Great Horned Owl

[lilranch2001]

The closest most birds come to me is barn swallows, they love when I mow and they dive bomb bugs around me, but they are very good at missing me and the eXmark

 

[Ford850]

The closest most birds come to me is barn swallows, they love when I mow and they dive bomb bugs around me, but they are very good at missing me and the eXmark

I love to swallows swarming when I mow. I've had them cross under the tractor, between front and rear axles, while I'm cruising along pulling a rotary cutter.

 

[MossRoad]

I have seen wild turkeys here since I moved here in the 80's but last summer I was mowing along a creek and I scared up a momma with 7 of her poults following her, they were so funny chasing momma!
Later in the summer I saw them several times.
Early fall came and I was hearing a banging on my walk out basement door and wondered who would be at that door.
I went out the side door and walked around and looked down, and there were 7 turkeys one of which was pecking at the reflection of itself in the door.

When they saw me they took off running. It happened 4 times again (that I heard) later, one of which I got a picture of as they ran away. I tried to post the pic but it was not of high enough quality to see the details.

Several times in the fall I also heard a rustling in the tree canopy of my woods and saw the turkeys flying from tree top to tree top

Growing up here, there were no Turkeys in northern Indiana until the early 80's. The state started releasing turkeys back into Indiana in the late 50's, but didn't really start large numbers until the late 70's and early 80's around here. They have taken off ever since. It is one of the most successful Turkey reintroduction programs in the country. I've seen flocks of over 100 on our property out towards North Liberty. They've blocked the highway crossing the road from field to forest.

 

[Jstpssng]

I had never seen a wild turkey until 2000, when I took a picture of 4 crossing the road in front of me. At the time it was a big deal. That fall I worked in New York for the first time, and turkeys definitely were NOT a big deal there. Since then they've come quite prolific, it's not unusual to see 20, 30, or 40 out in my field in late summer.

 

[oosik]

Never thought of this. Bet our proliferation of turkeys is why hawks, owls & coyotes are booming also. Ask any rancher, around here, who feeds grains or pelletized foods - what he thinks of turkeys. You just DO NOT leave any kind of animal food outside anymore. It attracts turkeys like mice to cheese.

Turkeys will do the same thing to your yards as hogs in Texas do to their fields.

 

[rekees4300]

In the 1970's had one of these terrorize our chicken coop. It would land on the top of the barn, analyze the prey, then swoop down to attack. Unfortunately had to use a 12 GA. to end the conflict. :guilty:

Great Horned Owl Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

 

[czechsonofagun]

I started hunting in Virginia in 2007, first turkey ever I saw around 2012 and now there are huge flocks roaming the county.

 

[MoKelly]

I'm pretty sure it was Ben Franklin who had nothing good to say about bald eagles. He suggested the buzzard a better symbol of America than Bald Eagle.

Here you go. The rumor was the turkey (not a buzzard).

MoKelly

 

[lilranch2001]

I cracked up as I was getting off the interstate this afternoon on the north side of Fort Wayne......


You may need to blow up the image to read the lic plate

 

[fruitcakesa]

View attachment 682557

I cracked up as I was getting off the interstate this afternoon on the north side of Fort Wayne......


You may need to blow up the image to read the lic plate

Whooo is that