A couple nights ago my wife and I were coming home after dark. Right beside the road, an owl had caught a rabbit and was trying to get airborne! Wild coming up on it with those wings flapping wildly. Score: Owl 1; Rabbit 0.
You know the rules, pics or it did not happen... that is really cool I have seen a hawk swoop down and get field mice and stuff. Nature is amazing. We think we are top of the food chain but take away our tools and we would go extinct quickly
Dennis, under the circumstances I do believe your story. It's so cool coming up on nature in action watching it happen and know theres no time to shoot a picture. A quick side note; A couple months ago while working a guard tower at the state pen I watched a hawk dive in towards the top of the wall and try to snag a wren on the hot wire. The hawk grounded himself out and strted to cook because he couldn't break free. It took all of 15 seconds. I was about 25 ft away...
Couple years ago I saw a bald eagle do the same thing only he lost it about 10 ft. Off the ground. I didn't have time to see if he came back. Gary
It's amazing how much weight predator birds can lift. Wouldn't have believed it until I saw a hawk carry off a carcass more than half its size. Seeing nature at work brings me back down to earth - Ya know what ah mean, Vern?
A couple years back, a bald Eagel lay dead at the base of a telephone pole. There was a transformer at the top of the pole. We had to call a game warden to come get the dead bird. Ther is a law that makes it illegal to keep feathers from the Eagles. They all go to the Native American to be used in their ceremonial dress. I do have a picture of that somewhere.
Happened to me the other day a Bald Eagle picked some large road kill out of the road right in front of me. It was more of a "harrier" type drop down and take off than a swoop, I saw it coming from about 50 yards away and was able to slow to give him space, would have hated to hit it. He took off like the weight was nothing.
Always cool to see. And even when you don't see it. A couple of times I have found squirrel tracks in the snow suddenly end with tell tale wing tip marks before and after marking the spot.
Several times while sitting in a treestand I used to use a different head mask. Then from time to time a hawk would come in and almost get me but at the last minute they saw it was not something they wanted! Sure wakes a man up quickly. But then they would usually land in a tree next to me and keep watch. I used to have all sorts of fun. I'd make strange noises and they'd cock their heads. One of the joys of hunting in the fall of the year. I've also several times had owls circling me as I was walking toward the house at dark. Many years ago a neighbor sold a lot of trees off his place and they chipped all the wood. They must have taken a tree with a hawk nest because several times one would dive bomb me as I was walking. It was close.
Backwoods Savage , this pic is from a trail cam contest from our local newspaper. The pic never saved so here's the link. http://www.mpcourier.com/article/20141214/ADV/141219255
