Photo: Bald Eagle Fights Coyote over Deer Carcass, Raven Wins
OutdoorHub Reporters 03.03.15
What is the most epic picture you’ve ever pulled from a trail cam? Did it involve four different species, a life or death battle, and perhaps the most stunningly clear case of opportunism caught in the wild? There’s a lot going on in this picture, but we can all agree that the raven is the real winner here.
The above image was uploaded by Reddit user Blutausbeherit, who claims that they recovered the image from a wooded area in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania—likely Tiadaghton State Forest.
“This is taken from a state forest office where I work out of, we pick up roadkill deer and have been dumping them in a forested plot near the office to do a study on golden eagle populations,” Blustausbeherit wrote, adding that there could be additional footage to go along with the photo.
No golden eagles showed up the day this photo was taken, but a bald eagle certainly did. While trying to lay claim to the piled deer carcasses, the bird found itself facing a rather stubborn and probably outmatched coyote. Blustausbeherit did not specify who won the confrontation, but he speculated that the coyote was just posturing. There is a good chance that this specific coyote had never seen a bald eagle before and was simply on the defensive. Whatever occurred, we can infer from the photo that the raven probably profited from their stand-off.
