A hawk snatched my squirrel

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donut_man

donut_man

Member
Apr 29, 2023
51
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St. George Island, Florida, USA
This morning I noticed a squirrel in the "zone of certain death" and took my shot. No sooner than I put the rifle back on the wall a hawk swooped in and got a free breakfast. Anyway I really dig these birds, unfortunately the only picture was what I could get from my phone of him flying off. Still a cool morning for me. Makes me want to look into scope cams :LOL:
FX dreamline compact .22 w/ Element immersive 14x50 canoed the squirrel @28 yards, phone snapped the pic.
hawk.jpg
 
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@donut_man You must have been quick to get the phone out to even capture that photo. Nicely done. I’ve had one follow me into the woods. On multiple occasions I’ve seen them swoop down and fly beneath the canopy while posted on a squirrel hunt. These raptors seem to be very observant and they also seem pretty intelligent. You’ve got a memory that you’ll probably never forget. Thanks for sharing it with us.

How do you like the Element Immersive scope?
 
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These are the type of stories I really enjoy reading. I had a mystery cat that waited in the weeds near a bird feeder about 90 yards from my house. Quite a few times when I picked something off that feeder the cat would instantly appear, pounce and run off with it. I did get to watch a hawk a couple months ago jump off a low limb onto a mole. It never used its beak. It just stabbed it to death with its talon. Then flew off with it.
 
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I was archery hunting and about 25 feet up a tree in a climbing stand in full camo including a head net. It was overcast and pretty dim in the woods. A big redtail flew into a tree about 30 or 40 yards away facing me. I looked away from him looked back, he was coming at me like a missile I turned my face to the tree a put my arm up to my head. I felt it flare and turn, I could feel the air from his wings but I did not feel him touch me. It was pretty scary.
 
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I've had a cooper's hawk take a squirrel I had wounded. The squirrel ran down the tree after a shoulder shot, and stopped in the crotch of a branch.

I racked the bolt on my disco, dropped in my pellet, and when I lined up the shot in the scope, the hawk landed on the squirrel and stood there til the squirrel quit flailing, then flew off with my dinner in tow.

Awesome stuff.
 
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My normal cleanup crew for backyard squirrels is the foxes that must have a den somewhere close, because they sunbath at the back of my property… regularly.IMG_1456.jpeg
Occasionally, a big Red-tailed hawk scoops them up first. Can’t find the ONE picture I managed to get. They don’t tolerate any movement without taking off.IMG_3131.jpeg Found it!
 
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I too have had that happen. There is a pair of huge Golden Eagles that inhabit my permission.
A few years ago, I had shot a ground squirrel on an opposing hillside, knocked it off of a large boulder and while it rolled down the hill into an open area, I saw it move through the scope so decided to put it down. Cocked the rifle and drew a bead on the head, just before pulling the trigger, a huge brown bird was in my view....an Eagle! Luckily, I didn't pull the trigger, or it would have hit it in the lower rear.
Then, just last Saturday, I shot a ground squirrel on a different hillside and while doing the death dance, a Goldie came down and nabbed it, then flew off.
I looked for it through my binos and found it atop a tall, metal power pole tearing into the squirrel. It was close to a quarter of a mile away.
Not sure where it was when I shot the squirrel, but it could have very well been atop that power pole as it only takes seconds for a bird of that size to cover a quarter of a mile.
So cool to see....twice!
 
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Revoman said:
I too have had that happen. There is a pair of huge Golden Eagles that inhabit my permission.
A few years ago, I had shot a ground squirrel on an opposing hillside, knocked it off of a large boulder and while it rolled down the hill into an open area, I saw it move through the scope so decided to put it down. Cocked the rifle and drew a bead on the head, just before pulling the trigger, a huge brown bird was in my view....an Eagle! Luckily, I didn't pull the trigger, or it would have hit it in the lower rear.
Then, just last Saturday, I shot a ground squirrel on a different hillside and while doing the death dance, a Goldie came down and nabbed it, then flew off.
I looked for it through my binos and found it atop a tall, metal power pole tearing into the squirrel. It was close to a quarter of a mile away.
Not sure where it was when I shot the squirrel, but it could have very well been atop that power pole as it only takes seconds for a bird of that size to cover a quarter of a mile.
So cool to see....twice!
Click to expand...
Probably circling behind you just waiting. I always check the sky for buzzards and Raptors on my permission.
 
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We live in town but next to the woods running up into a ridge then the mountain. My wife has multiple bird feeders so we have predator feed. We get Redtails and Sharp Shinned Hawks almost weekly. Our rear deck is covered with an awning in the warm months. When it is down and stored they sit on the supports over the deck watching the feeders, sometimes for hours. Wife and I were sitting out one day and a bird came rocketing under the awning right past us with a hawk right on its tail. I could have wacked them both with s yard stick. The hawks take a bird and either eat it on the ground or go up on a tree beach to dine. I have watched how the devour their catch with binoculars, very interesting. When done they knock the carcass off the limb with a swipe of their foot. They miss on quite a few of the birds they target but can be very persistent going after bird that hide or flee into brush or bushes.
 
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