Many folks have asked me if the owl irruption is over in NE Minnesota. The answer is “yes” and “no”. The huge influx of owls on the North Shore of Lake Superior has been over for some time. However, this irruption was originally a southward movement irruption … owls moving south but as they hunted out areas they ran smack dab into Lake Superior. Owls do not like flying over large bodies of water, and thus there was a traffic jam of owls along the shore of the big lake. Eventually most of these owls worked their way down the shore past Duluth (a few staying to hunt good habitat) and spread out across northern Minnesota. There were also lots of owls that just flew directly south and never smacked into Lake Superior.

All these Great Gray Owls are now working their way back north. Some will choose to become year round residents in the Boreal forest & bogs of northeastern Minnesota and join our resident year round Great Grays. Some owls will work their way back up to the border country with Canada and beyond … into eastern Manitoba and NW Ontario.

This morning I found a few Great Grays well away from the North Shore and Sax-Zim Bog. They seemed to be following traditional spring migration paths which other bird species also utilize. Thus, with hard work and research there are still more owls around than normal, but the days of a Great Gray Owl on every other Scenic 61 signpost are gone!

I hope you enjoy my “Down on the Farm” Great Gray Owl photographs. Each farm was near good owl habitat, and remember … in the winter these of owls eat meadow voles.

Great Gray hunting from an Antique Hay Mower

Sticking the Landing! The owl eventually dropped straight down and caught a vole next to the mower

Great Gray hunting a farm field next to the forest

Given both this blog, and my volunteer work as a naturalist, I am getting lots of questions about the current owl irruption in northeastern Minnesota. With this post, I will try to let the Great Gray Owls answer those questions!

Where is the irruption taking place?

What are the backroads like in Northern Minnesota?

What should I do if I see an owl hunting a railroad right of way?

Will Rich Hoeg (the owner of this blog) share his private local owling locations?

What is the highway speed limit when I need to drive home?

If I get lost, how will I find my way?

If the owl’s answer to this last question is NOT obvious, follow the light house’s beacon!

All of these photographs were taken within the past two days. Rich would like to thank each and every owl which agreed to be part of the answer to your questions about the Northeastern Minnesota Owl Irruption of 2025.

I would like to correct “only” one answer given by an owl. Rich Hoeg will not give out his private owling locations. It is neat that many of you are coming from all around America to enjoy our special wilderness. Great Gray Owls are native to Northeastern Minnesota. However, this winter we have many more owls in our region … both locals and migrants. In my experience most of the migrants tend to start flying north around the 1st of March. Thus, plan trips to our area with that thought in mind.

On a closing note, this morning I was interviewed on Wisconsin Public Radio about owls in Northwestern Wisconsin and Northeastern Minnesota. If you would like to read a transcript of that interview, please browse to WPR. Unfortunately I do not believe the sound files of the interview are active anymore.

I was distracted on New Year’s Eve Day on the way to and from some medical appointments yesterday. Three different Great Gray Owls decided I should take some time out and enjoy nature … one in the morning a few minutes before sunrise, and then two owls in the afternoon.

The first owl was quite concerned about some crows, but not about me or any of the cars rushing by on the highway. I definitely was NOT in a normal birding location while watching the first Great Gray Owl (video link for email subscribers).

Great Gray Owl #1 (in the morning just before sunrise … watching crows)

Great Gray Owls #2 (after my medical appointments)