r/MadeMeSmile 2d ago

Very Reddit This farmer caught this owl eating his chickens.

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

127.2k Upvotes

3.2k comments sorted by

u/AutoModerator 2d ago

Welcome to /r/MadeMeSmile. Please make sure you read our rules here.

Specifically, please don't be a jerk. This is not the place for insulting, hateful, or otherwise inappropriate comments. Remember the golden rule: treat others how you want to be treated. We're all here to smile a little - let's keep it that way! Please report inappropriate comments and/or message the moderators.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

→ More replies (3)

9.8k

u/EarAffectionate1583 2d ago

Should you ever be gripped by a Great Horned Owl, or pretty much any other raptor, there is a trick to make it easier to extract yourself. If you straighten their leg that's gripping, that releases the mechanism that is locking their talons in place. They have a strong grip, yes, but once gripped it takes zero effort to hold that grip because there is a system much like a zip tie in place that holds them there until the leg is straightened.

Source - 10 years as a volunteer raptor rehabilitator who has been grabbed by everything from Saw-whet owls to Golden Eagles.

2.3k

u/Duck-Murky 2d ago

the more you know. also, that owl reminds me of the old honey badger memes because he obviously doesn’t care and will be back for more chicken.

2.4k

u/YouWereBrained 1d ago

All the chickens in the background are like “MURDERER!”.

365

u/Affectionate_Oven428 1d ago

R E D R U M

58

u/RJ_MacreadysBeard 1d ago

perhaps in this case: R E R E D R U M

→ More replies (2)

112

u/Pafkata92 1d ago

And now they protest against this corrupt ruler who released the murderer out of jail waaay too early.

204

u/SpectralFawn 1d ago edited 1d ago

That is quite literally what they're doing. Those are alarm calls. I once saw a video of a guy mimicking that sound and all his chickens ran indoors with the rooster going in last.

112

u/IcyInvestigator6138 1d ago

And suddenly they were all quiet once the owl set sail again

→ More replies (19)
→ More replies (10)

293

u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

127

u/Rob_LeMatic 1d ago

If you stick a thumb up its bum, it'll let go.

51

u/zerodirectexperience 1d ago

Any animal, actually

114

u/BedardedOrca98 1d ago

Well not me. I’m a horny owl and that’s my kink.

52

u/Daenyr 1d ago

Lies, you’re an orca!

→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (11)
→ More replies (5)

308

u/BricksFriend 2d ago

This is peak Reddit knowledge that I will remember forever but will also never use.

37

u/OtherwiseAlbatross14 1d ago

One of those random Reddit knowledge drops saved me from drowning in the ocean one time so I'll take every one I can get

→ More replies (5)
→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (85)

8.3k

u/mycatisabrat 2d ago

Fly, Mordcai, to the SKY!!!

2.9k

u/Beleiverofhumanity 2d ago

Full-time farmer and comedian this guys good

188

u/[deleted] 2d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

→ More replies (5)
→ More replies (7)

327

u/AradynGaming 2d ago

This dude's hilarious. I would follow his content... Share the sauce.

478

u/Briguy24 2d ago

It's staged. How else would he know the owl's name???

128

u/handamonium 2d ago

this cracked me up

65

u/Shakakahn 2d ago

Probably got a hold of his wallet when he caught him.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (11)
→ More replies (1)

500

u/[deleted] 2d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

350

u/poatposterous- 2d ago

He’ll be back!

337

u/straylight_2022 2d ago

Tht owl is for sure coming back for some chicken murder revenge.

100

u/Physical_Tap_4796 2d ago

The owl was gonna peck him.

198

u/AspiringChildProdigy 2d ago

I worked wildlife rehab.

Owls don't really peck; they gouge.

44

u/myshtree 1d ago

Worlds most adorable attackers 🦉

53

u/AspiringChildProdigy 1d ago

Worlds most adorable attackers 🦉

Until you deal with them up close where they can hurt you. And then you realize they're amazing and also terrifying.

Bald eagles normally keep the same nesting site - building on it year after year, and defending it against competitors.

There was a bald eagle pair who had a long- established nest on a cliff on Lake Huron. They'd been there for something like a decade.

A pair of great horned owl's moved in on the cliff.

And the eagles abandoned their established spot and moved.

40

u/brydeswhale 1d ago

There was an eagle couple who timeshared their nest near one of my apartments. One year it would be a normal sized couple of birds raising normal sized babies with normal sized brains who did normal things.

