Owlhoot

I heard an owl hooting a few times before breakfast today (my breakfast, not his). It reminded me of how "owlhoot" is an example of words that have mysteriously evolved in American history. Owls are nocturnal animals, and so, somehow, "riding the owlhoot trail" became synonymous with nighttime activity. Assume that most criminal deeds occur at night because the people doing them want to remain unseen, and you have "owlhoot" equalling "criminal."