Owls Help wanted, from those who have been there done that

[shakershot]

Ive got a great Horned Owl, mom and baby in a nest on a side of a mountain slope,
I can climb the slope and get eye level, but she sees me and flys off,,,
she knows exactly where i am,,,,,
ive tried waiting her out,,,not working,,,
and im not going to wait all day as i worry about the baby,,

any tips, on sneaking up on an owl most welcome,,,

50D, 100-400L
and time,,lots of time,,,

Alaska,,gawd what a photographers dream,,,

[davebreal]

if you are disturbing the owl every time you try, it's not worth it. One roosts in the woods by my house but I step on a million twigs trying to get to it, and it flushes immediately. I haven't bothered it in months now, even when I'm already at that nature reserve.

The animal's well being and parenting is much more important than our desire to photograph them.

[jmik26]

The animal's well being and parenting is much more important than our desire to photograph them.

Could not agree more! Worse thing you could do is scare a parent off a nest...Jeff

[shakershot]

Could not agree more! Worse thing you could do is scare a parent off a nest...Jeff

THATS why i was asking,,,I DONT want to do any harm,,,
just wanted to know if there was a way to do it without bothering her,



johnp

[RikWriter]

Watch her, find out where she hunts. Set up a blind there, maybe even put out some bait (unless you have an ethical problem with that).

[adam8080]

Or wait till she leaves, go up there and hide, and the wait for her to come back.

[scot079]

Watch her, find out where she hunts. Set up a blind there, maybe even put out some bait (unless you have an ethical problem with that).

Rik how would suggest baiting it? Are they more receptive to live prey or will they take a carcass. I have no immediate plans for doing this, just wondering. Thanks

[BradM]

Be cautious around the nest, once the owlet is a couple weeks from flying it will "jump" out of the nest. It will then spend the next couple weeks on the ground or climbing up leaning trees, snags etc. for the night.

Meanwhile the adults will be keeping an eye on the young one and if you get close they will attack you. You may not see them coming and certainly won't hear them but people have been seriously injured by approaching GHO chicks on the ground. They will attack your head, often from behind, they do not bluff an attack, they attack.

These birds are apex predators and have no real fear of anything in their territories, GHO's with chicks out of the nest are very dangerous (as well as Great Gray's) so be very careful.

[RikWriter]

Rik how would suggest baiting it? Are they more receptive to live prey or will they take a carcass. I have no immediate plans for doing this, just wondering. Thanks

I've never done it, but I've read of people buying mice and putting them in the fields where the owl hunts.