Hiking with an owl...Gumjuwac style

[-Q-]

Spent a fantastic day hiking the east side of Mt Hood on Monday (8/8/11). Up the Gumjuwac Trail- up the Gunsight Trail- down the Jean Lake trail. Out-n-back to the car. Great day overall. What was totally unexpected was the 10 minutes or so that I spent hiking with a very large and very mature owl on the hike back to my car.

The owl first landed on a branch about 15 feet over my head and proceeded to check me out pretty closely. I still had a decent hike back to the car and it was getting dark (about 8:35) so after some time I relunctantly started on. After about 100 feet of hiking I heard a noise above my head. Sure enough, the owl had followed me and just landed above me again. This time even closer, maybe 10 feet away. Wow, this was getting pretty neat.

After some quick internal gameplanning, I started down trail again, but this time, started to turn around every 10 feet or so. Wouldn't ya know it, after about 75 feet all of a sudden I see the owl in full flight soaring down the trail. It stopped on a tree about 5 feet away, on a branch about 10 feet up. Seeing the owl fly down the trail like that, straight for me, in fading light...you betcha I was pretty pumped up. Reminded me of only one thing...Batman

After this last follow-the-leader the owl never followed me again. The trail turned the corner but the bird did not follow.

Overall I would guess that he/she was about 1.5 feet tall when sitting, with a 3 foot wingspan mid-flight. This thing was huge.

I suspect that maybe the bird had a nest nearby that it was protecting?? I never saw the bird on the hike up the trail earlier in the day. There were a couple of other mountain bikers on trail earlier as well.

Definitely one of the best wildlife encounters that I have ever had. I consider myself very lucky to have experienced such a wonderful moment with such a wonderful creature.

[Splintercat]

Thanks - sounds like a great hike! As far as the owl, from what you described, it could have been a Great Horned Owl. I used to see them fairly regularly when I worked over in that area years ago. One thing about them -- they're curious and completely unafraid of humans. In fact, one of their little thrills is to silently swoop down over you from above for a closer look, often at night. Completely heart-stopping, and I personally think they know that, too - just doing it for the fun. A large Great Horned would easily fit those dimensions, and they're very easy to ID, as they have the distinctive "horns", where most of our owls have a rounded head.

I've watched one hunt a meadow in that very area, and it's quite beautiful -- albeit lethal for the mouse or other rodent in question. They're amazing birds.

Tom

[bobcat]

Your measurements fit a great horned owl except the wingspan was probably more: perhaps 4' if the body was 1.5' in length.

The Gumjuwac access to the Badger Creek Wilderness used to be a favorite of mine. At the beginning of August (in a normal year), black bears feast on huckleberries in the saddle area; also, coming down Gumjuwac one afternoon I saw my one and only spotted owl perched in a tree.

[Waffle Stomper]

I've had a Great Horned Owl accompany me on a trail in Tryon Creek State Park once. He/she would land in a tree ahead of me and when I caught up it would go ahead a bit and wait for me, flitting from tree to tree as I walked the trail.

I've have also kept up "conversations" with the owls, especially in the fall. That's fun. I think they are a pretty curious and gregarious bird.

[IDratherbehiking]

Speaking of owls, summertime is winding down, I've been noticing them hooting at around 5:30pm lately on my hikes.

[fettster]

I believe drm had quite an owl encounter in this area. Maybe the same bird?

[-Q-]

After checking out some pictures online and reading the Wikipedia pages, I believe the bird that I saw was a Barred Owl. I guess it could have been a Spotted Owl, but the dark grey color leads me to think Barred.

Definitely wasn't a Great Horned Owl. This guy had a round face.

[Water]

awesome wildlife encounter!

shhhh shhhh about jean lake! its a favorite little nook of mine. absolutely love the spring that feeds it--so neat that it starts from a seep and what...300yard later it is a nice little creek going into a lake. vote it shortest creek in the state.

[-Q-]

Jean Lake is a beauty no doubt

I am not sure what hatched in Jean Lake recently, but there are like a million little black tadpoles in it right now. The water is full of them!! There are little groupings of "hatch balls" right by the intake stream. Each hatching ball has at least 200-300 tadpoles in it. Fascinating stuff!!