A great horned owl found dead in a yard may have died from eating a poisoned rodent, says Jan Shadick with Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation.
“What made me suspicious about the potential for rodenticide or having been poisoned is that it was in such good body condition,” she said. “There was some blood around the mouth – which could potentially also be a head trauma response – but again it's not super common for an owl to hit something with its head.”
Shadick suggests using a live or snap trap when catching rodents to prevent the risk of the poison also killing their predators.
“Either one is far more humane for the rodent, and far less likely to harm any other animals,” she said. “You can put snap traps underneath something that the rodents can get in but your cat can't get in - so it can't get its little paw caught, and that other things can't get in too.”
However, exterminator Kelly Makepeace with Kelly’s Pest Control said poison is the best way to get rid of rodents. The poison shouldn’t be able to kill their predators as well - especially with mice, he said.
“Mice just nibble at the poison, so they don’t typically eat enough for any secondary poisoning.”
Although he said traps are also effective, the problem lies in trying to get the rodent into the trap.
“They can avoid them. Or (with) those snap traps they’ll lick the peanut butter off or whatever you’re using for bait – and it won’t set it off.”
Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation will be submitting the dead owl for necropsy to determine exactly how it died.
