Almost lost my dog to an owl. [Archive] - SUBSIM Radio Room Forums

Armistead

11-19-12, 12:29 PM

I generally walk by dog at night, wide open fields with nice paths beside a river.
I've seen owls in the tree's at night, often they take off from the tops as I walk at night and you can see them in the moonlight. I generally walk the trail to the golf course and walk there. Course, I could barely see the outline, but as my dog was running across the course, an owl tried to pick him up, actually did lift and drag him about 4 feet. Good thing my dog was a tad too big and mean for it.
Never even crossed my mind this would happen with this dog, weighs about 12 lb's and a lot of hair. He did have a few puncture marks that my daughter stitched up. However, I think my dog got a few good bites in.

I say owl, don't think it would be a hawk at night, hard to see, cept outline looks like one.

http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu235/Armistead1424/WP_000187.jpg
http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu235/Armistead1424/WP_000189.jpg

Red Brow

11-19-12, 12:56 PM

Even though the dog may have been too large to fully carry away, those talons on the owl could cut through neck bones if landed just right. Maybe a small cloak of semi-thick leather.

My wife just reminded me that we know someone who saw her cat carried off by a large owl at night. The woman yelled to try to scare the owl. But the owl just ignored her but the cat froze to stare at her owner who was yelling. Cat was taken - never seen again.

nikimcbee

11-19-12, 01:02 PM

Scary stuff. Do you know what kind of owl it was?

AVGWarhawk

11-19-12, 01:36 PM

I have read and heard of hawks taking small dogs. My mother had 5 chihuahua and always stayed in the yard with them when they were out to do their business. I can not say I have heard a owl attempting this with a dog. Glad the little fella showed him what for and was safe.

Armistead

11-19-12, 01:50 PM

I assume it was a Great Horned, they're rather common here. My guess is they stay in the woods at night on one side of the river, then sit it the tree tops at night and look for prey crossing the old golf course or fields. They do have a wing span of 4 ft and that was about right and can pick up 20 lbs.

I use to walk it during the day along the edge of the course, but if a golf ball happens to fly near my dog, well, he likes to fetch and he'll run a mile or so before he brings it back.

Anyway, I'll but his lighted collar back on. Dang dog chases anything here, coyotes, skunks, wild cats, etc...

Jimbuna

11-19-12, 01:55 PM

A lucky escape...I'd be putting him on a very long leash in the future.

nikimcbee

11-19-12, 02:08 PM

http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/dinosaur-images-055-resize.jpg

You need to make an owl-proof coat/armo(u)r for your dog.:hmmm:

Stealhead

11-19-12, 02:15 PM

It might have been Barn Owl they live in most o North America.I have seen evidence of both Barn and Horned owls eating hares(wild rabbits) around here.Sometimes I will spot a half eaten hare carcass with owl feathers lying around.

I think the leash is a good idea for your dog if Carolina is anything like Florida there are plenty of things that will eat a little dog about.

I once was standing in the woods with my father around dusk and we witnessed this tom cat get grabbed by a Barn owl either the tom was too heavy or the owl had a bad grip because the tom dropped from about 15 feet up landed on his feet and split whether or not he survived the talon wounds I don't know.

Armistead

11-19-12, 04:17 PM

Generally I leash walk him, cept when I get far enough into the woods where he can run and play. He has a big head and a good chomp, can handle most things around here.....cept not so sure about the owls.

I'll put his leather jacket on and xmas collar, that should confuse em...sounds like sleigh bells when it moves.

AVGWarhawk

11-19-12, 04:27 PM

Time for some pooch protection!

http://www.lifeinthefastlane.ca/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/body_armor_dog_1.jpg

Let's take this mother down!!

Betonov

11-19-12, 04:30 PM

nikimcbee

11-19-12, 05:09 PM

Time for some pooch protection!

http://www.lifeinthefastlane.ca/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/body_armor_dog_1.jpg

Let's take this mother down!!

I approve of this post!:haha::salute:

Jimbuna

11-19-12, 05:12 PM

Time for some pooch protection!

http://www.lifeinthefastlane.ca/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/body_armor_dog_1.jpg

Let's take this mother down!!

Awesome....bring it on!! :rock:

Cybermat47

11-19-12, 05:12 PM

Time for some pooch protection!

http://www.lifeinthefastlane.ca/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/body_armor_dog_1.jpg

Let's take this mother down!!

Needs more spikes :D

Jimbuna

11-19-12, 05:15 PM

Needs more spikes :D

No....the bird needs sharper talons :shifty:

Armistead

11-19-12, 05:53 PM

An owl tried to take my dog I'd probibly burn the forrest down in retaliation :stare:

It's hard for us to think about it, but our pets are still in the food chain. My neigbours cat was eaten by a fox. Gave me nightmares since I was a cat person when I was a child

I that owl flew away with him, I probably would've. He went down to the river banks that are more like cliffs and fell in, in I went right behind him. Course he made it to the shoreline long before I did.

Stealhead

11-19-12, 08:36 PM

I that owl flew away with him, I probably would've. He went down to the river banks that are more like cliffs and fell in, in I went right behind him. Course he made it to the shoreline long before I did.

I hope that you are joking when you say that.Why punish an animal for doing what nature intends for him to?It is not like he was trying to be malicious he is trying to survive.You placing human morals onto an animal.

