In what shall go down as one of the most amazing owling experiences of my life, a Great Gray Owl decided my head would be a good platform from which to hunt voles! Uff Dah!

Before I proceed any further, I owl a HUGE debt of gratitude to the northern Minnesota landowner who invited me onto his land. This owl was and is hunting on private land, and the Great Gray is not viewable from any public road or land. Note that in these first two photos I am holding binoculars. LOL! Binoculars not needed.

• GGO hunting from on top of my head … video link for blog subscribers. Readers of this post on the web will find the video just below these two images.

When I sent some of these images and video to my family, they had a few immediate questions. Here are my answers which will help you understand this amazing event:

• The owl on my head is NOT A.I. generated
• The owl is definitely wild. I suspect this bird is a juvenile owl (just hatched this spring) and its parents have stopped feeding it very often. Thus, the Great Gray Owl needs to learn how to better hunt and fend for itself.
• I was watching the owl from a distance of about 50 yards. When the Great Gray flew directly at me … eye level … I resisted the urge to duck. The owl was amazingly light on my head and I could not feel its talons.
• Apparently I was already motionless enough that the Great Gray decided I was a great spot from which to hunt voles. I did not move and inch while the owl was perched upon my head (about 30 seconds).

I did take photographs with my Sony A6300. Here are some of those images! Today was a day out in the woods I will remember for the rest of my life.

I took these two photos moments before the Great Gray Owl landed on my head!