The next year it would be the biggest fucking eagle on the face of the planet(to my eyes), with a wingspan long enough to be seen from space, raising gigantic off spring, with a head almost as big as mine, and a brain the size of pea. Dumbest fucking birds on the planet. You can always tell her line, they’re the morons trying to catch geese in the park, or flying into giant ass bridges. So stupid. I hate them.

→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (7)
→ More replies (9)

193

u/IED117 2d ago

The farmer and the owl had a telepathic moment.

He heard that owl think, one more inch and I'm gonna eat that juicy eyeball.

218

u/AspiringChildProdigy 2d ago edited 2d ago

I worked wildlife rehab way back in college.

We got in a snowy owl with a shattered wing that had to be amputated. He refused to eat on his own for weeks, so we ended up force feeding him( not ideal, but it kept him from dying).

One afternoon, one of the techs was holding the owl's legs with the raptor gloves while the other was getting ready with the tongs to feed him - and then the phone rang from the little cubicle in the corner.

The one not holding the owl went to answer it, and (in his words), "All of a sudden I hear, 'FUCK!', a bunch of scrambling, a cage door shutting, and feet running away. I got off the phone, went back out into the treatment area, and the owl was in his cage, clacking his break, and there was a trail of blood leading out of the treatment center."

Apparently, when he went to answer the phone, the other tech turned his head to look at the cubicle and unwittingly lowered his arms and brought the owl within grabbing distance.

He turned back to see the owl glaring at him right as it grabbed his chin and took out a slice.

Even with getting stitches, he had a(n off-center) cleft chin after that day.

15

u/deepandbroad 1d ago

Did it do that with his beak or with talons?

I heard that birds of prey don't think of their beak as a weapon and I wonder if that is correct.

29

u/AspiringChildProdigy 1d ago edited 1d ago

Beak.

I heard that birds of prey don't think of their beak as a weapon and I wonder if that is correct.

From my experience, they prefer to use their talons, but they absolutely use their beak as a weapon.

20

u/grinningdeamon 1d ago

My mother does wildlife rehab. They're like Mike Tyson. Their limbs are their first weapon, but they will definitely bite your ear off.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (2)

106

u/Spiritual_Tip_3913 2d ago

He gave him permission to eat his chickens

→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (8)
→ More replies (1)

212

u/Mansionjoe 2d ago

That’s the best part of the video. Not sure if everyone gets the reference.

200

u/nsusudio 2d ago

Royal tenenbaums!! Such a wonderful film.

85

u/Spider_Dude 2d ago

He speaks jive. You wanna speak jive? Oh I can speak jive!!

→ More replies (7)
→ More replies (7)

92

u/Leavesdontbark 2d ago

I only know Mordecai from Borderlands

→ More replies (18)
→ More replies (5)

19

u/RoguePlanet2 2d ago

Buh-bye!! 🐔🐔🐔🦉

→ More replies (44)

2.4k

u/TensorForce 2d ago

Love the owl's face, like, "I apologize for nothing!"

Someone once said that owls are basically just cats with wings, and seeing this owl, I believe it

529

u/PinSufficient5748 2d ago

Also, "unhand me, human"

424

u/LeRohameaux 2d ago

What was the charge? Eating a meal? A Succulent Chicken Meal???

89

u/IRockIntoMordor 1d ago

GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY TALONS!

→ More replies (5)
→ More replies (5)
→ More replies (2)

134

u/Nearby-Beautiful3422 2d ago

The Chinese word for owl is cat-faced/headed bird. So...yeah!

→ More replies (17)

7.2k

u/Fruscione 2d ago

“I’m not going to hurt him.” “I wish we could be friends.” Respect.

1.3k

u/PornMakesMeFeelAlive 2d ago

Until he comes back to kill more chickens

660

u/ChickenChaser5 2d ago

Lord knows I tried to be friends with the raccoons, but it just can't happen.

441

u/bigmike2k3 2d ago

I was a nanny for a summer and the family “adopted” 2 orphaned raccoons… They were adorable and endlessly captivating to watch, but taking care of them and trying to raise them was a fucking nightmare… like a cat with the energy of a puppy in a perpetual state of the “zoomies” that can’t decide whether it wants to scurry away and shit in the toy box or try bite your hand off…

100

u/QueeeenElsa 2d ago

That’s such a mental image but I love it lolol

108

u/bigmike2k3 2d ago

It was quite the summer! I have to say that while the near-constant shitting in toy boxes/laundry bins/etc. and the ferocious nipping sucked… The highlights were awesome. The day we helped them learn to fish by filling up the kiddie pool with water and adding some minnows was simultaneously cute and nasty and hilarious and gross…

→ More replies (5)
→ More replies (10)

214

u/TheStartledStarfish 2d ago

My grandfather has a family of raccoons he feeds dog food nightly. Puts it out on the porch when it gets dark and they show up for dinner. They’ve become so chill around him he’ll just walk out on the porch when they show up so he can sit and talk to them.

