Something to screech about

Gale Yount put a squirrel box in a nearby tree in the hopes of providing a winter home and a place for those limb-runners to raise a family. She was surprised to spot something other than a squirrel using it. Gale recognized it as some kind of an owl peaking out, but wasn't sure what was inhabiting her habitat. The ear tufts and size made the bird a simple one for me to identify. Gale had spotted the smallest owl commonly found in Ohio: an eastern screech owl. One of the great jobs I had while a wildlife officer was checking the nearly 60 wood duck nesting boxes that were scattered around the county. This was usually done while there was safe ice on the ponds in which they were located, making the work a pleasurable winter walk. The boxes offered the same winter shelter that Gale's squirrel box offers, and the little owls became regular winter residents. I'd often find the screech owls sleepily staring toward the entrance as I would reach in and remove them so that the box could be cleaned and sawdust bedding replaced. The screechers were always very docile and, while some insisted on a quick departure, many allowed me to hold them and return them to the shelter after the cleanup. Many of those boxes without a resident owl still showed evidence of their visits. Freshly stowed field mice were often resting on top of the old bedding, waiting for the owl to return for the bird's version of a box lunch. Regardless of where you are in Ohio, it's likely that a screech owl is close — they're just not looking for the proverbial spotlight, preferring to live in the shadows, either resting or hunting. In the screech owl's case, it can be hard to tell the difference. They are a sit-and-wait opportunistic hunter, and not much into the chase and catch business. Swoop and ambush from a perch is more their style. A quick grab and a snap with the beak usually breaks the spine and the job is done. Their preferred meals include about anything that wriggles, runs or swims, as long as the size is small enough to be easily handled. This includes mice, shrews, small birds, frogs, insects, crayfish and even the occasional bat. Like most owls, their silent flight makes the hunt a merciful surprise for any animal that finds itself in their sights. Owls have a unique wing structure, with the leading edges of their primary feathers ruffled, allowing the air to filter through and diffuse sound-making turbulence. The broad wings also offer a lot of surface area, which offers more lift and glide ability. More glide and fewer flaps also equals less noise. Careless or unlucky screech owls can become meals themselves, falling prey to other owls, mink, snakes, hawks, raccoons and skunks. Some may pick off a perched screech, while others may locate and raid a nest of eggs or offspring. These little owls average less than 9 inches tall and may weigh up to 9 ounces while sporting a 24-inch wingspan. They're cavity nesting birds, so the Younts' squirrel box may need to be re-labeled. They'll lay three or four eggs which hatch in about 26 days. The young don't sexually mature for nearly a year. There are also two color phases of the screech owl: red (think rusty-brown) and gray, with the latter being the most common in Ohio, though I've found an occasional red hiding in those duck homes. A nocturnal hunter, they spend their daylight hours in a tree cavity, nesting box, or sitting tightly against a tree trunk. Their natural camouflage hides them better than a hunter in a tree stand. Being solitary birds, they're seldom seen but can be incredibly common. The little screech owl is quite adaptable at finding a place to live — from deep forests, rural woodlots and riparian waterways to tree-lined city streets. Jim Mccormac, naturalist extraordinaire, reported in his popular blog site, "A 1981 survey of a 15-mile-diameter circle in Toledo found 112 (screech) owls, and I'm sure it missed some. Their frequency in Columbus is probably similar." If that sounds like a lot of hoot owls, it isn't — screech owls don't hoot. Their descending whistle or their eerie trill carried upon the night breeze are unmistakable once you've learned to identify them. These are some of the night sounds of summer that I've grown to cherish. Unfortunately, the birds are nearly invisible to probing eyes, and spotting one is a matter of chance. "When the owl sings, the night is silent." — Charles de Leusse Along the Way Deer hunting in Ohio has come a long way since the first gun season in 1943, when only three counties were open for hunting and 158 deer were taken. Today, deer hunting occurs in all 88 counties and an estimated 310,000 hunters participated during Ohio's weeklong deer-gun season. This year, Ohio's week-long season ended Dec. 6. The weather began with a winter storm which left a few inches of snow over most of the state. The snow-belt region in the upper northeast counties received a good bit more, with hunters pushing through 12-24 inches of the white stuff. While the weather stabilized and slowly warmed, the resulting mud left tracking and retrieving a boot-cleaning chore. The northeast corner held onto the snow throughout the week. The weather certainly had an impact on the opening day harvest with 10,904 deer taken, down from last year's 15,513 first-day take and substantially off the three-year average of 17,145. Did that bad luck and depressed harvest continue throughout the week? The Division of Wildlife reports that a total of 71,650 whitetails were taken during the week, up from last year's 63,567 total. It was also an increase over the three-year average of 65,566. Straight-walled cartridge rifles continue to grow in popularity since they became legal hunting implements in 2014. This year, straight-walled cartridge rifles were used for 44% of checked deer. In addition, shotguns accounted for 47%, muzzleloader bagged 6%, archery equipment dropped 2%, and 1% were taken with a handgun. Through Dec. 6, 79,499 deer have been taken by archery hunters, indicating the significance of the archery season has in managing Ohio's deer herd. Coshocton County consistently records the highest harvest numbers during each year's gun hunting week with Tuscarawas, Muskingum, Ashtabula and Guernsey counties nipping its heals. This year's top 10 counties were: Coshocton (2,281), Tuscarawas (2,198), Ashtabula (2,167), Muskingum (2,085), Knox (2,006), Guernsey (1,890), Licking (1,875), Carroll (1,664), Holmes (1,648) and Ashland (1,536). Local gun week harvest numbers with last year's tallies: Allen: 402 (317); Hancock: 666 (472); Hardin: 665 (486); Henry: 415 (336); Putnam: 386 (299); Sandusky: 371 (245); Seneca: 852 (805); Wood: 412 (316); and Wyandot: 905 (689). Hunters can enjoy two more days of deer-gun season on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 19-20. Muzzleloader season is open Jan. 2-5, and archery season is open until Feb. 7. Step Outside • Sunday: Ham Shoot, traps open at noon, Mount Blanchard Gun Club, 21655 Delaware Township 186. There will be still targets and clay target games, with hams as prizes. • Sunday: Sporting clays, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., UCOA, 6943 Marion Township 243, Findlay. • Thursday and Friday: Trap and Skeet, open to the public, 5 p.m., UCOA. • Dec. 13: Sporting clays, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., UCOA. • Dec. 19-20: Deer-gun season bonus weekend. • Dec. 13: Monthly trap shoot: Practice traps open 11 a.m., program at 12:30 p.m., UCOA. Masks are mandatory inside the clubhouse. For information, text or call Sandy at 419-722-2441. • Jan. 15: Deadline to apply for ODNR officer job. Visit https://careers.ohio.gov Abrams is a retired wildlife officer supervisor for the state Division of Wildlife in Findlay. He can be reached at P.O. Box 413, Mount Blanchard, OH 45867-0413 or via email at jimsfieldnotes@aol.com.