Evening star., 1948-08-27
This and That
Bu Charles Z. Trace1vell

Life in the country near Mclean, Va. is just
one wild animal after another, according to
letter from crack shot, Mrs. Nancy T., who
writes:
I'D like to tell you about some Of my expert
ences with an owl, fox and a mink.
THE owl had been carrying off our bantam
chickens, young guinea fowl and some young
chickens.
I'm the summer these would all fly up in
large oak tree out back, and when the weather
got cold, continued to roost there.
Nearly every night the owl came and got
one of them, until only few hens and two
turkey hens remained. One real moonlight
night the hens woke me up cackling like they
always did when the owl was bothering them.
II jumped out of bed and looked out, and
there he sat out on a limb, as big as life I
crept into the kitchen and got % calibre
rifle. the only gun 1 ever use.
Il took careful aim and shot right through
the screen.
Il found him the next day and he measured
81 inches from wing tip to wing tip. He had
horns and was real dark brown, almost black.
Nov about the fox
"He came one day while my husband, who
had been ill and had almost lost his voice,
feeding the hens.
He was determined to get hen, so my
husband had to get stick and beat on piece
of tin to keep him away.
''The next day I was home when he sud-
denly appeared again. This time he came
almost to the house and went under the pig
pen looking for mice.
Il got my trusty % again and went after him.
"The fox ran down the branch and I fired
one shot and missed. Hastily, reloaded and
fired again.
THE fox turned a f1ip-fop and trotted up
the hill very slowly.
II ran to the house and got some more
bullss. I went to where I last saw the fox
but he had vanished. About month later my
husband found where he had fallen, and of
course his fur was no good for me then.
II wanted to make a fur from it to wear
with my new coat.
Now the mink.
"One night something got into the young
chickens and scattered them everywhere.
Il jumped up and out of bed and got my
"a and fashlight. BY that time the squawk-
ing had died down.
Il stood real still and heard noise in a coop.
II flashed the light in and mink had fryer
by the head and was trying to get to its throat.
II couldn't shoot and hold the light too, so
when got the light fixed on the mink he ran
out and disappeared.
It was so mad at myself for not thinking
and fastening the opening in the coop. went
back into the house, when the squawking began
| anew.
when finally got the mink, he had almost
killed another chicken. I shot it through the
head
. Sincerely, etc.
| The owl probably was the great horned owl,
| Bubo Virginianus, with a length of "a inches,
| and a wing spread up to so inches.
This big fellow Is sooty-brown, or dusky
above; below whtish barred with dark
The ear tufts are conspicuous, about two
| inches long
This owl has been called the "tiger of the
air." He Is powerful, bloodthirsty, courageous
| He eats everything from songbirds, rabbits,
and squirrels. to all kinds of domestic poultry.
His wings are noiseless
This is q real "hoot owl" which also can
| yelp like q dog and squaI like q cat.
"Bubo," in the scientific name, is Latin for
| eagle-owl, a true descriptive.
DR.. A. X. Fisher once wrote of this bird
'"The great horned owl does vast amount of
| good and II farmers would shut up their
| chickens at night instead of allowing them
| to roost in trees and other exposed places, the
principal damage done by the birds would be
! prevented"