Lary Ellis (Top)

Well guys I live on a mountain top and have been having a problem lately with Raccoons. Now normally I believe in live and let live here and have wildlife abundant here, Deer, Bear, Wild Turkey, Bobcat, Black Panther, Ground hogs, Squirrels, Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, Red Hawk and a couple Falcons I do not know the name of plus all the other little critters you can think of that live in this area.

That Raccoons I put into a special category, we live in an area where Rabies runs rampant through them so I place them on "Tops" Endangered species list.

Every evening I have been running into 3 young coons scouting around my trailers and vehicles looking for food and have planned to do something about it because with the Grandkid's here every weekend I don't want one of them getting ill.

This afternoon I was plowing the snow off the driveway AGAIN and noticed about 75 yds from my garage a set of tracks going to a tree in the snow. Pretty good sign something is in the tree so I looked up and there was one of those Coons sleeping in the tree. As I drove by on the plow he stuck his head out and watched me go past him and then figured I was no danger to him.

I spent the next 30 mins plowing and then parked the plow back in the garage and grabbed my Grandsons 17 I gave him when he was 7. He is 9 now and the Red Rider is his current weapon of choice but I keep the 17 in one of my safes here for when we go to the range.

I leaned against the garage door frame and sighted the coon and sent that 17 sizzling his way and watched him fall out of the tree. I laid the rifle down and went to get him and this is where the story got really cool.

I got about half way to him when this big Golden Eagle (We Have a pair that nest on the next ridge over) swoops down out of the tree next to the one the coon was in and grabs him up. Wow I NEVER expected that to happen and wished I had my camera with me but left it in the garage cause I didn't want to lose it in the snow if it fell out of my pocket.

I watched this Golden Eagle pick him up and drop him several times before he got him a good 100 yds away from me and I assume he is now feeding the rest of the Golden Eagle clan. Very beautiful and majestic birds and I felt a lot better knowing I was helping to feed the Eagles trying to rid myself of the pesky coon problem.

Couple pics here:

This is a photo of the Coon in the saddle of the branches in the tree from about 70 yds away on a cell phone camera on 4x power. Hard to see but if you look above where the wire runs past the tree, you can see him laying in the tree. He looks like a dark spot in the snow about a foot above the wire.

The second photo was the weapon of choice. Sure wish I could have gotten photos of the Eagle taking his dinner, man that was so impressive with the snow falling all around and how quiet the woods were....All I could hear was the beating of his wings as he worked to get his dinner to a safe distance from me.

cincydiesel

Awesome story Top!! Good looking Ruger too

MOAGGIE

I would say that is karma!! good story, too bad you couldn't have got some pics of the eagle.

chaikwa

I'll second that! But there's one thing I don't understand;
How'd the coon get a cell phone?

cincydiesel

I bet you dont get your check this week

Lary Ellis (Top)

Probably traded his food stamps for one

Oh WAIT I did NOT mean that in a Racist manner, I KNOW it looks like I did but I didn't even realize it until AFTER I posted it Oh crap there is no way I can ever live this one down.

chaikwa

Wow! I wanted to...

I thought about...

I was gonna say...

Let's just leave it at 'WOW'!

cincydiesel

Right click copy and past.. Thanks for the new sig Top.

Lary Ellis (Top)

Boy I wish I had because in the snow they puff up their feathers and look twice their size in an attempt to have more insulation against the cold. He was absolutely Magnificent and I pretty much got the feeling that he had no fear of me at all. I felt like he was just trying to decide whether he was going to let me have the kill, or take it himself

I have been looking in the original photo that I took before I cropped the one I posted to see if he is sitting in the tree next to the coon already scoping out dinner. It seemed like he just dropped right out of the trees no more than 20 ft from where the coon was, and I may have just made his dinner a little easier is all. He may have been ready to pounce on him all along and I just got in the way. So far I haven't found him but it is kinda grainy.

Lary Ellis (Top)

No problem....Stupidity can happen at any moment

DWeiler

----That's one to tell around the campfire-----nature looks after it own.After i drop a deer/moose it good to know that in a few minutes nature is on its way to clean up the gut pile.Heck before i ever have them loaded into the truck the birds are circling and the coyote's are near.Everyone/animals benefits one way or another along the food chain.Around my dads farm a coyote on the property is a dead coyote as my folks have a few pint sized dogs that look like a meal to them,after a while the varmints tend to avoid coming around with in striking distance.DW

JD730

When I was growing up we had a real bad year with raccoons and rabies, my dad shot 28 one summer.

They aren't as bad as they used to be, but they still tear our sweet corn up something terrible, if they would take a whole ear it wouldn't be so bad, but they have to sample bite or two out of all of them. So we give em the same thing only our dosage is a bit higher than Top's.

cincydiesel

Thats the scary thing about hunting in Montana. The crack of a rifle is like a diner bell ringing for a grizzly.

ktpauley

Great story Top. Nice looking Ruger also. Keith

Totallyrad

All I can say is the eagle(s) must be used to to the sound of you ringing the dinner bell.

Click
Bang
Lunch is served


I've wanted a 17 HMR ever since I looked at the round.