I have pets as well and have lost some to wild animals I don't see that that gives me the right to punish every wild animal for several hundred yards.I am hunter I kill game but I still have respect for nature.

Oberon

11-19-12, 10:28 PM

Tis the nature of nature. They say that Eagle Owls can take lambs, so I wouldn't have been surprised if it had been a Great Horned, they are quite big birds. The owl probably thought it could get a good meal out of your dog and wasn't expecting it to fight back. Predators tend to go for easy kills where they can unless they are starving, because any wound could mean death for them without access to medical treatment.
So, well fought your little 'un, and hopefully the talon wounds will heal up well. Not sure what kind of measures you could take to prevent such a thing happening again, since it's a pretty rare event, just glad the dog came out of it unscathed. :yep:

Armistead

11-19-12, 10:29 PM

I hope that you are joking when you say that.Why punish an animal for doing what nature intends for him to?It is not like he was trying to be malicious he is trying to survive.You placing human morals onto an animal.

I have pets as well and have lost some to wild animals I don't see that that gives me the right to punish every wild animal for several hundred yards.I am hunter I kill game but I still have respect for nature.

Please....it was called sarcasm reflecting our love of dogs. Trust me, I would'nt have burnt half the county down and my love for owls would remain intact.

hoot hoot hoot.

August

11-19-12, 10:51 PM

Nothing wrong with defending your pets from predation though.

Oberon

11-19-12, 11:08 PM

Nothing wrong with defending your pets from predation though.

Indeed, I think though it would be hard to do so against something like an owl, generally you don't hear or see them coming until they've got their kill and are taking off. Stealth is their art and their livelihood.

Stealhead

11-19-12, 11:36 PM

Nothing wrong with defending your pets from predation though.

I never said that there was anything wrong with stopping something from taking your pet (or livestock) as prey or even seeking out the specific one if it did kill I have no problem with that either.

Someone actually burning down an entire forest that I would have a problem with or hunting down all members of a perpetrators species I would have an problem with that.

August

11-19-12, 11:47 PM

I never said that there was anything wrong with stopping something from taking your pet (or livestock) as prey or even seeking out the specific one if it did kill I have no problem with that either.

Someone actually burning down an entire forest that I would have a problem with or hunting down all members of a perpetrators species I would have an problem with that.

Well obviously nobody here has seriously suggested any of that.

Stealhead

11-19-12, 11:49 PM

Well I was just making that clear.:sunny:

Armistead

11-20-12, 01:03 AM

Well I was just making that clear.:sunny:

It's cool.

The only thing I shoot around here are the Feral cats. I would hope the owls would eat more of them.

Hottentot

11-20-12, 01:37 AM

or hunting down all members of a perpetrators species I would have an problem with that.

Yeah, if we did that, I'd be sitting in jail for quite many murders already. Though I'm just saying that sometimes the only thing that has saved me from an assault charge has been the realization that my dog becoming an orphan is not worth the moment of satisfaction of kicking someone's teeth in. Just saying.

Betonov

11-20-12, 02:14 AM

Please....it was called sarcasm reflecting our love of dogs. Trust me, I would'nt have burnt half the county down and my love for owls would remain intact.

hoot hoot hoot.

I'd certainly made them an endangered species in my country.
It's a balkan thing. Let them eat rodents and rabbits

Bilge_Rat

11-20-12, 04:32 PM

At my cottage we have a whole menagerie. There are owls, although they are very people shy and hard to spot.

I had a hawk family nest on top of a 50 foot high tree on my property 2 summers back. Never paid much attention to my dogs, although the mother would often stand in her nest and stare at me! :o The one big advantage is that for that whole summer, crows who always go around in noisy gangs stayed clear of the cottage the whole time the Hawks were there.

We have a pair of eagles that come back every summer and cover a large territory that covers my lake. I often see them circling lazily in the sky looking for prey, although they seem more interested in fish.

Skybird

11-20-12, 04:46 PM

http://www.welt.de/img/bildergalerien/origs111327096/9229721703-w900-h600/Uhu-bei-PK-Messe-Pferd-Jagd-.jpg

Meeting that tiny little bird alone in the dark would certainly leave an impression.

Jimbuna

11-20-12, 05:03 PM

http://www.welt.de/img/bildergalerien/origs111327096/9229721703-w900-h600/Uhu-bei-PK-Messe-Pferd-Jagd-.jpg

Meeting that tiny little bird alone in the dark would certainly leave an impression.

Without a shadow of a doubt :)

Cybermat47

11-20-12, 05:14 PM

TorpX

11-22-12, 01:00 AM

I had an unusual encounter with one a few years back.

I was walking alone late at night. As I approached a street light, I looked up to see a very large owl veer off, no more than a foot away. It had it's wings stretched out (to brake the dive, I guess) and I got a good look at it for an instant. It must have been a Great Horned Owl or one of similer size; about 3.5 ft. wingspan.

The only thing I could think, was that the street light interfered with his vision. I was wearing a fur ushanka, but do not otherwise resemble a rabbit. Rather odd. I could see him after he went back up to his perch on a pine tree, silhouetted in the moonlight.

I seldom see, or hear any owls around here, but I assume there are more than is apparent. We used to have quite a few crows, but the population plummeted after the West Nile Virus hit. Perhaps this affected the owls as well.

Anyway, glad your pooch is OK, Armistead. I would worry more about the coyotes than the owls, though. An owl might not be able to carry off your dog, but a coyote certainly could.