How I got this photo: Great gray owl sails over wintry landscape

Several winters ago I was fortunate enough to have a great gray owl take up a brief residency on my property south of Brainerd.

For about two weeks, the owl would appear nearly every day after 3 p.m. and begin to pursue voles, a small mouse-like animal. The big bird of prey liked hunting over one of my deer food plots, which was covered by about 2 feet of snow at the time. Its favorite perch was a dead tree snag, about 6 feet tall, along the western edge of the plot.

Voles were plentiful that winter. The small mammals would travel beneath the deep white powder, hidden from view as they feasted on oats in my food plot.

Most afternoons I donned a pair of snowshoes, slung my tripod-mounted camera and lens over my shoulder, and trudged through the snow in an effort to photograph the big bird. A relatively tame bird, great gray owls often allow humans to come close. That was the case with "my" owl. And each day the large raptor became more and more tolerant of me.

I could envision the photo I wanted: The big bird flying toward me low along the snow. So I devised a plan one clear, cold afternoon.

I arrived to the food plot before the owl to set up and wait for the bird's arrival. Once my photography gear was in place, I adjusted the shutter speed and aperture on my camera, set my lens to auto focus, and waited in the cold for the owl to appear.

Luck was on my side.

Great gray owls fly relatively slowly. As my camera whirred, the auto focus did a fine job of keeping up with the approaching bird. The owl landed on the snag, just as I expected. I watched in amazement as the large raptor began its hunt, totally ignoring me even though we were separated by just a few feet.

A great gray owl relies mostly on its hearing when hunting voles. I watched as the owl swiveled its head back and forth; its big yellow eyes were captivating. The owl left its perch several times to fly over the food plot. It would hover momentarily before plunging, talons first, into the snow.

A few days earlier, a brief warm spell had softened the top layer of snow. Now it was cold again, and there was a hard crust on the snow's surface. The owl could still hear the voles, but it was unable to penetrate the crust. At one point, as the owl was returning to its perch, the tip of one long wing brushed against my shoulder.

I walked home at dusk, eager to download the images to my computer. Much to my delight, I had achieved the very imaged I wanted: A sharp, in-flight image of the great gray owl flying low over the snow.

More about the photo

2 Great gray owls have daytime hunting habits and a subdued nature, making them easier to spot than other owl species.

3 Great grays are the largest owls in North America. They prefer lowland habitat such as tamarack and spruce bogs.

4 Be careful not to disturb the birds as they hunt. If your presence seems to be disturbing an owl, move farther away and observe the bird with binoculars.