I'm glad my post elicited responses from readers here. Lots of
respondents made their feelings known, and I got some truly thoughtful
and persuasive (both ways!) responses from some folks. I'd share some of
the latter here, though they didn't come via public lists. I felt it was
useful from many perspectives to rehearse the winter ritual of walking
up on owls and to remind folks to be thoughtful.
        Most raptors--especially those from the far north--aren't used to being
scrutinized by human animals, and probably don't understand our gaze,
but smaller birds are more likely to interpret it as a call to lunch,
with them as the menu. Snowies who get down to Ohio are often naive
youngsters, and may regard us as something like large common animals
like deer wearing OSU caps, who are not predators. I hope that other
readers stirred by the thoughts involved will act accordingly.
Bill Whan

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