I used to like owls

[PKC]

Last Sunday I woke up before sunrise, got dressed, grabbed my gun and started to walk the woods near my house looking for a last minute buck.  It had frosted pretty good so I was going very slow trying to minimize noise.  After several minutes of creeping along, I came to a small meadow.  On the far side of the meadow is a valley that I wanted to sit and watch.  As I neared the center of the meadow, WHACK!!! - something hit the back of my head HARD!  I cussed loudly as my heart rate spiked.  What the hell was that?  I feel my head and there is a little smear of blood on my palm.  An owl landed in a tree about 10 feet up and stared at me. 
Well I figured he made a mistake, now that he knows I'm much bigger than him, he will leave me alone.  I took a couple pictures and then continued on my way.  A few steps later - WHACK!!!  *censored* - those things are silent and now you just made this personal, owl.  He again lands in a tree about 10' up facing me.  I get to the overlook and grab a stick.  The owl is just above eye level and slightly to my right.  Just a few minutes prior, I thought I heard a buck grunt so my eyes are darting from looking up at the owl to looking down in the valley.  I'm too nervous to take my eyes of this violent delinquent for long, but I can't look for deer if I'm staring up at an owl.  Sure enough, I took my eyes off him to long and he swoops down at me again.  I see his approach at the last minute - holy cow they are quiet! - and fend him of with my stick.  He lands nearby again, but then some unfortunate squirrel makes some noise in a dense hemlock thicket and that little vicious beast is distracted.  I see the owl flitting through the branches while I hear the squirrel making all kinds of noise.  I can hear the squirrel scraping bark as it looks for an escape. 
With all of this racket I figure my last chance for a buck is ruined so I slowly (with one hand always on my head) retreat the way I came.  The squirrel is still scrambling around and barking.  Good luck squirrel, but I'd bet on the other guy.

[trophyhunt]

They get aggressive during mating season, but is it season now??

[KFhunter]

That owl woulda met its maker.

great horned owl talons are stronger, exert more pressure than a bald eagle, and equal to the bite force of a German Shepard dog.

 
nothing to take lightly

[boneaddict]

 

He’s right they do have formidable weapons. 

[Mfowl]

Great read!  Sorry about your hunt! Maybe it was a young one or had young of the year nearby. I know raptors will swoop to defend a nest. A few years ago we had an owl family in the trees near elk camp for a few nights. They didn't attack but they screeched all night long x3!

[baldopepper]

Undoutably had a young one nearby, albeit late in the season. They are quite aggressive when they have juveniles near. Raised hawks when I was a kid and had an owl knock me out of a tree I was climbing to check a nest. Had another knock my hat off, putting a pretty good cut in my head doing it. Great horns were brutal around their nest, we learned early to keep our distance from nests until we figured out what type it was.

[PKC]

It was a Barred owl.  I seriously considered shooting it for half a second, but a 7mm at 12 feet…?  When I got home I did some internet searching and learned they get pretty territorial late fall/winter as they stake out their nesting are for the next year.

[PKC]

I haven’t figured out pics very well…hopefully this works

[BLH69]

  you just have a really cool story

[Cylvertip]

I believe Bards are considered an invasive species.  7mms at the range would have been about right.  Poof!

[b23]

I posted a video couple weeks ago of an owl going to town on an adult turkey in the driveway that the surveillance camera picked up.  It was crazy to watch.

[nwwanderer]

Pre breeding season it is, they get an early start so they can find feed for babies before things grow over.  Might want to avoid that exact spot

[Caseknife]

Owls and raptors can get pretty aggressive and territorial, and owls are VERY quiet, spooky quiet.  Great story, glad you only lost a little blood.  Don't ever get around their nests with a drone unless you want a scrap heap.

While hunting last weekend, came across a patch of snowshoe hare hide and then a tuft of hair, and then a headless hare under a bush.  Owl got him during the night.  They will eat the head first due to the highly nutritious brain matter.  Wish I had taken a picture of the Headless Hare.

[PastorJoel]

Government drone.  You must have been close to a secret facility.  Birds aren't real. 

[CoyoteCowboy]

Great write up! My hunting partner going smoked by an owl in his morning run two days in a row, same spot on the run. That delinquent owl also drew blood. I can only imagine how scary that would have been hahah

The hunter becomes the hunted