Great-horned Owl Fun in 2016

[centrarchid]

Victim a free-range American Dominique cock approximately 7 lbs at time killed. He was roosting with three others in an exposed location.


Closeup of carcass.

Carcass with a little evidence for processing.

Midway point between carcass and kill site where additional processing too place to remove some items owl was finished with.

Neck vertibrate between kill site and carcass about 3 feet from intestines.

Intestines between kill site and carcass.

Carcass with kill site in background about 25 feet away.

Kill site with feather all about. head is the read spot.

Head with lots of grain from crop. Strong evidence for kill early after going to roost.

Carcass left on ground so observations can be made on what owl does.

I did witness owl present but did not know so at time. Dogs also efforted to interfere multiple times.

 

[centrarchid]

If all goes well this will be the last loss this season to GHO. Simply making chickens inaccessible to owl will not make owl move on. Owing to how I have been managing area the abundance of Cottontail Rabbits is high and owl will continue coming in for those. Son and I will do a little rabbit harvesting to help on that end. After easy rabbits taken a prescribed burn will be conducted to move remaining rabbits away from poultry area. Problem with that is it remove cover from diurnal raptors and weather.

 

[centrarchid]

During the day another raptor consumed at least a lb of meat. A lot for one bird. Carcass moved very little. Carcass now tied to T-post. We wait.

 

[centrarchid]

Owl does not appear to have come back in. Hunting for GHO's exceptional here so it may be cherry picking and doing luxury consumption. Dogs also worked that area of yard harder last night as they can see owl pretty easy even when I cannot see a thing without light.

 

[centrarchid]

Owl does not appear to have come back in. Hunting for GHO's exceptional here so it may be cherry picking and doing luxury consumption. Dogs also worked that area of yard harder last night as they can see owl pretty easy even when I cannot see a thing without light.

I jumped gun with post above, Owl did come back leaving a pile of feathers where carcass was tied down last night. When I got home the evidence for further processing and consumption could not be found down hill where owls have often taken carcasses before. As of this morning, the chicken head was in the same location as depicted in picture below. When I checked at end of day the day time visitor (hawk) had consumed all but the brain case. Additionally the rug was dragged a couple of feet exposing area beneath. Was raptor looking for something underneath or trying to steal rug?

Pic of situation roughly as it looked this morning.

 

[centrarchid]

Birds are now penned up. Odds are owl will spend next few nights probing for chickens it can get at. Further adjustments need to be made to prevent owl from trying pull sleeping chickens through pen walls. Dogs run owl off a lot but the get literally bored with the effort, especially when doing it most of the night and other stimuli distract them.

 

[centrarchid]

Diurnal raptor that was working on owls kill during day is a Red-tailed Hawk. It is posted about 25 feet up in tree of fencelince SW of barn. Chickens seem not concerned. I am because just released a broody hen with chicks to dust bath. Hawk is likely after the rabbits but may experiment with taking on a live chicken. Dogs not likely to engage until chickens give alarm call.

 

[centrarchid]

Going back to what I recall about night rooster was killed. I could here owl biting through bones of rooster even when I was 200 feet away. At that time the owl was on rooster at kill site otherwise I would have been able to see it using the spot light.

 

[Primo]

If all goes well this will be the last loss this season to GHO. Simply making chickens inaccessible to owl will not make owl move on. Owing to how I have been managing area the abundance of Cottontail Rabbits is high and owl will continue coming in for those. Son and I will do a little rabbit harvesting to help on that end. After easy rabbits taken a prescribed burn will be conducted to move remaining rabbits away from poultry area. Problem with that is it remove cover from diurnal raptors and weather.

I am considering doing some prescribed burns late this winter. I have never done this before. What is your method? I have burned plenty of large brush piles before, understand waiting for just the right weather conditions (no wind, humidity, preferably just after rain etc.). What process do you use? As scared as I am to use fire, I just have some areas too sloped to mow.

 

[centrarchid]

I am considering doing some prescribed burns late this winter. I have never done this before. What is your method? I have burned plenty of large brush piles before, understand waiting for just the right weather conditions (no wind, humidity, preferably just after rain etc.). What process do you use? As scared as I am to use fire, I just have some areas too sloped to mow.

Call local fire department to give a heads up.

Have some experienced help.

Mow perimeter lane at least twice as tall as tallest vegeation left standing in burn area that will be burned.

Wet lane with hose and have water standing by.

Start burning on down wind side or up hill side.