It hunts at night for small animals such as squirrels, chipmunks, mice, voles, rabbits and birds up to pheasant size. A typical hunting technique is to perch in a tall tree so as to survey the ground below. Any activity by a prey species will be easily detected.

Which brings us to the Barred owl with its broken right wing. The most likely scenario that brought about its injury was a collision with a vehicle. Certainly an owl should be able to see a car or truck because it is a huge thing. Correct.

However, if the owl is so concentrated on its glide path to intercept a mouse or other critter crossing the empty space of a two lane roadway, it may be oblivious to vehicles on a collision course. This bird was caught in a no-win situation unless it could detect the vehicle to verge away in the nick of time. Well, in this case that did not happen.

As we humans transport ourselves from point A to point B with our vehicles, we will undoubtedly observe on occasions the effects of wildlife encounters that turned out very bad for the critter. A dead deer along the roadside is a large animal who died of injuries sustained by cars or trucks. Raccoons are also common roadkill victims. Squirrels and rabbits are on this list.

Also on the list are a very few wild turkeys and coyotes, and this scribe’s truck on the Iowa River bridge on North Center ran over and killed an otter about a decade ago when the animal suddenly ran directly in front of me. It was an instantaneous and an unavoidable collision.

I called the game warden. This otter skin ultimately became an educational fur for public display.

As to hawks and/or owls sitting on power poles next to highways and roads, those perches are perfect look outs for any mouse sized critter trying to cross that road.

Hawks work the day shift. Owls work the night shift.

A small rodent attempting to run across the road will be completely exposed. If an owl happens to close by and sees the opportunity to capture and feed itself, the stage is set for a silent glide by the owl who will at the right time extend its talons to strike. It is a system that works.

Except when vehicle traffic may interfere with the owl’s plan. It happens on occasions and we see the rumpled feather mass alongside the road with wind blowing the dead owl’s feathers, the last wind under its now lifeless wing.

Veterinarian Jacobson did his best to fix what he could. Since bird wings are strong but hollow structures, a pin-like device could be inserted through the broken wing bones to hold an alignment for broken bone ends.

Keeping the wind immobile with bandages would allow time for bone growth to re knit. Full function of the repaired wing would be the new question that only time will tell.

So far, this Barred Owl is doing well. It appears full flight capable right wing articulation is not possible even though the bones have healed as best they can. The owl is now used to being handled by staff care giver at Wildthunder. The owl knows it is an owl but is conditioned to allow human handling. In this case, this barred owl has a second chance to contribute to our understanding of a species we may only hear but never see.

A big thank you to the person who brought the owl to the veterinarian’s office, to Dr. Jacobson, and to the staff who has cared for the bird during surgery and now at its rehab center.

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If you hike along a trail at night, or are a bowhunter sitting quietly in a tree stand during pre-dawn light or early evening darkness, it is common to hear the call of Barred owls. It seems to be this: “Who cooks for you all, who cooks for you” in a yodeling type rhythm.

Frequently, the call will be repeated by another owl farther away. Then the music of the night becomes a series of calls and responses from other owls close and far away, all eager to announce themselves to fellow owls.

The messages they convey can only be guessed at by us humans. For these owls the clues they hear may be their version of news time…where are you? What are you doing? And can we meet?

Here are some other Barred Owl facts to contemplate.

1. The biggest threat to Barred owls are Great-horned owls. If given the chance a Great-horned will kill and eat Barred owls. So in response, Barred owls move to a different territory.

2. Barred owl fossils have been dated to Pleistocene times as far back as 11,000 years ago. Undoubtedly Barred Owls lived long before that but evidence is difficult to find.

3. Barred owls do not migrate and do not move around much. In a case study of 158 banded Barred owls, none had moved more than six miles away.

4. Barred owls have expanded their range into the Pacific northwest. Here they are known to displace and hybridize with Spotted Owls, their slightly smaller and less aggressive cousins.

5. Young Barred owls out of their nest but before they can fly can climb trees by suing their beaks to grab onto tree bark to help balance themselves.

6. The oldest Barred Owl was at least 26 years and 7 months old. It was banded in North Carolina in 1993 and recaptured due to an injury in 2019.

According to the North American Breeding Bird Survey, an estimated 3.5 million Barred Owls live. They are rated as a species of low conservation concern.

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Jan. 10 was the end date for many hunting seasons, but not all. 2024 hunting, fishing or fur harvester licenses expired on Jan. 10. New 2025 licenses can be obtained at vendor sales counters.

Most Iowa Deer seasons ended Jan. 10. Except there will be special deer seasons in selected counties where known deer numbers remain too high. Therefore, special January antlerless seasons will offer additional opportunities.

One option is called the Population Management January Antlerless Season and is available only in Allamakee, Appanoose, Decatur, Lucas, Monroe, Wayne and Winneshiek counties if there are more than 100 antlerless tags available in that county as of Dec. 23. All seven counties met that definition.

Method of take may be bows, muzzleloaders, handguns, crossbows or rifles of .223 caliber and larger. This season is from Jan. 11-19.

An Excess Tag January Antlerless Season is available in all counties with unsold county antlerless tags as of Jan. 11. These tags can only be purchased over the counter, not online, until the quota is filled. Method of take for this category is limited to rifles of .223 up to and including .500 caliber. This season is also valid from Jan. 11-19.

As of midweek, statewide deer harvest numbers showed about 95,500 registrations for 2024-25. Marshall County deer hunters have tallied 529 white-tails.

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Garry Brandenburg is the retired director of the Marshall County Conservation Board. He is a graduate of Iowa State University with a BS degree in Fish & Wildlife Biology.

Contact him at:

P.O. Box 96

Albion, IA 50005