For 21 years, Journey the great horned owl helped handler Phyllis Carlson of Quinnesec teach about his kind and kin, giving the public an up-close look at a living representative of this formidable bird of prey.

The great horned is among the largest and heaviest owls in North America, with only the snowy weighing more and only the great gray owl larger in size, though much of that is feathers. Great horned owls are known for being able to take down a host of larger prey — including fox, raccoons, skunk, rabbits, snowshoe hares, even domestic cats.

Great horned owls are among the earliest breeding birds in this region and can be sitting on the nest in February, even January in southern Michigan and Wisconsin.

A longtime wildlife rehabilitator, Carlson became Journey’s “manager” in late spring 2001, after a man on his morning walk found the young owl — he still had tufts of down — crouched along a fence in her neighborhood.

Deb McCash photo

Carlson figures the fledgling owl was old enough to hunt, went winging across Menominee Street and got struck by a vehicle, shattering an elbow joint in his wing so badly he would never fly again.

Not wanting to euthanize such a young owl — even injured, he met them not meekly but with talons and beak at the ready — Carlson instead started the almost-year-long permit process to keep the bird for educational purposes.

To gain the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s approval, Carlson had to commit to at least 12 programs a year for 10 years. Journey wound up serving as an animal ambassador for more than twice that time, logging roughly 20 programs a year until COVID-19 restrictions reduced the schedule.

He’s been to schools, libraries, birding clubs, colleges, state parks, nursing homes, area groups such as the Kiwanis — even the Borderland Art Club, which said he was better than the human models, Carlson added.

One of his early appearances earned him his name. After a presentation at a local elementary school, the teacher had her students write Carlson thank-you notes. A student described the owl as being on a “journey” in life.

Journey and handler Phyllis Carlson of Quinnesec have made the rounds to hundreds of programs over the past two decades.

“I thought that was perfect,” Carlson said.

Not every bird has the temperament to be used for education. Merlin falcons, for example, tend to be too high-strung, Carlson said. Perhaps because he was found while still young, Journey for the most part has been a gentleman that rarely gets his feathers ruffled during programs. Some of that is the trust built up with him from early on, she said.

In fact, he sometimes becomes so relaxed during programs that he’ll nod off on her arm.

Journey also has had a committed caretaker in Carlson, who supplies him with two thawed rats a day and won’t take vacations any longer than seven days so he’s not taken too much off his routine.

She has never regretted taking on that role with Journey and the public. “The kids get so much out of it,” Carlson said of their appearances, noting some of the children at their early programs now have children of their own learning about owls. “They say, ‘He’s awesome.'”

But now almost 22 years of age — mid-80s in human years, according to Carlson — Journey has begun to show his age. He’s not eating as he had been, Carlson said.

“So time to kick back the talons,” Carlson wrote on Facebook in announcing his retirement from public appearances, “and relax more.”

These public appearances, after all, can take their toll on a nocturnal creature, Carlson noted.

“I asked him how he’d like to spend his retirement and he said: ‘Sleep in all day (no more human waking me up and taking me out in the middle of the day!). And stay up all night, do some star watching and have a hooting party with the neighbor owls (and keep the humans awake, LOL!).'”

This doesn’t mean Journey has completely ended all appearances, Carlson said. “Maybe I can talk him into an occasional small program?” she wrote.

Betsy Bloom can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 240, or bbloom@ironmountaindailynews.com.