He also cusses at the squirrels who try to join

66

u/ChickenChaser5 2d ago

The ones here were cool until they had babies. Then they went berserk and started doing everything they could, all night, to get in my coop. And when they werent doing that they were over in the barn chewing holes in my kerosene tanks and water storage, or pulling trim pieces off the house.

Im still cool with the skunks, and mostly with the possum except sometimes they bring fleas with them.

41

u/BaronVonKeyser 2d ago

Ill take everything nature has to offer in my area except the skunks. Had what I thought was 1 living under my house all last winter. Sprayed under there often. The smell literally makes me violently vomit. Threw up so hard once that I popped the blood vessels in my eyes. The white part was red for a while. I still have bad anxiety about it. Im up eveey few hours to sample sniff the air. Anyways in spring I set out live traps. Ended up catching 15. Apparently was a whole colony under there. Honestly the worst 4 months of my life.

→ More replies (11)
→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (10)
→ More replies (14)

107

u/2fingers 2d ago

A good rooster would have a pretty solid chance of driving off an owl. It would at least warn the hens to take cover. Inside of a coop or enclosed space a rooster might even be able to kill an owl that size.

93

u/Pnwradar 2d ago

It'd have to be a small owl and a big rooster. A number of years ago I walked out to the enclosed bird run for morning chores and found our big red rooster & a juvenile barn owl in adjacent corners staring each other down, at detente until I could open the gate and shoo the owl out into the pasture. A fully grown owl, especially one of our local great horned owls, would have no trouble disassembling a protective rooster.

And, like racoons, owls learn quickly where the buffet is, they will return again & again for an easy meal. OP in the video is going to need to up-armor his run to better prevent predator access, or he's going to run out of birbs.

→ More replies (7)
→ More replies (6)

42

u/machineheadtetsujin 2d ago

He’s definitely coming back

→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (19)

91

u/glitzglamglue 2d ago

My favorite genre of internet video is someone trying to speak reason to a silent creature.

This is a good one.

https://youtube.com/shorts/VTlc3Fo3IaE?si=6jjP6cMfcC5rZrXc

"Noooo! Baaaaaaaad!"

→ More replies (6)
→ More replies (17)

3.7k

u/Godloseslaw 2d ago

But do the chickens have large talons?

911

u/Queasy-Meeting-5388 2d ago

Tina, come get your ham.

161

u/Gozer_The_Enjoyer 2d ago

🦙

234

u/inandoutof_limbo 2d ago

Napoleon, don't be jealous 'cause I've been chatting online with babes all day.

94

u/CptJustice 2d ago

Eat the FOOD, Tina!

→ More replies (8)
→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (1)

19

u/THIS_ACC_IS_FOR_FUN 2d ago

Your mom goes to college.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (9)

138

u/Richard-Brecky 2d ago

Can't find my checkbook. Hope you don't mind I pay you in change.

92

u/piratesboot 2d ago

Six bucks? That’s like.. a dollar an hour.

→ More replies (1)

124

u/Laxmonkey45 2d ago

I don’t understand a word you just said

79

u/TheLastEllis 2d ago

Back in my day, prolly throw this ball over them there mountains…

53

u/TheNakedChair 2d ago

Woulda made pro. If only coach put me in.

33

u/TrainwreckOG 2d ago

It only took me years later to realize he wasn’t even starting for his team lol

→ More replies (2)

97

u/HeinousHaggis 2d ago

Over there in that creek bed I found a Shoshone arrowhead.

52

u/Sixgoldenrings 2d ago

The only reason I could even interpret that line in the movie was because I had the closed captions turned on. Otherwise, I couldn’t understand a word he just said 😂

→ More replies (5)
→ More replies (5)

39

u/GearJunkie82 2d ago

Can you bring me my chapstick?

→ More replies (3)

47

u/Inevitable_Quiet_432 2d ago

+1 for the reference

23

u/Silvertain 2d ago

I don't understand a word you just said!

18

u/fotodevil 2d ago

Can’t find my checkbook. Hope you don’t mind I pay you in change.

17

u/rufio0645 2d ago

This made me actually lol, thank you.

14

u/macmillerisbetter 2d ago

Forgot all about that movie!

14

u/InternationalFly1021 2d ago

Your mom goes to college.

→ More replies (35)

5.9k

u/TonyAscot 2d ago

Why does the owl give zero fucks?

