Owl

[ziggyz420]

Had this guy visit my backyard the other day thought it was cool he stayed around long enough for me to snap some pics........

[Steve H.]

Awesome pics....thanks for sharing. I love owls but very seldom see them. Maybe one every couple years. Still waiting to see a great horned owl.

[jrod]

Very cool not too often do you see them. Nice work

[Grayghost 6]

Those are amazing shots! He easily consealed by blending in with the beech tree in the second pic. Nice job.

[nhmacusr]

Nice shots. Do you hear him calling at night? I love to go to sleep listening to them call.

[ziggyz420]

havent heard him latley but have in the past. Usually late at night ... This is prob the best set of pics i have gotten with the new camera .... the ones while he is flying down were by luck ... he looked as though he was ready to fly so i just held it on him and snapped away very happy with the results.

[Trout Hunter]

Great Shots - Just thinking.... Been tying for 25 years never heard of using owl feathers Are owl feathers ever used in tying? Not so readily available I suppose.........

[RichShady603]

Pics are great.. thanks for sharing those..

[TGIF]

Totally cool! Usually I only catch a quick glimpse out of the corner of my eye. I hear them all the time, and find pellets here and there.

Was out back by the pond this weekend and saw a piliated woodpecker, no pics though.

[jeet]

Still waiting to see a great horned owl.

Saw one once coming out of Beaver Brook in Hollis one night. It was dusk and something caught my eye and I looked up to see a keg of beer flying through the woods. I got to watch it for about 10 seconds or so. Those things are huge! And completely silent.

[OTTER]

What great pictures. Thanks for sharing. A "birder" says it is definitely a Barred Owl. Roughly same size as a Great Horned but with no " horns" and with different colored eyes, etc.

[bobo]

Love the shot looking up from the ground. Must've been pretty close.
Thanks for posting.

[ziggyz420]

yep he was close like 10 steps away when he looked like he was taking off i thought he was gone but he flew down and almost landed at my feet. he didn't seem to mind having his picture taken.

[Hunter Dan]

Awesome owl pics - especially the in-flight pics! I see a lot of them while out deer hunting. Had one light on a limb of the tree my stand was in once . . . we stared at each other for a few minutes and then he'd had enough and took off. Had a pair calling to each other one morning this November and then they swooped in and lit in a tree about 20 yards away before moving on again. Always very cool to see them in action.

[wet_fly_action]

Great Shots - Just thinking.... Been tying for 25 years never heard of using owl feathers Are owl feathers ever used in tying? Not so readily available I suppose.........
Never heard of them used for tying but they were big medicine for any native american to fletch his arrows with, because of the owl's silent flight.
Nice post.

[nhmacusr]

Never heard of them used for tying but they were big medicine for any native american to fletch his arrows with, because of the owl's silent flight.
Nice post.

That is a cool piece of trivia right there. Makes complete sense when you think about it in context.

[jmcg]

In my Llewellin Tucker's first year, he pointed a great barred that was setting on a tree limb about 10 feet up and the same away.
He didn't know what to think, but it sure got his attention.

[GlennC]

I'm thinking it might not be legal to possess owl feathers since it is a protected species, so tying would be out.
Very nice pictures. I hear Barred owls around my house all the time. I think breeding season is coming up so they will be more vocal in the next couple months. I also had one land next to the tree I was deer hunting from. I tried slowly reaching for my camera when his back was turned, but didn't stand a chance. The slightest movement and it would turn it's head right around to stare at me. Good hearing!

[Egg7]

I had a really cool close encounter with one this morning. I was hiking the Belknap Range and heard rustling in a tree. A red Squirrel ran up it and an owl landed on a rock not 10 feet from me staring at the squirrel for about 10 seconds. Then its head slowly turned towards me and as soon as it saw me it took off into the air.

[THURTACK]

Great pics, I do think it is not legal to possess owl feathers for tying, but I have been told by some very old fly fisherman that they are best when it comes to tying flies....

[OTTER]

Is it legal? What have we as Americans come to? When I find a dead bird or piece of one, I can't be bothered about whether it is legal or not. I would pluck a few feathers if I needed them which I seldom do. My bottom line is " Do no harm". Practically nothing is legal now compared with 70 years ago.

I am holding in my hand the Fish and Game laws of 1962 from the beaurocratic Commonwealth of Mass. It consists of one sheet of paper smaller than 8X11. The fishing laws are on one side; the hunting laws are on the other. Today we need a brief case or computer handy to find out what we can or cannot do.

I am a conservationist, environmentalist or whatever name they put on it today. Sure, If I found a dead Eagle, I would report it to some suitable organization probably starting with F&G. Meanwhile, I don't thing the FBI is looking for a couple of Owl feathers in the possesion of fly tiers.

[Relheok]

Possession of any endangered species, dead alive or in between is illegal. The reasons should be obvious. That being said, as Otter said, A few feathers from an already dead animal is not going to hurt anyone. It's probably a lot better then buying them. I wouldn't do it in front of a C.O.