# How much can an eagle carry?



## houndlover (Feb 20, 2009)

After losing some lambs to eagles this year, I notified fish and wildlife, who assured me that eagles can't carry a newborn lamb, and so I couldn't legally shoot them to protect my flock. I will be keeping this article for next year.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110617/us_nm/us_deer_power


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

Fish and Game, are just covering their backsides. Yes, Eagles can take lambs, smaller dogs, cats, giant salmon... 
Think I found some info on the net awhile back that said Eagles will take newborn or young lambs.


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## sbanks (Dec 19, 2010)

Shoot them then get rid of the evidence


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## houndlover (Feb 20, 2009)

I would but my neighbor watches me like... an eagle!


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## sbanks (Dec 19, 2010)

which makes it tempting to shoot the neighbor too.

Can you put out some poison bait?


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> A deer fawn *apparently* dropped by a bald eagle


No one *saw *the eagle carry the fawn, and I really doubt it did


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

Lots of conflicting information as to how much an eagle can carry but much would depend upon the size of the bird. Looks like 8 pounds should be no problem for a bald eagle and whitetail fawns weigh from 5 to 8 pounds.

Martin


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

I'm not going to get into a debate on this because we don't have eagles. However, I have seen a harrier hawk attempt to fly off with an (already) dead lamb and make a pretty good fist of it. It had trouble gaining height and did eventually drop it - into a nearby swamp - so if that lamb had been alive it would have been taken far enough away from it's mother to have died anyway. The point being that if a harrier can lift and move a lamb, I'm sure an eagle would have little trouble.

Our harriers tend to take small game like mice as live prey but are carrion eaters when it comes to larger animals such as possums (roadkill) and dead lambs and don't try for them live. It's always a problem when our farming practices run head on with natural wildlife. 

Houndlover, I'm surprised that Fish and Game were so dismissive. While it is illegal to shoot indiginous or native birds over here too, if they are causing problems with poultry, seeded paddocks etc, Fish and Game will meet with the farmer and try to resolve the issue. 

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## houndlover (Feb 20, 2009)

I have a live lamb, well, she's pretty big now - 70 lbs, but the day she was born in the paddock an eagle was trying to carry her off - my dog was trying so hard to protect the lamb and protect mom while she was lambing the twin. That big ewe lamb will always carry a hairless scar right on her spine where the talons were dug in. I saw that eagle on the lamb, and I saw it attempting to pick it up - and it would have had it not been for the dog. Sure, I haven't seen one in the air, but I've seen them attacking my sheep and kids... and I've lost newborn lambs and kids out of a fortress-like kidding/lambing area. Nothing went over the top of the fence, and nothing went under it. The dogs patrol from the OUTSIDE so they didn't kill the lambs and kids. None of this is absolute proof, but I will entertain other theories.


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## CarolT (Mar 12, 2009)

They dismiss it so lightly because, to some people, saying it's a federal offense to shoot one is like waving a red flag. Saying they can't do it might get the livestock owner looking for other predators. Stating your intentions can even get you in trouble... Just saying.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

Right, use the three S's.


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## airotciv (Mar 6, 2005)

Fish an Wildlife, what can I say. 5-10 years ago they cared about us farmers, not anymore. Eagles attacking, not counting the Crows that are killing my baby chicks/ducklings. What did they tell me, You are not a resposible owner, because YOU aren't doing everything you can to keep it from happening. Well, there is only so much a person can do. My ducklings/chicks are locked up in the barn and still the Crows attack. I'm sorry I'm not going to lock the sheep, goats or anything else in the barns, they need sunlight. As for weight that an Eagle can carry off? Fish and Wildlife says 8-10 pounds.


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## Fowler (Jul 8, 2008)

houndlover said:


> After losing some lambs to eagles this year, I notified fish and wildlife, who assured me that eagles can't carry a newborn lamb, and so I couldn't legally shoot them to protect my flock. I will be keeping this article for next year.
> 
> http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110617/us_nm/us_deer_power


Wholly flying sheep!!!...I have never heard of this. But now that I have...WOW!!
I am so sorry for your loss houndlover...I couldnt image fighting preditors from the ground and sky.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I watched a program where this was tested. They tied an 8 lb weight to an eagle to see if it could fly and it could not. That wouldn't stop an eagle from killing a larger animal like a lamb and eating it on the spot.


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