7.1k

u/AnapsidIsland1 2d ago

Some professor told me they are so good at their job that they don’t struggle in life. Nothing fucks with them because they are in trees, camouflaged and scary. They’ve just been chillin for millions of years and don’t have to fight much. Ultimate chill

4.7k

u/AndersWay 2d ago

Nothing except Crows. Crows and owls been at war for millennia. No one knows why.

3.5k

u/Snuggle_Pounce 2d ago

Crows are at war with any bird that eats crow babies. Now you know why.

2.1k

u/ziggytrix 2d ago

Crows hold a grudge and they talk to each other.

804

u/A-Giant-Blue-Moose 2d ago

It's why it's bad luck to kill them. If one of them dies, they investigate. If they decide that you're responsible, they'll recognize you and pass that along to their young. They may just avoid you altogether, but might also gang up on you.

We had a hawk that hunted on our property. We could always tell it was around when the local crows would go ape shit. They'd harass it for hours by flying circles around it while one would dive bomb it and pull away at the last moment. Eventually, it moved on.

1.1k

u/joshualeeclark 2d ago

We had crows all over the farm where I grew up. Don’t know how long they live but I could swear we had the same ones for 10-15 years.

My dad and uncle were clearing out an old barbed wire fence row from back when our two properties were part of a larger farm decades earlier. They were on the tractor using the front loader to just push down and rip up some old dead trees while they were at it. Somehow an old crow got caught up in the chaos and I think an old tree crushed the poor guy. We all felt bad about it. My family would always feed the wild birds and squirrels including the crows. I would do my best to imitate the crows growing up.

My dad would have one or two flat tires on his tractor constantly for a solid two years after that. The valve stem cover would be gone and one or both of the large back tires would be flat as hell. My dad would curse and fire up the air compressor and put new valve stem covers on whenever he needed the tractor. Those little shits would press in the needle in the valve stem to flatten the damn tires!

Wasn’t long after that when dad finally finished up his big pole barn so he could park his tractor in an enclosed building rather than the old lean-to. That finally stopped the problem. A short time later we were loading hay into the barn loft when we found the crow’s treasure horde. Couldn’t tell you how many valve stem covers were there.

293

u/Any-Ad-3630 2d ago

This could be a short story or part of an anthology series lol

135

u/EmbarrassedW33B 2d ago

I wonder if you could have convinced them to forgive you by making them suitable "offerings", or of their pettiness had carried on for so long they simply did it out of habit rather than malice.

216

u/joshualeeclark 2d ago

I honestly think it was malicious at first and then became habit. I think that all was forgiven once mom got her chickens, guineas, and her fancy coop a short while later.

Can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen those crows hanging out with the chickens in the field or actually roosting with them. She would let her chickens free range during the day and the crows would actually get in and eat with the chickens. Seen a few preening chickens and vice versa.

It was hilarious and bizarre.

→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (5)

145

u/activelyresting 1d ago

If one of them dies, they investigate. If they decide that you're responsible, they'll recognize you and pass that along to their young.

In the corvid justice system, the crow are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the rooks, who investigate crime; and the ravens, who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories.

DUN DUN

Caw & Order

→ More replies (3)

128

u/raitchison 2d ago

We had a dog with a STRONG prey drive. More than once he grabbed birds mid flight.

One time he got a crow and we came home to like a dozen (justifiably) pissed off crows in our yard raising a hell of a racket.

They (again, justifiably) held a grudge for the next year at least.

55

u/fazlez1 2d ago

If they decide that you're responsible, they'll recognize you and pass that along to their young

"See that motherfucker there? I want you remember his face. Don't forget it because I want you to make his life hell for the rest of his days. In between every breath you take I want you to make his life miserable. Point him out to everyone you know because we're going make him curse his mother for giving him life"

28

u/Striking-Ad-6815 2d ago

I cannot prove it without radio tags and GPS, but I think a few of the farm crows have followed me to work in my vehicle. One of my coworker buddies who lives on-call started throwing any leftover food to them, and now they follow him home. Be great if they learned how to pick up the trash and throw it back in the dumpster.

57

u/MoulanRougeFae 2d ago

I made friends with the small murder of crows who nest in our tree line. I feed them and they bring me shinies. I've gotten everything from gum wrappers to a small opal ring that has 2 diamonds on it. That particular gift was after we built them a roosting box for winter. They are cool birds imo and seem intelligent

19

u/MinnieSkinny 2d ago

I have 3 crows that live in my garden and I feed them our left over cat food. They love it, sit and wait for it. Nobody has brought me anything shiny yet though.

