Some years ago, if you were a game breeder or poultry farmer, you surely had little liking for one particular species called Bubo virginianus, or the Great Horned Owl.  With their strong but silent wingbeats and razor sharp talons, they could wreak havoc on any chicken coop, and it’s little wonder that some states even placed bounties on this largest of native owls.  But now, according to an article by professor Dwight Smith of Southern Connecticut State University, Great Horned Owls are finally being appreciated for their ecological value, their bounties have been eliminated, and their populations are beginning to revive.  Now that’s some environmental news to give a hoot about.