If a picture is worth a thousand words, I don’t have to add a single letter for this one. That being said, less is sometimes more and that’s why this week I am going to come in under my word budget.

After that last minor snowfall, I was out roaming around in the woods when I came upon a scene in the snow that was so fresh that the blood wasn’t even frozen yet. Before that, I had bumped into a horned owl that silently slipped out from the top of a tree and glided on to another perch off in the distance. No wonder they are such skilled predators moving so gracefully and making nary a sound.  

Now I could not be certain that the owl I had seen was the bird of prey involved but it would be a good guess given the proximity. Had I known I was going to stumble across this scene, I would have tried to get a closer look to see if the owl was clutching a mouse in its claws.

If you take the time to examine this powerful photo it’s the perfect example of what life and death looks like in the woods. Describing the entire scene is a task better served by someone with greater literary skills than mine. The only thing that I can add is that whatever happened here must have been an amazing sight to see live. It’s also pretty neat to let your imagination take the clues left in the snow. 

Didn’t get enough Dave this week? Visit “Outdoor Trails and Tales with Dave Beck” on Facebook for photos and video of Dave’s adventures. You can share your own photos and video with him there as well, or by emailing him at dave@piercecountyjournal.news Also, check out OTT content on Instagram @thepiercecountyjournal