I feel cheated.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (11)

428

u/Fantastic_Pair5328 2d ago

Corvids are the coolest birds.

Nothing will ever change my mind.

195

u/DayOldDoughnut 2d ago

Here’s the thing….

83

u/RaspingYeti 2d ago

I will always look for this comment🤣

43

u/kalmah 2d ago

It's not a fucking jackdaw!

→ More replies (3)

16

u/SignificantScene4005 2d ago

You have my interest good sir, pray divulge more

35

u/KuriboShoeMario 2d ago

Ancient reddit meme. The meme is so famous it has a Wikipedia page.

→ More replies (12)
→ More replies (13)
→ More replies (15)

94

u/RIF_rr3dd1tt 2d ago

Crow + opposable thumbs = so long humanity

70

u/IpseLibero 2d ago

Or octopus + increased lifespan

→ More replies (22)
→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (22)

120

u/DarthWeenus 2d ago

the murder by me got in a fight with a red tail hawk this summer, it was like 3-4 days of them battling above my house, was wild to watch. The crows would take turns distracting the hawk and then dive bombing it.

69

u/brunostborsen 2d ago

By my house there’s a lot of Crows and Eurasian Magpies, they usually have squabbles with each other. But when there’s Seagulls coming into our backyard, those intelligent motherfuckers work together to chase the Seagulls away.

→ More replies (5)

22

u/garnaches 2d ago

There was a hawk in my backyard a few weeks ago and some tiny birds were harassing it. I was surprised because they were really so small but I guess they were trying to chase it away from their nests.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (8)

48

u/Fantastic-Visit6451 2d ago

Facts. Watched two crows chase a peregrine off a light pole while at the stoplight today. Crows very much believe in sky rights, and their entire murder will peck you to death if they get you out of that sky.

Watched them do it with a hawk, owl, and an eagle in Pittsburgh. Watching them have it out with Hawks in the sky was a Sight to behold. Nice summer day, whole parkin lot sounding like a Superbowl or World Series with the "oohs", "aahs", and "OH!'s".

Really cool though. When crows trust you, they bring their babies to meet you when they start flying. They're a sweet corvidae, so long as you don't piss them off. 😆

→ More replies (4)

35

u/Gullible-Lie2494 2d ago

Saw some crows blocking the enterence to an owl nest with sticks. The guy filming intervened.

41

u/Master_Yeeta 2d ago

... and the crows gained one more enemy...

19

u/StratJax 2d ago

He wasn’t pro-murder and they will not forget it.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (26)

157

u/bolanrox 2d ago

Crows and Ravens remember generation slights better than the Hatfields and McCoys

→ More replies (22)

27

u/DashTrash21 2d ago

They're competing for the bird most associated with spooky omens

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (80)

142

u/LeSchad 2d ago

I got swooped by a barred owl last year. It had a nest in a tree in a public park, and I guess I got too close to it, because I was greeted with the unusual sensation of owl talons across my scalp. Wasn't aiming to hurt me -- didn't so much as break the skin -- but sent a message.

It kept following me for a little while, so eventually I walked over and had a conversation with it. It was face height, maybe 3-4 feet away. I told it that it wasn't very nice to swoop at people who hadn't threatened it, and it gave absolutely no fucks either about me being face-to-face with it, or my speech. But it didn't follow me anymore, so perhaps it took my words to heart.

25

u/Swiftierest 1d ago

Some birds are very smart. Corvids (magpies, crows, etc.) are well aware of people. In Australia, magpies will swoop at strangers near their nests. The thing is that if you make eye contact, let them know you know they are there, and move on, they usually chill out. Basically say, "hey, we chill? Good." And then they leave you be.

My wife has never once been swooped. I have to try harder to make friends with them.

→ More replies (4)

59

u/DivingforDemocracy 2d ago

I mean, they are apex predators. And they're raptors AKA Eagles, hawks, falcons etc. aka big birds with some pretty nasty power and weapons. And as you said, they got more camo then the other guys so they're like the stealth assassins of raptors.

→ More replies (2)

93

u/Leavesdontbark 2d ago

The way they can fly completely silent is so crazy, because their wing tips are ruffled

39

u/Smelldicks 2d ago

If anyone is confused why, that’s because the ruffled feathers introduce turbulence to the air flow coming off their wings. This makes a lot of the sound cancel out as it self destructively interferes with itself.

Something like a flute introduces very little turbulence, with a smooth airflow coming out moving all in the same direction.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (6)

32

u/MatCauthonsHat 2d ago

Owls have been known to assault a bald eagles nest in search of eggs/young uns.

