Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 January 1886 — Owl Hunting. [ARTICLE]

Owl Hunting.

will be news to many people that can see by daylight, but it is a fact, nevertheless. I believe, writes a New York Times correspondent, that the screech-owl, the long-eared owl, and the one or two other species are the only members of the family that are blinded by the sunlight. The others, among them the hoot-owl, the snowyowl, the hawk-owl, and the short-eared owl, are all sharp-sighted, both by day and night When you know how to hunt owls it will be no trouble for you to find them, for they are found everywhere. For instance, the short-eared owl is a great mouse hunter in wheat stubble. He is among the first of the family of winter owls that come down from the North to forage in this latitude. Of all owls, he gives the most sport to the hunter. There is a piece of wheat Stubble beyond this old clearing. lam almost certain to flush a flock or two Of these birds there, for they frequently hunt in flocks. If you would like to ■mjoy a new sensation in hunting, walk nlong with me and help me beat the Stubble.” The field was but a short distance away. The owl hunters stationed one of us on one side of the stubble and the other one on another side, with directions to “keep a sharp eye out, as we would be surprised to see how a Short - eared owl flushed.’’ The hunter; with his gun ready, walked slowly about in the stubble. Presently three large birds rose from the ground a good gunshot from him. As white and silent as ghosts, and as swift as a shadow, they glide away a few feet over the stubble. The owl hunter fired and one of the birds fell. We did not get a shot at either, although near enough, so quickly had the strange birds appeared out of the stubble and quickly flashed out of view. This was indeed” a sensation in hunting, and plainly and exciting bne too.