No, it's not like it snatched one of my chickens. Lately I've been dealing with a rat/possum, whatever it is I let my dog out every night to give him a chance to kill it or at least give me a chance to see it. So far he runs out barking and growling everynight, chasing at something I can't see since I can't point the flashlight at whatever it is fast enough. Tonight, my dog did the usual. Ran out, chased something, and by the time I found the flashlight he wasn't chasing. I looked up in the tree, and then saw a dark shadow in the dark night sky, a big one. Then a rustle, and a crack. I turn around and shine the flashlight towards the noise. There, 5 feet in front of me, perched on a 6 foot branch, was a beautiful adult barred owl. Gleaming at me with those big 'ol eyes. Whatever varmit my dog chased away, it brought this fella out. He paid absoulutly NO attention the growling dog right under him. Or the annoying human as he shined that bright light in his face just feet away. Whatever he was searching for, he was quite tame, and intent on hunting it. I spoke a sentence quite loudly as I was in awe, and the owl simply glanced at me for 3 seconds, and looked away. Almost as if to say "Keep it down! I'm hunting!". I followed it for 30 minutes. During the time, it flew to 3 different trees in my yard, and let out 10 eerie "Hoos". Again, what surprised me was how tame it was. Being a suburban town boy, this was the first time I've ever seen an owl OR heard an owl in the wild before. But I'm glad I now have mother nature working for me. Hopefully it'll snatch up the rats, or the small possum I attempted to scare off 3 weeks ago.
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