Brad Stone has been a regular photography contributor to the Kingfisher Times & Free Press for the last several years, mostly through covering Cashion sports. But Stone’s talents in shooting go beyond the fields and courts of the Wildcat athletic teams. He’s also fond of photographing other subjects, like wildlife in the Cashion area. Pictured above is “Buddy,” the barred owl. That’s Stone’s name for the owl that’s become a bit of a wildlife friend. “I found him last year. There were two of them,” Stone said, noting they are mates. “I lost track of them for several months, but found them again about two weeks ago.” When Stone is out shooting Buddy searching for prey, or just perched on a tree, he said the owl shows no fear. “He’s not afraid of me for whatever reason. His mate is. She doesn’t show herself at all, but he’s very curious,” Stone said. “I’ll just walk around and he’ll fly from branch to branch with me. He’s not afraid at all.” Stone has taken several pictures of Buddy and posted this one to his personal Facebook page as it appears Buddy is flying right toward his lens. “I really like the way the colors turned out in this exposure,” Stone wrote on the post. “He made a few flights to different branches while calling to his mate.” More of Stone’s work (including Buddy pics) can be found on his “Brad Stone Photography” Facebook page or on his website at bestone.shootproof.com. [Photo by Brad Stone]