Eagles at coyote bait piles?

[Curmudgeon]

I've been surveying eagles in the northern Catskills in an area where you would expect small numbers. Since early February - at least - there have been very large numbers in the area. There is no large water nearby, or any visible food source. I've been trying to identify a food source without success.

I have a simple question for the coyote hunters who use bait, is it common to have eagles visit your spot?   

Edited March 14, 2018 by Curmudgeon

[Lawdwaz]

Really, NO PICS?

Come on man..................................

[Curmudgeon]

It's just a question.

[wolc123]

We had one show up on 10/30/2017 in WMU 9f on the other side of the state.  My daughter took the photo out of the window that I have shot coyotes from.   It was on the pile where I throw all my butchering remains.

Edited March 14, 2018 by wolc123
add pic for Larry

[Curmudgeon]

Looks like she took it through a scope or binoculars.

Thanks. 

[chas0218]

14 hours ago, Curmudgeon said:

I've been surveying eagles in the northern Catskills in an area where you would expect small numbers. Since early February - at least - there have been very large numbers in the area. There is no large water nearby, or any visible food source. I've been trying to identify a food source without success.

I have a simple question for the coyote hunters who use bait, is it common to have eagles visit your spot?   

Start shooting the coyotes, you have until the 26th.

Edited March 15, 2018 by chas0218

[Curmudgeon]

I thought the season ended the 25th.

[Four Season Whitetail's]

4 hours ago, chas0218 said:

Start shooting the coyotes, you have until the 26th.

BaHaHa...Good One. Him...Shooting Vermin? 

[Curmudgeon]

1 hour ago, Four Season Whitetail's said:

BaHaHa...Good One. Him...Shooting Vermin? 

I shoot vermin all the time.  We just disagree on the definition.

[chas0218]

1 hour ago, Curmudgeon said:

I thought the season ended the 25th.

You can hunt until the 26th on the 26th the season is done. So last day is the 25th until 11:59pm.

Edited March 15, 2018 by chas0218

[Rattler]

Maybe the eagles are eating the deer carcasses the coyotes provide.

I have been seeing quite a few on the Delaware near Hamden and Delhi now that it's no longer frozen.  Good fishing now I suppose.

Edited March 19, 2018 by Rattler

[G-Man]

Eagles are scavengers.. and that is why Ben Franklin was so against them becoming the national symbol. ( no he didn't want the turkey either) he preferred a falcon a hunter. Other members were against the falcon as that was in common use in Europe and they just faught a war to leave European influences.

Ben was so upset with the eagle that he penned a letter stating if we're were going .to use a scavenger then we might as well pick the turkey as it was at least a good protective mother to its young.. and the.myth of him wanting the turkey was born. ( read the entire coresponding letters if you don't believe me) like so much on this site taken out of context and offending people..

Edited March 20, 2018 by G-Man

[steve863]

31 minutes ago, G-Man said:

Eagles are scavengers.. and that is why Ben Franklin was so against them becoming the national symbol.

As far as I know, Eagles are classified as birds of prey.  Haven't you ever seen film of them fly over water and pull a fish out?  Sure, they can be scavengers, too, but what animal isn't, including humans??  Put an easy meal out there and it won't be long before something helps themselves to it.

 

 

 

[G-Man]

Bald eagles will take advantage of carrion (dead and decaying flesh), giving it a scavenger image, which causes some people to dislike eagles. Other people do not care for powerful and aggressive birds; while some object merely on the grounds that it is a bird of prey which kills other animals for food

as for their fishing activities.. they take fish floating or near the surface which is usually a dead.or dying fish. Though they will take live top feeders they are going to as you say take the easiest meal. Scavenging.  Falcons do not. Hence Franklin's aversion to the eagle

Edited March 20, 2018 by G-Man