What are the odds? I took a compass bearing to head straight through the center of a large Black Spruce bog last week, hoping (but not really believing) that I’d possibly, just maybe, hear a begging young Great Gray Owl.
Less than a hundred yards into the bog, I stopped dead in my tracks; There was a hunting Great Gray only about 50 feet from me and only 10 feet up in a spruce! She barely looked at me, and continued hunting. See how the adventure unfolded in the video below:
Join me as I enter the dark and haunting bogs of the far northern Minnesota wilds in search of the elusive and giant phantom of the north—the Great Gray Owl! (How’s that for drama!)
I especially like this Great Gray Owl photo because of several factors:
a. It was NOT shot along a road…like 99.9% of all Great Grey Owl images.
b. She is NOT looking at me…She (or he?) is busy hunting…too preoccupied to worry about a mere human.
c. I love the out of focus wispy Tamarack branches…Lends an air of wildness and hints at their bog habitat.
All photos taken with Canon 7D and Canon 400mm f5.6 (sometimes with 1.4x or 2x teleconverter), tripod, processed in Aperture.
All video shot with equipment listed above at 1/60 second and processed in iMovie.
8 responses to “Hunting with a Great Gray Owl: Shooting with Sparky video”
John Pennoyer
June 20th, 2012 at 11:19
Excellent video Sparky! Great tip on using a magnetic compass instead of I-phone. I find that in thick bogs sometimes it is difficult to pick up a signal and always have my compass with me!
Sparky Stensaas
June 22nd, 2012 at 12:37
Thanks John, Yes, a couple years ago I made the mistake of bushwacking without my compass. I was deep in the Superior National Forest when my iPhone and GPS unit had battery issues…and it was a cloudy day. Fortunately I just made it out. I will never forget my “old school” compass again!
melodylowes
June 20th, 2012 at 13:51
You captured such a mood with this shot – this owl looks so superior, almost sinister, doesn’t her?
Lynne Schoenborn
June 20th, 2012 at 14:41
Stunning!
Marianne
June 21st, 2012 at 06:13
Awesome! Were the photos taken using the <a href="http://www.canon.com.au/For-You/EOS-Digital-SLR-Cameras/7D"this 7D"? I don’t think my Nikon can do that..
Sparky Stensaas
June 22nd, 2012 at 12:35
Hi Marianne, Yes, I have the Canon 7D. What Nikon do you have? Most of the DSLRs now can take HD video.
Judy Chucker
June 25th, 2012 at 10:10
That was wonderful! Thanks for taking us along. Thanks, too, for posting the link on the MOU net.
Jason Mandich
June 25th, 2012 at 10:23
great video sparky!