Passersby cut a great horned owl free from barbed wire in Spearfish

Sharon and Scott Jacobs were driving past private land in Spearfish when Scott thought he saw a hawk on a barbed-wire fence. Good News Network, citing Cowboy State Daily, reported on October 8, 2026, that it was a living great horned owl. They needed gloves and a bag for its head. A driver named Brandon stopped, and he had both gloves and wire cutters. The landowner's daughter called her father, who said to cut the bird free. They did.

Sharon took the owl to a veterinarian, who removed two steel barbs and said it should be able to fly again. She then called wildlife centers and took it to the Black Hills Raptor Center. The center expects to release the owl where it was found. Sharon said she plans to be there. It has not been released yet.