Bald Eagle problem

[Rod]

I have a budding concern that involves a visiting Bald Eagle. He has show up daily for the last three days usually around the edges of my fish pond. We have some large stocked trout in the pond and obviously he is looking for a fish dinner. Early this morning I heard a commotion from my cow/calf pen and looked out to see the eagle on the lawn outside the pen and my Lowline Angus cows and new calves bunched up at the fence bawling at the eagle. As I watched I think the eagle spotted me and flew away on a route over the edge of the pen. The whole cow herd ran after him as he flew away. My guess is the eagle must have made an attempt on a calf which riled the cows up as I have never seen them behave like this before. Right now they are pretty confined with their calves but I will be turning them out to pasture soon which will spread them out and leave the calves alone more.

Stealing fish is one thing we have grown used to as we regularly have visits by an blue heron fishing the pond edges. But stealing my little calves is another thing. These little guys are born around 40 lbs. and do a lot of sleeping while the mothers graze not so near by at times. This makes them very venerable to an air attack by an eagle. We have used a combination of good fences and guard donkeys in the past with good success against the coyotes but an eagle predator at least in this part of the world is something I haven’t heard of. Anyone have any ideas to help me?

[Joshua Kingsley]

Can a bald eagle even take a 40 lb calf??
I have never seen one take anything bigger than a rabbit or wood chuck here in our valley. We have some golden eagles that nest on the edge of a swamp and they are fair sized about 3 feet in height when they land on the tractor and have about a 6 foot wing span… I would check with VINS and see what is reasonable for them to carry off.
Joshua

[Rod]

Yes, mabe I pushed the panic button but he does look pretty big when he flies. I guess Goldens are bigger and some of my new born calves can be as small as 25 lbs. It was the behavior of my cows that made me think he was up to something as I have never seen them so agitated by anything outside the pen. When I saw them chasing the eagle as he flew away I was taken back. Never saw them do anything like that. Checking with VINS is a great idea, thanks.

[near horse]

More likely the eagle was looking for afterbirth or a dead calf. Something he wouldn’t need to carry off. We often see them fly up off of gut piles left by hunters. Not likely they would or could take a live calf.

[CharlyBonifaz]

we used to have at least one steady pair (sometimes up to three pairs) breeding in our valley (Oregon), never had any problems with them; when we lost calves it was to coyotes; can imagine though he spooked the cows when after something else….

[Scott G]

Other than some potential harassment the bald won’t cause an issue, except for the trout. Goldens’ on the other hand are much larger and there have been credible reports of them making dinner of small calves and lambs. Goldens’ tend to favor mammals & birds, Balds’ primarily fish. Especially fat ones in stocked ponds….;)

[bivol]

i’ve heard guardian dogs (at least sharplaninatz, they’re nuts!) handle all kinds of predator problems, including eagles… so, if things should boil up, you shoukld consider getting one…-.

second could be having longhorns, or at least horned cattle. horns are effective for such purposes…

[near horse]

Horns also provide a nice place to perch for tired eagles!:)

[mitchmaine]

goin’ out on the limb here. bald eagle’s bigger than the golden, least in wingspan. and they don’t just fish.

[Patrick]

No, Scott is right. Golden eagles are bigger than Bald. True, Bald eagles do eat more than fish sometimes, but it’s not common. The wild animals don’t read the books, and I’d never make the mistake of believing that their behavior is not unpredictable, but I’d be much more concerned if I had a Golden eagle eyeing my hoofstock than a Bald.

[Blake]

@bivol 18732 wrote:

i’ve heard guardian dogs (at least sharplaninatz, they’re nuts!) handle all kinds of predator problems, including eagles… so, if things should boil up, you shoukld consider getting one…-.

second could be having longhorns, or at least horned cattle. horns are effective for such purposes…

Well dude, as far my knowledge is about dog is concerned, sharplaninatz breed is not very much suitable for that purpose.
My grandpa have half dozen of dozen from different breeds of dogs. Airedale Terrier, Boston Terrier,Miniature Schnauzer and many
more. But I was wondering that he had some breed they used for carriage. I couldn’t get them.

[Big Horses]

The golden eagles are definitely bigger!! We have both to contend with here. I’ve never seen them try to “pack off” any calves…that isn’t gonna work. But, what they will do is peck the eyes out, or work on a navel or any other soft tissue that they can, if the calf is new or even when being born. They are definitely something to watch for. Ravens and buzzards are almost as bad, but not as agressive as an eagle. They do tend to prefer manure from fresh born calves…rich in stuff from Mom’s milk, however, they’re a wild animal and an oportunist, and will do whatever they can to eat.
John

[mitchmaine]

I had lunch with a bald eagle the other day. We stood up a timber frame as a info booth at the lower pool of the fish ladder at the local fish hatchery. They used to raise pheasants and now have a pretty big game farm there. So I took lunch and walked up the hill to the game park. The eagle was a monster. I didn’t like the way she was eyeballing my tuna sandwich either. Maybe we feed them better here in maine but that bird stood over three feet and had a wingspan of seven feet or more. Maine has over 400 breeding pair and the highest pop. East of the miss. Golden eagles don’t breed or winterover here and you rarely see them, too whimpy to get in a fishing contest with one of those big bald eagles of ours. I’ve googled ‘em both and where they thrive, bald and golden eagles are about the same size, both smaller than the condor, but if a fifteen pound bird decides to freefall 400 feet and land on your shoulder watch out.

[Author]

Posts