[mou] Fwd: [wisb] great gray owl trapping

[Jim Williams]

Perhaps of interest.
Jim Williams, Wayzata

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Mark & Sue Foote-Maritn" <goosep@chorus.net>
Date: February 24, 2005 9:01:53 PM CST
To: "Wisconsin Birding Network" <wisbirdn@lawrence.edu>
Subject: [wisb] great gray owl trapping

Hi
We learned that Bruce Bacon (DNR Wildlife Manager at Mercer) banded 5
great grays where we saw 25 last weekend between Grantsburg and Siren on
Hwy. D.
We asked him how he trapped the owls and thought you might be interested
in how he catches them.
We saw a great gray 3 miles south of Goose Pond late afternoon today on
the Dane/Columbia County line.
Mark and Sue Martin
Arlington

From: "Bacon, Bruce R." <Bruce.Bacon@dnr.state.wi.us>

Subject: RE: great gray trapping


Hi,
Just like in the book... A lab mouse is gently tossed into the snow
about 4 to 5 feet in front of bander, who is holding a large musky
landing net. I usually "hide" the net behind me or off to one side.
Mouse MOVEMENT and NOISE is what triggers the owl's hunting instincts.
They will look at the bander but often not, as if you are not even
there. If your mouse doesn't move (snow, cold, etc) you nudge it with
the net or pick it up and toss it closer to the owl. As you can see,
there is a fair amount of movement by the bander and the owls certainly
see the net. If I have a mouse who's on a lunch break, I put it back in
the bucket and try a different mouse. Movement by the mouse is the key.
Black mice work best on winter owls. White mice work fine on hawks in
summer. Once the owl decides its lunch time, you can tell from their
behavior. You then wait for the owl to "plunge" onto the mouse, at the
same time tossing the net over the owl. For the mouse lovers out there,
I have yet to have an owl talon the mouse as the owl's attention is
diverted to the net at the last split second and the mouse just gets
pushed into the snow. For those who feel the owl diserves a mouse
dinner, once handled and banded they will not take a mouse as you
release the owl. They drop the mouse just as some birds defecate on
release, "to lighten the load" on escape. Often the Great Grays upon
release fly back to the same perch you caught it off.
I have already had one banded GGO reported recovered to the USFWS
Banding Lab and am waiting HOW RECOVERED info. Unfortunately it will
likely be "road-kill". I also recaptured and released a GGO south of
Oliver, WI that was banded earlier this winter in Minnesota. It may be
possible from the larger number of owls banded in Minn and my small
sample to get some info on population size from mark (birds
banded)-recapture (road-kills and recaptures)information? We will get
info on owl movements.
Bruce







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