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Snowmobiling Man Knocked Unconscious By Flying Owl

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) --  One minute Chris Hatfield of Two Harbors, Minn. was cruising along on his snowmobile and the next minute he was unconscious after being hit in the head by an owl.

A picture from the Duluth News Tribune shows Hatfield along with the helmet he was wearing out on the trail that day. The owl completely smashed his face mask.

Hatfield says he was going about 40 or 45 miles an hour when he saw something in front of him and then it went black.

Luckily, Hatfield was riding with some friends who noticed he was missing and went back, found him and then got help.

It turns out it was a barred owl that he hit. DNR officials say barred owls can weigh about one and half pounds -- about the same as a jar of spaghetti sauce.

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