# owls



## Big Dave (Feb 5, 2006)

Can anyone elaborate on how owls hunt. Day, night, early dawn, early evening. Can they carry off a full grown rooster? When they strike to the leave feathers? Will they take cats? Any thing some one knows please write it on here. I am trying to solve a predator problem.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Yes they can carry off a full grown rooster and yes they kill cats. There may not be many feathers left at the scene.

Mostly they hunt after dark but I've seen them in early day and evening too.


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## farmerDale (Jan 8, 2011)

What kind of owl? They hunt differently, act differently, depending on the species. Some are fairly large, some are the size of a robin. Some hunt ONLY at night, some hunt whenever. Sorry, I suppose this complicates things, but there are many answers, until the kind of owl is specified...


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

Big Dave said:


> Can anyone elaborate on how owls hunt. Day, night, early dawn, early evening. Can they carry off a full grown rooster? When they strike to the leave feathers? Will they take cats? Any thing some one knows please write it on here. I am trying to solve a predator problem.


***** will do both of those as well.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

[YOUTUBE]YOILrjg8UWY[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]eKMkoREAcck[/YOUTUBE]


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## dkhern (Nov 30, 2012)

owls hunt in low light or dark. while they look large they are not really as big as they appear. they could take small cats or chickens ( think cotton tail size) chickens roosting in trees would be at risk. with chickens there should be a pile of feathers and i doubt they would take more than one per nite.


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## HuskyBoris (Feb 14, 2013)

just in case you were thinking of dispatching it Owls are protected in Michigan and Ipresume Arkansas as well,big fine for killing one and it sure ain't worth a few chickens,if you birds are getting whacked in daylight I would say a Hawk or eagle is you culprit,at night *****,fox and coyotes would be your worse threat.


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## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

I normally don't see/hear ours until about an hour or so before dark (barred and GH owls), then they go like gangbusters!


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## charliesbugs (Feb 25, 2007)

Owls as a rule do not carry anything off , main reason is they can"t as they do not have a lot of "lift" with their wings ,they have soft feathers. They will eat the head and neck and maybe the crop of chickens but that is about all ,they are not big eaters as they are not big bodied to begin with. I think they regurge food for the young in the nest,as I have watched some nest with young and never any bones or feathers only pellets. Big hawks and eagles will carry things to the nest. If you see a big owl in the daytime they prob. have a nest of young and are hunting. They are spooky to hear at night **** hunting,I can remembera couple of times have one swoop down by us at night and you can not hear them. I am not sure but maybe owls are on the federal list to protect, am in OH. Anybody know for sure.


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## OkieDavid (Jan 15, 2007)

Charlie - Yes, all raptors are protected. Some states have exemptions for those actually "in the act" of predation. I'm not certain but I suspect it's one of those instances where it may be a violation of Federal law but the State wildlife officials won't enforce in instances of active predation. Around here as long as you aren't foolish enough to drive around with a talon hanging from your mirror, you are not likely to get in trouble. Predator control is the epitome of SSS......

Every couple of years the Feds fly the area at night looking at homesteads for "pole traps" around the chicken coops. They will spend a night or two gathering Intel and then have a mass raid and write everyone up.


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## diamondtim (Jun 10, 2005)

charliesbugs said:


> Owls as a rule do not carry anything off , main reason is they can"t as they do not have a lot of "lift" with their wings ,they have soft feathers. They will eat the head and neck and maybe the crop of chickens but that is about all ,they are not big eaters as they are not big bodied to begin with. I think they regurge food for the young in the nest,as I have watched some nest with young and never any bones or feathers only pellets. Big hawks and eagles will carry things to the nest. If you see a big owl in the daytime they prob. have a nest of young and are hunting. They are spooky to hear at night **** hunting,I can remembera couple of times have one swoop down by us at night and you can not hear them. I am not sure but maybe owls are on the federal list to protect, am in OH. Anybody know for sure.


Saw a Great Horned Owl in our city neighborhood. It's a big bird. When it took off it was silent, no noise at all. Way cool!:rock:


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