HOOTIE WHOOOO??? pic for AMANDA

[Becker]

So I stumbled onto this picture while I was surfing my computer. I was hiking to a high vantage point sheep scouting. It was hotter than blazes! There was this giant juniper tree up ahead with some shade. I decided it was a good spot for a break. I got into the shade and took off my back pack. I leaned down and got my water out of my pack, and stood back up straight, and just got this weird feeling. I turned and looked into the tree and this THING was staring back not two feet from my face!!!!!! I almost wet myself....after about falling back down the hill, I managed a few pics before I moved on. Thought it was pretty cool and you all might like to see it!!! Also I know Amanda does a ton of Owl work thought you would like this one!

 

[bonecollector]

Wow cool pic.

[Coues Sniper]

Hootie whoooo... follow the funk from the skunk and the dank that is crunk in the Dungeon. It goes on and on and on, like that... That brought me back man. Good ol' Outkast

 

Sweet owl by the way.

[reganranch]

Great pic.

[bustedknuckleinc]

LMAO:-)

[CouesWhitetail]

LOL!!! that's awesome! I love the "I almost wet myself" LOL!!

 

Thanks for sharing the pic! Looks like a Great Horned Owl, although it looks a little on the small side....might just be the way you took the pic. I am sure it really was a giant monster that should have made you wet yourself and fall down the hill!! LOL!!

[huntjunkie]

That's awesome!! I had a similar experience 3 yrs ago in unit 22 while turkey hunting. I climbed out of a wash poked my head over the top looking of a tom I was after. As I was standing there I got that same feeling. I looked to my right and three feet away was this little owl about 4" tall staring at me. I don't know who's eyes were bigger! My first thought was, oh how cute I wonder if I could hold it. Then I thought, hey idiot that thing would bite your finger clean off!! Cute little guy. Don't know if it was a baby or full grown. Definitely one of my favorite run in's with wildlife.

Thanks for sharing, way cool!!

[rcdinaz]

Great pic!

 

I did something similar once going to sit under a tree but the thing took off when I sat down and I thought I was being attacked by Batman. So I get the whole "almost wet myself".

[GreeneMachine]

Similar thing happened to me and a couple buds when we were young. Had three of those little guys hanging out in a tree and they were super chill...so we did what any kid would do, dared eachother to pick em up!

 

[CouesWhitetail]

Similar thing happened to me and a couple buds when we were young. Had three of those little guys hanging out in a tree and they were super chill...so we did what any kid would do, dared eachother to pick em up!

 

 

 

baby great horned owls! I bet the parents weren't too happy.....

[tjhunt2]

Thanks for sharing this topic with us Becker. What a great picture and I can just imagine how startled you must have been. lol

 

GreeneMachine..........that was an accomplishment in itself let aone getting some good pictures at that age. What a hoot that must have been.

 

This brought back one of my fondest memories of getting the crap scared out of me. It was in the early 70's, after moving to the big west from Ohio, and I was making my first trip from Apache Lake. It was dark and I had just topped out on Fish Creek Hill and was driving along the first few switchbacks and was thinking how scarry it was being here be myself. You got to remember, I was new to these parts and still learning what this land had to offer. As I drove past one of the cutouts in the wall next to me a big owl flew out and hit the side of my truck with one of it's wings coming in the window and hitting me along side the head. I wasn't sure what it was but I just knew something had got me and it was the end. As I screamed, heck yeah I screamed,and I almost drove off the cliff.

 

These are some of my favorite birds and thanks for letting me share one of my owl stories.

 

TJ

[CouesWhitetail]

Wow TJ, I wouldn't want a great horned owl flying into my car and hitting my head! That would be crazy trying to get him out of the car if he had landed completely inside!

[tjhunt2]

Wow TJ, I wouldn't want a great horned owl flying into my car and hitting my head! That would be crazy trying to get him out of the car if he had landed completely inside!

 

Thank god it didn't or I might not be here. It ranks right up there with the time I had a ringtailed cat get in my sleeping back. I'm sure those two incidents alone took a few years off my life.

 

TJ

[CouesWhitetail]

LOL!! Did you just wake up with a ringtail in your sleep bag or was he there already when you got in?

[DesertBull]

 

It ranks right up there with the time I had a ringtailed cat get in my sleeping bag.

 

 

 

by accident or on purpose