This is for Amber, as a bit of a tribute and a salute to her and her (truly blessed family) for taking care of Reese the dog.
I wanted to relate another story with a happy ending to hopefully add some more warmth to everyone's hearts and a bit of humor as well.
I was driving about on the country roads searching for a river access point and just "road-tripping" and enjoying the warm spring day when I saw a truck coming down another side road. The driver didn't notice it, but he spooked an owl that was in the ditch and the owl flew out in front of the truck and got struck by the front fender/grill and bounced back into the ditch.
I knew that the bird had to have been hurt because he didn't get up and fly away. So I drove along the ditch side to locate him. I found him and sure enough, it was obvious that his wing had been broken.
I did my best to collect him without incurring any more pain to the little fella. I managed to get him grasped so that his wings would lay flat against his sides in a normal position and then put him in the cab of my truck on the passenger side on the seat. I didn't have any box or pet-carrier to put him in, so I was kinda taking a chance that he would just get calm and stay there. He had been "snapping" his beak at me and squirming quite a bit, but once in the truck, he seemed to calm down very well.
I drove him back to my cabin and brought him inside. He sat there on the front seat of the truck all the way like a well trained dog. Once back at the cabin, I started making phone calls to the local pet shops and vets and finally got a telephone number for the Raptor Recovery center in Lincoln, Nebraska. They gave me the name of a lady who worked with them who had a second job in my home town at a bar/cafe. I called her and she said whe would take the owl in to the Raptor Recovery center in Lincoln and would meet me the next morning at the bar.
I kept the owl in my cabin overnight and just let him run freely. I set out a bowl of water and some raw chicken meat in case he felt like eating or drinking. I don't know if it touched anything, but he definitely had a good meal before hand because he "pooped" everywhere! On the floor, on the couch on the chairs! Ha Ha, dirty little bugger!
The next morning, I got up and took him with me in the truck to town (about 16 miles or so). He was quite content and didn't snap at me or anything. He sat on the passenger seat most of the way. But, he got a little interested in what was going on outside, so he jumped up on the arm rest and looked out the passemger window.
I happened to pass a semi-truck while he was there, looking out. The driver of the semi happened to look over and see him. I thought he was going to have an accident! I could tell by the look on the driver's face that he was freaked out! LOL. His eyes were as big as platters. I guess he had never seen an owl riding in a truck before. Or maybe he thought it was one really weird looking dog? Like something from the Island of Doctor Moreau.
Well, I got the little fella into town. The lady from the Raptor Recovery center met me out back and she was amazed that I didn't have him in a cage and that he was so calm. She even thought that I was a bit daring because even a hurt owl could inflict some real damage to a person with their beaks and talons if they wanted to. When I opened the door and the owl came right to me and allowed me to pick it up without a squabble, she was impressed or befuddled or something.
She took him in and got him down to the recovery center in Lincoln and patched him up. I call the center from time to time to check on him and they informed me that "The Professor" was doing right well. I named him that after the Professor on Gilligan's Island.
They were eventually able to release him back into the wild after his wing had been treated and healed.
I thought I would share this story with you all and especially with Amber because I thought it would make everyone feel positive, happy and all warm inside!
We were assured that it was a male owl as we identified it as a young adult, great horned owl and the males of this species are small, like 1/3 - 1/2 the size of the females. The gal from the raptor recovery center comfirmed the species and the sex.
Hope you enjoyed the story, and keep on enjoying and caring for your pets and the wildlife around your home. It is such a blessing that God bestowed upon us to have such wonders.
Gordy
I wanted to relate another story with a happy ending to hopefully add some more warmth to everyone's hearts and a bit of humor as well.
I was driving about on the country roads searching for a river access point and just "road-tripping" and enjoying the warm spring day when I saw a truck coming down another side road. The driver didn't notice it, but he spooked an owl that was in the ditch and the owl flew out in front of the truck and got struck by the front fender/grill and bounced back into the ditch.
I knew that the bird had to have been hurt because he didn't get up and fly away. So I drove along the ditch side to locate him. I found him and sure enough, it was obvious that his wing had been broken.
I did my best to collect him without incurring any more pain to the little fella. I managed to get him grasped so that his wings would lay flat against his sides in a normal position and then put him in the cab of my truck on the passenger side on the seat. I didn't have any box or pet-carrier to put him in, so I was kinda taking a chance that he would just get calm and stay there. He had been "snapping" his beak at me and squirming quite a bit, but once in the truck, he seemed to calm down very well.
I drove him back to my cabin and brought him inside. He sat there on the front seat of the truck all the way like a well trained dog. Once back at the cabin, I started making phone calls to the local pet shops and vets and finally got a telephone number for the Raptor Recovery center in Lincoln, Nebraska. They gave me the name of a lady who worked with them who had a second job in my home town at a bar/cafe. I called her and she said whe would take the owl in to the Raptor Recovery center in Lincoln and would meet me the next morning at the bar.
I kept the owl in my cabin overnight and just let him run freely. I set out a bowl of water and some raw chicken meat in case he felt like eating or drinking. I don't know if it touched anything, but he definitely had a good meal before hand because he "pooped" everywhere! On the floor, on the couch on the chairs! Ha Ha, dirty little bugger!
The next morning, I got up and took him with me in the truck to town (about 16 miles or so). He was quite content and didn't snap at me or anything. He sat on the passenger seat most of the way. But, he got a little interested in what was going on outside, so he jumped up on the arm rest and looked out the passemger window.
I happened to pass a semi-truck while he was there, looking out. The driver of the semi happened to look over and see him. I thought he was going to have an accident! I could tell by the look on the driver's face that he was freaked out! LOL. His eyes were as big as platters. I guess he had never seen an owl riding in a truck before. Or maybe he thought it was one really weird looking dog? Like something from the Island of Doctor Moreau.
Well, I got the little fella into town. The lady from the Raptor Recovery center met me out back and she was amazed that I didn't have him in a cage and that he was so calm. She even thought that I was a bit daring because even a hurt owl could inflict some real damage to a person with their beaks and talons if they wanted to. When I opened the door and the owl came right to me and allowed me to pick it up without a squabble, she was impressed or befuddled or something.
She took him in and got him down to the recovery center in Lincoln and patched him up. I call the center from time to time to check on him and they informed me that "The Professor" was doing right well. I named him that after the Professor on Gilligan's Island.
They were eventually able to release him back into the wild after his wing had been treated and healed.
I thought I would share this story with you all and especially with Amber because I thought it would make everyone feel positive, happy and all warm inside!
We were assured that it was a male owl as we identified it as a young adult, great horned owl and the males of this species are small, like 1/3 - 1/2 the size of the females. The gal from the raptor recovery center comfirmed the species and the sex.
Hope you enjoyed the story, and keep on enjoying and caring for your pets and the wildlife around your home. It is such a blessing that God bestowed upon us to have such wonders.
Gordy