Barred owl nest box

BobinCt

5 year old buck +
Anyone ever put up an owl box close to their orchard to rodent control? I just put up two yesterday for the Barred owl. There is an owl called the Barn owl too, which is great for rodent control but in Connecticut they are in very low numbers. There is a difference in the size of their entrance holes so just an FYI. The reason I put up a couple is because I read online some orchards use them for voles/mice etc..I also put aluminum flashing ( two 20 inch pieces ) wrapped around the bottom of the tree about 5-6 ft off the ground and the same above the nest box, but about 8 ft above it. This was to prevent the squirrels and raccoons from getting to the nest , but we know they will still find a way. The squirrels are going to jump from the surrounding branches of other trees, but I tried. The boxes should be out by January so I’m a bit early . If they don’t work for the rodents, I at least hope to attract the owls and give them a nice nesting place. The Barred owl boxes should be about a 1/2 mile apart but mine are about 500 yards.
 

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Very cool, make sure you let us know if you get any residents. I have put up some screech owl boxes but have not had any luck with owls using them yet. Owls are very neat and beneficial birds.
 
Owls put a big hurt on our turkey population. I don’t encourage them here, but if that’s not a concern that might help some on rodents.
 
Keep us updated, barred owls are super cool. I had one land close to me this fall and hang out for a while trying to figure out what I was. It was one of the coolest wildlife encounters I had this fall.
 
I will keep it updated. I read that it could take a year. I also put 4 inches of pine shavings at the bottom of the box . It has a clean out on them and I’ll clean them out once a year .
 
I haven’t put up owl boxes but in the winter I’ve seen barred and screech owls hang out in my wood duck boxes when it is really cold.
 
Several years ago ,I was out doing some work on the farm when a neighbor on horseback rode up holding an injured owl . She had seen it on the ground and thought it was dead but on closer inspection ,realized it was alive . She was a few miles from home and asked me if I could take it off of her hands and figure out what to do with it . I took it from her and brought it back to the house . Even with gloves on and trying to be careful ,it got its talons into my foreamrms- ouch . I found a laundry basket and put it in there with a towel over the top . i live in central virginia and we are lucky enough to have " The wildlife center of Virginia " located about an hour away near Waynesboro . I called them and they said to bring it on . They are amazing and help all kinds of critters including birds of prey .when I got there , they said that they would have one of their vets look at it . They said it was a barred owl and was a juvenile , They said to check back in 2 or 3 days if I wanted to check on the owl . I called back in a few days . Sadly ,they had to put it down . They said that it had several broken bones and would never be able to fly again . I asked them what they thought had happened to it . They didnt know but said that its possible that another bird had attacked it or it could have flown into a tree etc .
Anyway , Im getting long winded , but thought I would share this story .
John
 
Nestwatch.org

a cool site for all types of birds

bill
 
I am growing a Hybrid Poplar tree nest to my orchards in the hope that owls will perch there at nights. We have owls on the property as I hear them at dusk starting their hooting.
 
We also have bluebird houses in each of the orchards to feed on the bugs that an get in the trees. Birds can be good orchard companions.
 
I had a barn owl nest in a deer stand for about three or four years in a row. They make a mess, but nothing like a buzzards. Lots of cotton rat skulls. I think they quit when we ran out of cotton rats a few years ago.

Multiple dead black rat snakes in there with them. Owl would not eat them. I believe she was killing them when they entered the deer stand looking for a young owl to eat.

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Great stories. I’m happy to help out the birds if I can. I think the owls are very cool myself and if they can help me out a bit, that’s even better. It would be very cool to see em nest in there but time will tell.
 
Keep us updated, barred owls are super cool. I had one land close to me this fall and hang out for a while trying to figure out what I was. It was one of the coolest wildlife encounters I had this fall.
While archery hunting in a tree stand, I once had a barred owl land on a small limb 3 ft. away from me. I was looking in the opposite direction toward some sounds I thought might be deer walking. When I turned around, it scared the sh## out of me!!! I jerked instinctively. Two BIG dark eyes staring at me so close. The owl puffed up (trying to intimidate me??) stared at me for about 7 or 8 seconds - then flew off with NO SOUND at all. Barred owls are my favorites because of all the cool calls they make.
 
Great stories. I’m happy to help out the birds if I can. I think the owls are very cool myself and if they can help me out a bit, that’s even better. It would be very cool to see em nest in there but time will tell.
How did you get that nest box so high in that tree?? Use a lift or climb it with boot hooks and safety harness?? Whatever the method - great job for the owls!! I like having a variety of owls around camp to hammer the mice and voles - especially in the orchard.
 
We have a lot of barred owls in our area. There numbers have drastically increased since we put in about 40 acres of NWSG/wild flower mix. I think it is also ONE of the reasons our turkey numbers aren't that great.
 
I made and hung one also next to my orchard/ garden/ blueberry patch. It’s been up about 4 yrs but they’ve never used it. Funny thing is I’ve seen them in the tree branches right above it. So every January I evict the tree rats and change the wood chips and hope this is the year. I should move it higher but don’t feel like dragging the 32’ ladder down to it.
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Nice pics.

I put a 4x4 post with a bit of a 2x4 cross arm in my food plot. IT gives the hawks a place to perch while looking for mice. No reason a smaller tree couldnt be used either. Doubles as a tree cam post too. Just about every time I'm on my proch for awhile ro hunting, I see a hawk using it for atleast a bit.
 
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