The strangest thing

Ok, this happened on the Minnesota down at Blackdog, but I thought you guys might like to hear this.

So my buddy and I were out at Blackdog (right under the 35W bridge) tonight shore fishing some cut suckers when we hear a noise on the water.

Splash Splash Splash Splash Splash

It goes away for a minute or two then again –

Splash Splash Splash Splash

I’m thinking muskrat or beaver so I go to the truck and get my headlamp. I shine it out onto the river and I see what looks to be a beaver or muskrat swimming along – it was big.

Whatever it is is about 30 yards out and moving downstream under the bridge but is moving rapidly toward shore. I think it is a beaver that spotted us and is doing some territorial thing with its tail, hence the splashing.

Whatever it is comes to shore about 20-30 yards downstream of us, so I walk over to check it out.

Turns out to be an owl!!! A big guy too. About 15-20 pounds. It was molting and had fluff all over it. I got VERY close to it before I realized what it was and beat a hasty retreat.

We sat at a safe distance and watched it, what else can you do? It proceeded to clean itself and dry itself off for a good ten minutes before taking off again. I assume it got too close to the water and fell in and was not able to immediately fly away.

Anyone ever seen anything like this?

Kewl! Never heard of something like that before!

Think they’re legal bait in MN?

Any idea what kind of owl?

Looked like this. This is a Great Gray Owl. Supposedly they are only in Northern MN, but this is what I saw.

Also could have been this guy, the Barred Owl.

I am sure it would have been a barred owl. There are plenty of them around. I dont think the great grays made it this far south. We seen a ton of em the other year up north and they are HUGE! compaired to the barred. Pretty cool looking birds. Sounds like quite the encounter There are some great horneds around and there also a big bird. Much bigger than the barred and pretty easy to pick out.