help with owls

[alpha sniper]

owls have moved into one of my box blinds on a food plot. they have layed eggs and pooped over everything, its pretty nasty in it! does anybody know how to get them out of it? when i get close to it they fly out but keep comeing back after i leave!

 

[RUGER]

I would probably let them raise then they will leave on their own.

Then again, never had that problem.

I just think owls are neat.

 

[stik]

you'll have to leave them alone. they are federally protected.

 

[alpha sniper]

i think are neat too. just not when they are living in my blind! how long before the babies normally grow up and leave? they have 5 or 6 eggs in there

 

[Diehard Hunter]

Depending on the species, you are looking at up to 4 months before the young fledge. Do you know what kind of owls they are?

BTW, Stik is correct, and repeatedly climbing into the shooting house after you know they are there could be construed as harassment. It is best to leave them alone. You already have a mess to clean up. It will get worse, but come September you will be able o clean it out for deer season.

 

[Football Hunter]

Man,that stinks,usually just have wasps in mine.

 

[alpha sniper]

they are yellowish white owls so whatever species those are? i have only been there 2 times and i have only went up there 1 time but i go out there alot to check trail cameras in the food plot and the blind is 25 yards from the center of the food plot.

 

[Diehard Hunter]

Those would be barn owls. They are neat birds, and I think they are listed as in need of management because of declining populations. They love buildings for nesting. I know it is an annoyance, but you are doing a good deed letting them raise their clutch!

Out of curiosity, what part of tennessee are you in?

 

[alpha sniper]

montgomery county

 

[Diehard Hunter]

Even better, they are not as common in west tennessee as they are in the eastern part of the state, and they are not too common in the eastern part.

 

[Buzzard Breath]

Hang some nesting boxes and give them a place to live other than your box blinds. This guy kept sticking his head out to check on me while I was turkey hunting in McNairy County about a month ago. In the past, they have nested in the box blinds.



They won't be nesting in this one anymore.

 

[Mike Belt]

You won't be hunting out of the blind for months to come. Let them nest and fly away on their own. No harm done.

 

[Diehard Hunter]

Hang some nesting boxes and give them a place to live other than your box blinds. This guy kept sticking his head out to check on me while I was turkey hunting in McNairy County about a month ago. In the past, they have nested in the box blinds.



They won't be nesting in this one anymore.

Good idea....I know a student wildlife society that makes them to order. Check the classifieds, it is stickied to the top!

 

[plinker22]

I enjoy ALL birds of prey.

 

[Solo Hunter]

My experience with them is they raise and leave the nest but one continues to live in there. Also year after year they raise again. You have to have windows to keep them out. I went through it for about 5 years in a row.

 

[alpha sniper]

we do have windows on the blind. someone in my family left them open and they moved in the next week!

 

[pressfit]

A man told me once that owl droppings were the best fertilizer there was for Tennesses's number 1 cash crop... just saying..

 

[Pic IN the Casa]

You may want to report the nesting/hatching to TWRA. This species is losing ground and they may want to document or even band the birds.

They are a grassland owl and don't really prefer row crops because their prey is primarily the meadow vole. Closing the windows will solve your problem but if you really enjoy them look up how to make a barn owl box and hang it on your blinds exterior- you'd be doing them a great favor.

 

[Boone 58]

 

[in the dog house]

I have had a pair in mine for the last 2 years. Late in the year I was sitting in my blind (it close to 20' up) and first the female came to the window and tried to come in, 5 min. later the male did as well. I don't know who was more freaked out, them or me Was very cool to see them like that.

Last year they raised 3 out of there. Really cool birds.

 

[lightfoot]

Any ideas about how to keep owls off the roof of your house in the middle of the night, it started about three weeks ago, thought it might be coons or opossums, set traps on ground didn't catch anything, heard something on roof sat. night went outside big owl flew off, same thing few minutes ago big owl and little owl flew off.

 

[Diehard Hunter]

You can get some stuff called tanglefoot to keep birds from perching. It is like a caulk that never dries and they won't stand in it.

 

[lightfoot]

Thanks would you put that stuff on a roof, they are up there every night now making all kinds of racket.

 

[Diehard Hunter]

You can put it anywhere, it will not wash off. It doesn't dry, and would probably never be seen since it will be right on the ridge.