibly happy because, once the swelling of her brain went down, she regained all her natural talents and I released her.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

I live adjacent to the navajo nation, and count many natives as friends.
Their traditional belief is the owl is a messenger bringing unpleasant news.
Their name translated means little man in the woods.

I saw where you're from. I lived south west of Tucson for more than 25 years and had pretty constant dealings with both Tohono O'odam and Pascua Yaqui. I'm fascinate by the legends they have passed down through generations. I really love the Sonora desert but love where I am now as well. The photo above shows the lake that is my "back yard". Its exactly thee kind of place I always dreamed of.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

I found a wounded barn owl out here a few years ago. I marked his location on my gps and called game and fish. they took him somewhere set up to rehabiltate him, prescott, az i think. anyway, he wasnt easy for them to get ahold of but they did. he had been shot in the wing.

Illegal to shoot them but people do. Glad you got him to a rehabber.

We seldom see raptors with leg/foot injuries because they can still fly. It often means they starve to death because they can't catch and hold prey. Common cause of foot and leg injuries is electrocution. One of the most heart breaking I've seen was a huge female red tail with legs that looked like sharpened pencils. Needless to say, I took her to the vet to be put down immediately.

i see red tail hawks, bald eagles and of course ravens daily. once in awhile i spot a golden eagle or owl.
the saddest thing i continue to see is dead ravens from people putting out rat poison, and the ravens will eat the body.
when i first saw this happen, 3 ravens looked like they just say down on the ground and died. also called game and fish then.

i wish people wouldnt use poison like that. There are better ways, that dont killl birds

I was a Rural Carrier Associate for the Postal Service for about 4 years and there was a Golden Eagle in a valley I delivered to. Narrow enough valley that when she/he flew, you could get a good look. Big sucker too. Wingspan had to be a least 5 or 6 foot.

Incredible birds. I am SO fortunate to be able to work with raptors.

 

[Dekster]

You ever heard a screech owl? Sounds like a cat in the midst of a BIG fight. Amazing how a bird the size of your fist can make you rise up two feet off the mattress in the middle of the night, when that shrieking starts.

The hooting gets rather annoying whether they are shrieking or not.

 

[tycho1572]

I once wanted a pet monkey. My parents were quick to shoot that idea down. lol

 

[petro]

You ever heard a screech owl? Sounds like a cat in the midst of a BIG fight. Amazing how a bird the size of your fist can make you rise up two feet off the mattress in the middle of the night, when that shrieking starts.

We had a big group camping in northern MN. A couple had tiny lap dogs. Those owls were making a racket at night and kept coming in closer till we could see them. They really wanted them puppies.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

The forest surrounding my home, is thick with them. I hear them sounding off every night...

I've never seen one. Only recently have I seen eagles.

I have a tall dead pine along the bank behind my house. Every night a great big Owl perches atop it hooting out, riling up the others secreted away in the tree line. I never realized just how huge she really was; till she spread her wings, and silently swooped down to pluck an unsuspecting mouse from the meadow. A truly incredible animal...

Owls are super cool, but I don't think to have one as a pet is a good idea unless you have taken a few falconry classes or some kind of class on how to handle predator birds.

You're right but you must hold a federal license to have a raptor.

By far and away, most "pet" raptors live very short lives. I've had then brought to me in the most deplorable condition imaginable. I remember a rth that the lying pos who brought him in had cut off his beak with nail clippers.

 

[tycho1572]

I wouldn’t mind having a pet squirrel.....