# Will owls pull hens outta trees?



## joejack

What do you think? Will a big owl attack a roosting hen?

Maybe thats why a gobbler will answer an owl before light. "I aint no little hen sitting on this limb. Dont come messing with me."


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## modern_yeoman

One creature you surely will hear is the owl. If there is anything that can be said of turkeys and owls, it is that turkeys fear owls.

From Day 1 the mama turkey tries to teach her babies to beware of owls. Turkeys are in constant danger from them, even when they roost. A turkey is not even safe from an owl when it is an adult. I've seen a video of an owl attacking a full-grown turkey in a tree.

Pulled from:  http://www.newsherald.com/articles/turkey_72869___article.html/decoy_turkeys.html


I guess maybe??


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## redneckcamo

yes they will attack ,pull them off the roost an feast on them head first !!!! ...... I raised turkeys a few years ago an the main predator I had problems with was OWLS.!!

we came home one night too find my very large gobbler in a fight with an owl ... 3 of my half grown ones heads gone an every bird in the yard wiggin out ...... probably the biggest old owl ive ever seen goin toe too toe with a 35+ pound bourbon red gobbler !!!


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## trkyburns

Wow.  I never have thought about it.  I didn't realize owls would attack a full grown turkey.  I wonder if hawks will do the same?


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## modern_yeoman

I read an article this morning online that owls are extremly agressive and territorial during mating season and not uncommon for them to even attack humans!!


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## dawg2

Owls will kill full grown gobblers and hens on roost.


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## JamesG

trkyburns said:


> Wow.  I never have thought about it.  I didn't realize owls would attack a full grown turkey.  I wonder if hawks will do the same?


I was watching a tom preening himself on roost waiting for it pitch down. Just about time i thought he was going to fly down to me a hawk nocked his but off the limb. He did'nt get him, flew into the next hollow and gobbled one time and shut up.


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## robertyb

trkyburns said:


> Wow.  I never have thought about it.  I didn't realize owls would attack a full grown turkey.  I wonder if hawks will do the same?



I have had a hawk hit and knock over my decoy a couple of times.


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## BornToHuntAndFish

One of our hunters in camp reported seeing a high speed hawk fly in & hit & roll a much larger adult hen turkey while deer hunting in his treestand of a quail & dove hunting community.


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## Big7

But... A funny story.

Back in the younger days, me and a buddy had some game roosters... Hatch-Butcher cross. They were bad to the bone. We never fought them but had we done that we would have lost very few in the pit.. They were very good.

Anyway... The shop foreman where both of us worked at the time found an owl that had been hit by a car and wanted to know if we would keep him in a fly pen till he got well enough to turn loose...

We kept him alone for a few days... then put one of
the Hatch-Butchers in the fly pen with him just to see what would happen.

They fought for a while and the next day they were
sitting on the same roost pole, side by side.

We opened the pen and the owl flew off! 

True Story!


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## redneckcamo

*they are a trip aint they!!*



Big7 said:


> But... A funny story.
> 
> Back in the younger days, me and a buddy had some game roosters... Hatch-Butcher cross. They were bad to the bone. We never fought them but had we done that we would have lost very few in the pit.. They were very good.
> 
> Anyway... The shop foreman where both of us worked at the time found an owl that had been hit by a car and wanted to know if we would keep him in a fly pen till he got well enough to turn loose...
> 
> We kept him alone for a few days... then put one of
> the Hatch-Butchers in the fly pen with him just to see what would happen.
> 
> They fought for a while and the next day they were
> sitting on the same roost pole, side by side.
> 
> We opened the pen and the owl flew off!
> 
> True Story!



had a gamecock that was nearly killed by the bourbon red  gobbler in my above post ..... hatch-gray cross.......flogged at the goobler until he was worn out then the gobbler stepped on his head an commenced too pecking his head bloody.... i put him up an nursed him back too 100% .... when I let him back on the yard he went right back an started floggin the gobbler again .....some birds are just plain fearless/stupid .......


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## Take Em Matt 2

a gobbler would destroy an owl no doubt about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! well, the gobblers ive been hunting anyway.

I was on Cedar Creek one time and got to witness two owls mating in an abandoned barn. These were barn owls.  It truly was nature at it's finest. The turkey i had draped over my back didnt seem to mind the owl!! huh huah!!!!! cheers brosephies and good morrow to all of you as the dawn of this beautiful day rises on us.


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## JasonWMcCorkle

Take Em Matt 2 said:


> a gobbler would destroy an owl no doubt about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! well, the gobblers ive been hunting anyway.
> 
> I was on Cedar Creek one time and got to witness two owls mating in an abandoned barn. These were barn owls.  It truly was nature at it's finest. The turkey i had draped over my back didnt seem to mind the owl!! huh huah!!!!! cheers brosephies and good morrow to all of you as the dawn of this beautiful day rises on us.



    speak american


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## Nicodemus

Maybe a big great horned owl could, but I doubt that a barred owl would tackle something big as a turkey..


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## redneckcamo

the owl that was getting my turkeys an fightin my gobbler was a BIGGUN !! ...... I came aroun the side of the house one evening an that bigole rascal was settin up on top of my tv antenna ..... he was bigger than any hawk I have ever seen .... an when he flew off his wings were probably 6 foot+ wide or more..... I have seen a few in my years but this bigboy was a whopper....... 

the same night my gobbler fought him he took one of my gamecocks down with a talon thru the temple as well.... DRT layin in the grass ...... pretty sad too cause that ole bird had flogged a possum er 2 too death in his days protectin his ladies !!


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