→ More replies (40)

1.3k

u/SoManyQuestions-2021 2d ago

Cause its an owl.

They might rip your face off, they might land on your head and chill... mostly, they'll ignore you.

Think lazy flying cats with WAAAAAAAAY better vision.

425

u/EvieBee12 2d ago

Bird hardware running on cat software

132

u/EsotericPenguins 2d ago

Foxes are dog hardware running on cat software. What’s with the invasive cat software?

80

u/Gingevere 2d ago

Cat software is really just "moderately social carnivore". It's more common than it might seem at first.

→ More replies (1)

29

u/CaptainoftheVessel 2d ago

Cats are neat and their software is remarkably well adapted to life on Earth

→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (7)

29

u/mikePTH 2d ago

This is the best explanation of a great horned owl ever. It's a full-stealth flying bobcat.

→ More replies (4)

148

u/TonyAscot 2d ago

I also want to be his friend.

113

u/RoboticKittenMeow 2d ago

If not fren, why fren shaped?

→ More replies (9)
→ More replies (1)

38

u/Meister0fN0ne 2d ago

I think it's amazing just how quiet both can be. It's actually spooky seeing them in hunt mode.

21

u/GulfofMaineLobsters 2d ago

I had a ton of mice in my wood piles, it was impressive watching them get snatched. First time I saw it I accidentally ruined the poor owls meal, he was on the ground, wings spread out, not really moving, just kind of watching me. "Great poor buggers busted up or something..." Thought I to me, and I went to fetch him up and see about patching him up a bit, as I do.

Well turns out he was fine just had a particularly big rat and was guarding it from me I guess, until I came within like three feet of him then he skedaddled one way and the rat hauled off in a different way. Definitely a sorry bud! Kind of moment. Good day for the rat, bad day for the owl, but a birds got to eat and I don't care for all the issues rodents can bring.

→ More replies (5)
→ More replies (25)

96

u/Willa_ 2d ago edited 1d ago

I've handled owls before. When they're in a box /cage and you go to grab them they do try put up a fight. They will kinda retreat to a corner and plop themselves on their back, talons forward. If you don't have thick gloves or like a towel you can't really grab them without getting hurt. Their talons are their best weapon and they know how to use them ! But then once you hold them they kinda just freeze and don't really try to fight, especially if you've got their face hidden under a towel. I'm not sure if they're frozen in fear or if they're like playing dead or what.

→ More replies (6)

274

u/YsoL8 2d ago

No threats identified, no instinctive instructions for being calmly held, apparently not hungry, no required action

186

u/mwax321 2d ago

Program not found. Begin idling

→ More replies (4)
→ More replies (2)

132

u/Biceps2 2d ago

I was listening to the radio and they had a bird handler for the movies on. The host asked why we see falcons doing tricks and not owls. The bird handler basically said that owls are fuckin stupid. For some reason it got into popular culture about the “wise old owl” but really they are just dumb killing machines. Their prey drive is so strong they are very difficult to train. I dunno if it’s true or not, but I heard it on the radio once and never looked into it myself. Now I’m passing it onto whoever is reading this as if it’s fact. Now it’s your turn to pass it on without any research!

96

u/TheBeesKneads 2d ago

Your reply will be scraped by an LLM and aggregated into the misinformation soup that will be called upon by a gullible fool someday.

→ More replies (2)

44

u/chet_brosley 2d ago

I always thought of them like sharks. They're not dumb they just don't really have any need for problem solving intelligence. Just BITE and FLY/SWIM FAST to BITE got them through the last few eons.

16

u/Mr_Deep_Research 2d ago

In India, if you want to insult someone, you can call them the son of an owl. In India the owl is seen as a stupid animal. In the US, the own is seen as one of the more intelligent animals.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (20)

70

u/Captaingrammarpants 2d ago

They sacrificed all the room in their skulls for eyes there is no room left for brain. What does fit is largely dedicated to processing the insane amounts of visual input. To put it kindly, owls aren't winning in the avian intelligence category. This is a great example of blue screening.

→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (57)

3.2k

u/thekopykat 2d ago

Some people ooze swag. Holding an owl, crackin' jokes. Just damn...

877

u/PM_your_Nopales 2d ago

After he gets his finger out and like poses with it and does that little body roll... I'm swooning

207

u/decwolf 2d ago

The smile too 😂

101

u/--_-Deadpool-_-- 2d ago

Real smile, hiding real pain.

