By Dallin Saurey

I got into birdwatching by attempting to call owls in Oklahoma. You study the owl guide so you know what owl species are in your area. You learn the sound of owls by ear, by practicing their sound.

It is best to look for owls at night or early in the morning. Take a pair of binoculars with larger lenses, such as 10 x 25 or 8 x 42. or 8 x 42.  Bring a jacket and warm clothing, flashlights, and insect repellent.

The best places to see owls are near agricultural areas, in heavily wooded areas, on forest edges, and riparian habitat (lands that occur along bodies of water). Warm Slough and Beaver Dick Park are my favorite places to visit. Other good places for owl watching are Market Lake, Sand Creek, and Tex Creek Wildlife Management Areas, Camas National Wildlife Refuge, or any national forest.

Once when we were fishing at Beaver Dick, we heard a Great Horn Owl. I called it back when it was only 200 feet away. My kids were surprised to get a close look at this owl. I used to take friends to Warm Slough and astound them with how many owls they could hear in a single night.

If you really want to know how to impress your friends, next time you get together, go owl watching, and you can impress them by calling them and having them call back.