Long Ear Owls

Posted on by

I decided when Sharon told me we were moving back to Illinois, that I would try and complete my bucket list of all the owls in North America. I took a huge step forward the last two seasons.

January of 2024, at Sax Zim Bog (SZB) I got my Great Gray Owl (GGO)
January of 2025 at Two Harbors and SZB I got my Boreal Owl

So this year’s goal was / is a Saw Whet Owl. That hasn’t happened yet, but was able to cross off Long Ear Owl (LEO) today. In fact I spent the morning with 6 or 7 and was able to get some mostly clear photos. The long-eared owl are a medium-sized owl, which measures between 12 and 16 inches in height. The males are much skinnier and lanky compared the larger females. The males have much more facial coloring.

Today was a long but great day in the field: LEO’s, and also a Great Horned Owl (GHO) on eggs already, and finished off with another beautiful juvenile male Snowy Owl (SNOW). Pretty much from 4:00 AM – 3:30 PM.

Photos of the GHO and SNOW to follow as I get them edited. Time to suck it up and start putting miles in the woods to find my Northern Saw Whet Owl (NSWO)! Anybody have any leads on a NSWO or Barn Owl and willing to share PLEASE msg me!

After the Saw Whet, I’ll still need a Barn Owl, Pigmy Owl and the smallest of them all an Elf Owl.

Don’t forget to subscribe to this blog to get the latest post.

Life is good and I am blessed!
Kent

Great Horned Owls

Posted on by
This evening I thought I would give the white owls a break and went to check on my Whitetail bucks to see if they have started to drop their antlers.
On the way to my spot, a Great Horned Owl (GHO) flew across the road and into a large tree out front of a farm house. Of course I turned around drove up the lane and rang the door bell with my card. They older home owner was super nice and gave me permission to walk around and look for their nest. As soon as I came around the side of the house 1 Owl flew west. I started looking around and there are pellets everywhere!  Anyway, saw the other owl farther back and took the second photo (I believe this to the be female as it was larger). She called and the male flew back closer and presented me with a clear photo.
 
 
As soon as I took it, I headed back to the truck to give them room and leave them alone. I’ll be checking in on them once a week to see if I can find their nest and hopefully owlets in a couple month.
Since I found those two, I turned the truck and around and headed to a local city park that has had GHO’s the last 5 or 6 years. I was losing usable light fast so I was high-tailing it back to the corner where they normally hang out. I was only halfway back and could hear a pair calling back and forth. I got a decent photo of one of them with limited branches in the way.
 
 
Anyway it is breeding season for Brown Owls (Great Horned Owls (GHO) Barred Owls (BAOW) and Screech Owls (EASO)). If you have any breeding pairs, an active nest, or box PLEASE let me know. I’d love to come photograph them and give you a free print for the access! As long as I am begging for wildlife subjects, be on the lookout for Fox, Bobcats, and raccoon babies in a couple months!
 

Don’t forget to subscribe to this blog to get the latest post.

Life is good and I am blessed!
Kent

First Snowy Owl of 2026

Posted on by
Reply
My first two raptors of the 2026 year.
 
Got 2 tips this morning on a snowy owl back in my home county. As soon as I was done with my noon haircut, I headed to go see if I could find her. Sure enough within 1/4 mile of where I was told she was last seen. Not a great photo, but more of a documentation type shot. The close up photo was shot at 1200mm f8 out the car window. The full frame shot was at 500mm to show just how hard it can be to spot this beautiful creatures. I actually really started liking this shot as I was processing it. We are doing our best to keep this female snowy owl’s location off all the birding site. Who knows, but my story is this is one of the Montrose Owls that was pushed further South. I sat and watched her for 87 minutes until she decided to fly deeper into the field.
 
On the drive home I spotted what I thought was a Juvenile American Bald Eagle, so I spun the truck around and went back. To my surprise, it was the largest red tail hawk I have ever seen. Maybe fresh blood on it’s beak.
 
 
All in all, a good day out glassing the back roads.

Don’t forget to subscribe to this blog to get the latest post.

Life is good and I am blessed!
Kent

Candy Cane

Posted on by
Reply

Finally getting some colder night and “Rut” is in the air.  This evening for 4 nice whitetail bucks chasing does.  

Introducing “Candy Cane”. He was the largest Buck I found so far this season.  I named him Candy Cane due to his G2’s both being hooked like a candy cane.

I’m only guessing but guess him to be 3.5 years old and in the 140 – 150 class buck.  What do you think he would score?

Life is good and I am blessed!

Don’t forget to subscribe to this blog to get the latest post.

Kent

Drop-tine checkup

Posted on by
Reply

Been home from the Wild West Trip for a month.  Decided it was time to go check on this years crop of Whitetails.  Rut is still 2-3 weeks away and saw no bucks chasing does yet.  I was able to find (Little Drop Tine) LDT.  He looks way better after getting rid of his summer coat and rubbing off his velvet. No other mature bucks found yet.  Seems to be a ton of small bucks, but the big boys aren’t showing up yet.

8/11/25 still in Velvet

10/23/25  Beefing up for Rut.  Neck and chest filled in nicely.

Enjoy the photos and what you read? Please subscribe to be notified of future posts via email by either clicking the Follow button at the bottom or the Subscribe section on the right.

Life is good and I am blessed!

Kent