Vonyon, is there any chance it could be a long-eared owl instead? They have buff colored breast feathers and very distinct "horns" and are quite a bit smaller than a GHO.
If it was, I know that sometimes they get killed by the Great Horned owls...I've seen this happen when helping to run a banding station. The long eareds would attack the tiny saw-whets, and in turn they were often attacked by GHO's.

You'd have to necropsy it to know for sure, unless it was by a road and was hit by a car.

You should notify your local Fish and Game folks - they often will collect the carcass for research or mounting for educational purposes. If it were a long eared owl, not a GHO, that would be of great interest to local birders.

I have witnessed the very same thing some Years back, it was full grown, we where almost sure, that it was electrocuted! It was in the neighbors property,
they phoned the wildlife people, but never herd what "really" happened.
Konrad

You know, I still can't figure the camera stuff out. I did go out and took some pictures with a tape measure next to it. The breast was barred. It was about 19 inches rather than the 25 listed as typical, but maybe it was a young one. The more I look at the pictures on the internet, I'm pretty sure it was a great horned owl. I hope it didn't eat a poisoned rat. The farmer near here periodically poisons rats.

Someone said that we should call someone from animal control because of West Nile and bird flu. I'm on the east coast, so bird flu didn't even cross my mind. I'm guessing even if it is in the migratory birds, it would get to the west coast first. Maybe I should call Fish and Game. Thanks for the tips.

It probably IS a Great Horned Owl, vonyon...at 19 inches it's a tad too big for a long-ear.
There are scads of sub-types of Great Horned Owls...they vary tremendously in size and coloration, depending on where they originate. And the young birds do tend to wander a lot in the fall.
West Nile is a definite possibility. I wouldn't bet on bird flu. I do know that owls occassionally die as the result of collisions with wires...they also get hung up in fences by times. I suspect if they're intent on a target they may be less focused on aerial hazards. Did the pole where you found the body have electrical as well as telephone wires? Electrocution kills a lot of large raptors.
Always sad to find a dead owl, regardless of the cause.

Thanks for the info Cyp. The pole does have all kinds of wires, telephone, electric, cable TV, and a big cable that stablizes the pole. It just seems as though it is so close to the pole that it is likely to have something to do with it. Electocution seems possible although I see birds on those wires all the time, and I suspect the GH owls sit there frequently because I hear pairs calling from the woods in back to roughly that spot quite often. I kind of thought geographically, the bird flu was probably out. I have never heard of owls really being big victims of West Nile either, but that doesn't mean they aren't. I thought that a bird like that may lose sight of a big obstacle (particularly one that sticks out in an open area) if it in the throes of a hunt. The area next to our driveway is open space on both sides. There are about 3 or 4 spruce trees spread over 350 feet of straight dirt drive. The open space on one side is left to grow all spring and summer and was recently mowed. The other side is pasure, so it makes up about a 2 1/2 acre treeless, non-lawn type area. We have added about 200 native berrying shrubs in the vicinity during the last year or two. I suspect there is plenty of good hunting out there in the way of skunks, rabbits, mice, etc. I've seen a fox hunting out there quite a bit also.

When someone mentioned a long ear last night, I was beat and didn't check the size. It is a large bird. In fact, I would not want to mess with the likes of his talons. The amazing part is the size of his feet in general. I would say his legs are as widea as two of my fingers. They look formidable. Although it is very sad, it is so cool to be able to examine such an interesting creature up close.

West Nile is most active in the late summer, because of the mosquitoes. GHOs are highly susceptible to WNV, so it is unlikely the bird had it, as it would have died within a week or two.

Bird flu effects flocking birds, like waterfowl, and if it comes to North America, that is where it will first be seen.

I looked up great horned owls on the owl pages, it said that the most common cause of mortality is related to man, shootings traps roadkill and electrocutions. Their only natural enemies are othe great horned owls and ocasionally northern goshawks. Hope that's helpful. Sarah

Thanks for the info all. I think the pole or wires are somehow related to its death.

Here are the pics that I took:

Yep, that's a great horned owl, alright.

What a sad "look" at such a beautiful creature!
I'd suspect electrocution too. A few years ago, someone from the local birdwatching society told me one GHO got electrocuted in flight (before eye witnesses) while trying to manoeuver in between some power lines that cross a wooded area near where we live. If I got this right, the wingspan was enough to contact both a negative and a positive line, which caused the short through the bird.

That's a shame. He is a beautiful bird.

Sorry for the gross, sad shots. I just thought it was a bit fascinating to see a creature like this in the flesh....although sad nonetheless.

Not gross, they're beautiful actually, and thanks for posting these! I misworded probably there!