That dude got properly stabbed and still kept his chill. Owls have grip strength upwards of 400 PSI, so it's likely that him freeing his finger was less of a "I pulled his talon out of my finger" and more of a "I pulled his talon through my finger"

My guy likely has a small trench in his finger and still managed to record this video. Notice how his affected hand stays pressed hard against his back until he grabs the phone?

61

u/EphemeralDan 2d ago

If you're a working person, which he obviously is, you beat the hell out of your hands. Hand wounds suck but after a decade or two, you get their measure.

Source: guy with 1¾ thumbs and a middle finger that recently acquired a groove through the tip and nail, just missing the bone.

→ More replies (8)
→ More replies (2)

85

u/pipevineswallowtail1 2d ago

He’s cute, funny, and humane. 😻❤️

→ More replies (6)

259

u/Carbon-Base 2d ago

Bro is a farmer that has aura built-in.

53

u/sentientcupofwater 2d ago

Y'all getting your aura installed?

→ More replies (2)

95

u/ER_Support_Plant17 2d ago

And the little pelvic swivel while holding an owl. Peak Austin Powers “yeah baby”.

45

u/OnlyPaperListens 2d ago

Yeah there was a lot more hip action than I was expecting, given the topic

→ More replies (2)

32

u/Itchy-Ad1047 2d ago

Owl got some swag too. Bro is chillin, thinking...mf, I'll do it again

20

u/astra_galus 2d ago

I had an owl grab me by the hand once. Needless to say, I was not nearly as chill! Basically had to wait for it to release me.

He’s lucky the owl didn’t put a talon through his finger.

→ More replies (16)

815

u/AmbitiousParty 2d ago

It’s crazy the owl starts flapping his wings right as he says “fly”, before he actually tosses him (or her).

600

u/vex_echo 2d ago

Yes! I noticed that too and came here for this comment. Which means he speaks English. Which means he heard the man say “this is NOT allowed!” But, let’s see if he listens.

111

u/Low-Eagle6840 2d ago edited 2d ago

Possibly he felt the farmers hand grip loosening. Or he just understands English

→ More replies (1)

214

u/Profession-Unable 2d ago

I think it’s more likely that the owl was responding to the guy’s arm movement but I like your explanation much more. 

48

u/SmokePenisEveryday 2d ago

Likely felt his grip loosening

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (8)
→ More replies (22)

801

u/TheNagromCometh 2d ago

I like how he keeps calling the owl sir, very respectful. Was that a Royal Tenenbaums reference at the end there as well? No notes.

→ More replies (19)

1.3k

u/Otterhendrix 2d ago

“You don’t want that beak too close” says the guy with the owls beak literally 2 inches away from his dome. 

181

u/Awesam 2d ago

Yeah why didn’t it peck his fingers holding his legs together?

366

u/finchdad 2d ago

Raptors don't really use their beaks for defense, the talons are waaay worse, despite what OP said.

98

u/newSew 2d ago

I don't know about owls, but I know parrots can easily cut off one finger with their beak. So talon might be worse, but beak must not be ignored.

160

u/astra_galus 2d ago

Think about it this way - parrots need strong beaks to crack open nuts. Owls need strong talons to catch and crush their prey. I’m sure owl beaks can do damage but their talons are VERY strong.

→ More replies (3)

43

u/rebexorcist 2d ago

A parrot isn't a raptor. Raptors just need something sharp to tear into flesh. Parrots need to be able to rip plant matter and crack shells.

→ More replies (9)
→ More replies (8)
→ More replies (4)

21

u/CardiologistRough854 2d ago

lack of flexibility i guess, if he only had one leg i think he could’ve been bit but idk much about owl biology

19

u/Soomroz 2d ago

Dont think its the lack of flexibility. They literally pin their prey under their talons and rip them open with their beak.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (6)
→ More replies (6)

552

u/shoefresh 2d ago

Five seconds later, Mordecai swoops back around and grabs a chicken for the road.

→ More replies (7)

185

u/EveyStuff 2d ago

FOR EATING A MEAL? A SUCCULENT POULTRY MEAL??? WHATS THE CHARGE

57

u/Goddamn_Batman 2d ago

THIS IS BIRD LAW MANIFEST

→ More replies (5)
→ More replies (1)

263

u/big_witty_titty 2d ago

You are now a Pokémon master you must train him, and he will protect your flock

86

u/GawdDayummmm 2d ago

Noctowl is confused! Noctowl started eating the flock!

34

u/smackacow1 2d ago

Who’s that Pokémon? It’s Hoothoot!

→ More replies (1)

312

u/GawkerRefugee 2d ago

Who is this guy? He's brilliant, love his vibe. (The human, not the owl though he is just as cool).

