Caught on trail cam...owl swoops down on deer

[Hawk12237]

Not my trail cam by the way....but I wouldn't have thought an owl would come down on a deer.
wow!!

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

Wow! If that's real, that's wild! I wonder what happened? Did the owl cut the deer's head with those talons?

 

[Shezbug]

Wow that’s one crazy hungry owl!

 

[Hawk12237]

Wow! If that's real, that's wild! I wonder what happened? Did the owl cut the deer's head with those talons?

I honestly don't know....it was snap shot off a trail cam, activated by motion sensing.
I sure would like to know what happened. Maybe owl made mistake thinking it was a huge mouse??? Lol....I don't know.
Owls hunt mostly at night, so I don't know exactly why it went for deer. That's definitely not common. Maybe food supply short??
By the way....those talons do look sharp!!

 

[Hawk12237]

Wow that’s one crazy hungry owl!

It is.... But baffling too! This is the first time I actually heard and seen it on camera.
They don't go for or eat deer....the only thing that I can come up with that makes sense is that there is a nest with babies close by and owl felt threatened and attacked. And the owl just buzzed the deer.That actually makes more sense to me.

 

[Hawk12237]

Wow! If that's real, that's wild! I wonder what happened? Did the owl cut the deer's head with those talons?

I don't think it did, my opinion, I think there is a nest close by with babies and owl felt threatened.
That makes more sense to me. Owls are territorial.

 

[Sodapop&Co.]

It is.... But baffling too! This is the first time I actually heard and seen it on camera.
They don't go for or eat deer....the only thing that I can come up with that makes sense is that there is a nest with babies close by and owl felt threatened and attacked. And the owl just buzzed the deer.That actually makes more sense to me.

That was my thought too. Owls are much too smart to go for a deer for food, I think. Maybe there was even an older baby on the ground.

Either way, brilliant picture!!!

 

[Hawk12237]

That was my thought too. Owls are much too smart to go for a deer for food, I think. Maybe there was even an older baby on the ground.

Either way, brilliant picture!!!

Theoretically, their beaks are not designed to rip flesh like a hawk, falcon or eagle, they tend to swallow food whole. They can unlock their beaks jaws and open their mouths quite wide to take in a large mouse and that. They might rip flesh on very small prey, but a deer I can't see happening.

 

[OK Mike]

That's a Barred Owl. They are opportunistic feeders on birds, mammals, frogs, snakes and insects up to the size of a rabbit. I have seen one snatch a live adult squirrel off of a limb and tear it apart on the ground in order to get the pieces small enough to swallow. Most likely this owl was reacting to a trespasser in it's territory. A hunting partner of mine had one attack him in a tree stand right at dark. He had to have stitches on his arms from the talon cuts.

 

[Hawk12237]

That's a Barred Owl. They are opportunistic feeders on birds, mammals, frogs, snakes and insects up to the size of a rabbit. I have seen one snatch a live adult squirrel off of a limb and tear it apart on the ground in order to get the pieces small enough to swallow. Most likely this owl was reacting to a trespasser in it's territory. A hunting partner of mine had one attack him in a tree stand right at dark. He had to have stitches on his arms from the talon cuts.

No kidding?? I know they are territorial. Never had one attack me...yet. we have a family of screech owls that nest in our yard. To he mother will fly close to you, but not attack. Least not yet anyway.
Opportutitis I believe. I had a barn owl as a pet...he could rip things if he wanted. He preferred strips of raw meat I fed him. Gobbled it whole...ha ha...ha little pig he was.
But I doubt they'd take a deer. I could be wrong , but yet to see it.
Hope your partner is ok. Those talons are sharp as heck. I had to wear long leather gloves at times.

 

[macawpower58]

Are owls as big as deer heads? If so that's one huge owl!
I was wondering if it's one of those odd shots of two animals not interacting at all, but caught looking like it.
The owl could be closer to the camera, and the deer running past behind it.
At least that's what I'm guessing.

 

[Hawk12237]

Are owls as big as deer heads? If so that's one huge owl!
I was wondering if it's one of those odd shots of two animals not interacting at all, but caught looking like it.
The owl could be closer to the camera, and the deer running past behind it.
At least that's what I'm guessing.

Oh yes, easily. The eagle owl can get 28 inches, weigh up to 8 lbs, and have a wing span of 5 feet.
That's a big owl. The barred owl here in picture as ok Mike pointed out is 25 in tall, has a wing span of 49 inches, and weighs around 2 1/2 lbs. So that's a big bird as well.

 

[Birdbabe]

I'm also thinking, nest, babies,,protective mama or daddy..