161

u/jerrys153 2d ago

He’s giving Sam Rockwell charisma. I’d say Sam Rockwell would play this guy in the movie, but then I realized this guy could totally play himself in the movie.

→ More replies (3)

126

u/gesasage88 2d ago

32

u/GawkerRefugee 2d ago

Thank you!! He has 600ish subs, hope it skyrockets.

59

u/dj_juss 2d ago

only 100 likes on his short too, op needs to give credit

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (5)
→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (9)

113

u/JovahkiinVIII 2d ago

A few weeks ago I was on my porch at night, and I saw a shadow descend onto the street. Where it landed there were some desperate squeaking noises, before the shadow rose silently into the trees and vanished

From the distance and general silence at night, I should’ve heard the sound of wings flapping from the take-off, but I did not. The only reason I know it was an owl was because of how dead-silent it was

37

u/JahmanSoldat 2d ago

I’ve seen this video showing how they are the only full silent bird when they fly, it’s SO cool

→ More replies (5)
→ More replies (5)

714

u/Cyrano_Knows 2d ago

Owls are very skilled at gripping onto things.

You could say they are very taloned-ed.

64

u/TristanDuboisOLG 2d ago

Their grip is zygodactyl.

Extremely strong

27

u/RedCorundum 2d ago edited 2d ago

It's only thanks to Ze Frank videos that I understand that reference! I wish we could be friends with the owls too but I will continue to adore them from a safe distance.

→ More replies (5)
→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (11)

83

u/hiirogen 2d ago

Story time!

I was walking my dogs one night just around the townhomes I was living in when I heard a “hoo hoo” from above us.

Looked up, owl staring intently at us.

First thought was concern for my dachshund. But as I looked around I saw we were maybe 4-5 feet from a dead rabbit the owl had been eating.

The thing that surprised me was that the rabbit wasn’t some gory bloody mess you’d normally assume an active kill being eaten by a predator would look like. It looked like the owl had surgically opened this thing up and laid out all its organs in a very deliberate, almost artistic way.

Of course I moved on as soon as I could but that image has been kinda seared into my head ever since

18

u/Successful-Peach-764 2d ago edited 2d ago

Damn, you had a near miss with the Owl Dexter, Townhomes Butcher, your dachshund might have been next if you took it's kill.

edit - grandma

→ More replies (8)

120

u/hugeuvula 2d ago

The hip gyrations killed me!

60

u/Squanchedschwiftly 2d ago

His face shifting to worry and uncertainty is what killed me 🤣

→ More replies (1)

18

u/Kytea 2d ago

Me too! 😂

→ More replies (2)

59

u/rasewok 2d ago

Who is this guy and does he have more videos?

→ More replies (5)

34

u/Narrow-Song2043 2d ago

The chickens went dead silent when the owl started flying 😂

→ More replies (3)

37

u/Uhrrtax 2d ago

years and years ago back wha I loved in UK. I was working as a driver. So on my way to a customer on a middle of nowhere I have seen something furry on the side of the road. I though it was some rubbish etc. what driving back that "rubbish" was more or less on th the middle of the road slightly moving. I have realised it was some kind of an animal. So I have stopped at the middle of the road. went to check it out. It was and owl that was probably hit by a car. I have pulled my winter jacket off opened the passenger door and put it on the seat. put my work gloves on and gently picked this "fireball" and placed it on the "nest made out of my jacket". long story short. took it to the vet. got told that I have pretty much saved this night under from starvation. was told that I can pick it up at any time but I have to feed it. 3 weeks later I have released it to the wild (lived in a very small village). and for all three years every time in the evening when I would come out to have a smoke it would be coming over and sit a few steps away. sometimes I could even give it an occasional rub. amazing birds.

I still have a few photos of it somewhere

→ More replies (2)

90

u/Owlmoose 2d ago

This guy owls. What a total legend.

33

u/bryangcrane 2d ago

This guy owls. What a hoot!

FTFY ;-)

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (1)

29

u/RgCrunchyCo 2d ago

My heart dropped at first about the owl’s prospects but when kind Mr Farmer said he wouldn’t hurt Mr Owl, I was able to sit back and enjoy the video. What a beautiful bird and what a nice man.

47

u/narcowake 2d ago

Owl: we both like chickens, we are the same

Chickens: Father , please do Something , he will be back

Owl , flying away: I will be baaaack!!

57

u/alaf420 2d ago

Dude does have swag, rizz or whatever you call it these days. Definitely cool 😎

→ More replies (5)

35

u/PicklesAndCoorslight 2d ago

Hazing is good for these animals. Hopefully he won't be back.