Raptor and Raccoon

I came across this Red-tailed Hawk in my neighborhood. It was feasting on a Raccoon about an hour after sunrise. This Raccoon may have extended its curfew about an hour too long. I've seen Raccoons out during daylight but not very often. The action must have been pretty wild just before I showed up. Red-tailed Hawks are amazing hunters. These birds are one of a few reasons why we don't let our small dogs out off a leash. I have more to process but here's a few for now.

what a cool find, and nice work on those shots. Red-tailed hawks are really amazing, but tangling with raccoons is dangerous business. I know squirrels can inflict a nasty bite on them too, but a coon can turn the tables really quickly.

Beekeeper wrote in post #17793424
what a cool find, and nice work on those shots. Red-tailed hawks are really amazing, but tangling with raccoons is dangerous business. I know squirrels can inflict a nasty bite on them too, but a coon can turn the tables really quickly.

Thanks. It was a small Raccoon, looked to be young. I would imagine the Raccoon wins this fight quite often. I was thinking that it would take a lucky spinal cord talon stab or two to give the Hawk an edge, likely in the neck to avoid a turn and bite reaction. It's no doubt a risky kill.

It's also possible that the raccoon had been reduced to helplessness before the hawk found it. Raccoons fight each other viciously.

Very true, and distemper often gets them here too.

OhLook wrote in post #17793448
It's also possible that the raccoon had been reduced to helplessness before the hawk found it. Raccoons fight each other viciously.

Yes, it could have been injured. It's rare to see raccoons anymore in our neighborhood since they've cleared so much land for development all around us. 10 years ago I could stand in my yard at night and listen to them chattering in the woods nearby, not anymore.

Those are great shots. I never would have imagined that a RTH would go after a raccoon. I still trap raccoons, opossums, armadillos, and skunks in our yard despite being in the middle of a large metropolitan area. We also have coyotes and a dwindling number of rabbits. The coyotes occasionally will kill and eat a cat or small dog.

If you have any extra RTH's please send a few my way. I could use some help with the wild critters.

Excellent set,Steve!

Outstanding shots of a red-tail, Steve; around here, they are very tough to get close to.

Excellent captures Steve.

Wow. That's great stuff as usual Steve! Love it!

Amazing set.

Sweet...sweet...sweet!​!!

Wonderful shots, Steve. The second one is awesome!

CDMOOSE wrote in post #17793778
Outstanding shots of a red-tail, Steve; around here, they are very tough to get close to.

Bill Boehme wrote in post #17793593
Those are great shots. I never would have imagined that a RTH would go after a raccoon. I still trap raccoons, opossums, armadillos, and skunks in our yard despite being in the middle of a large metropolitan area. We also have coyotes and a dwindling number of rabbits. The coyotes occasionally will kill and eat a cat or small dog.

If you have any extra RTH's please send a few my way. I could use some help with the wild critters.

mandokid1 wrote in post #17793682
Excellent set,Steve!

Joe52 wrote in post #17794018
Excellent captures Steve.

Zethar wrote in post #17794283
Wow. That's great stuff as usual Steve! Love it!

Mag-1981 wrote in post #17794292
Amazing set.

TedEllis wrote in post #17794325
Sweet...sweet...sweet!​!!

Ishrani wrote in post #17794463
Wonderful shots, Steve. The second one is awesome!

Thanks very much everyone.

Bill, it sounds like you have the same four-legged predators at you place as we do. We're not in a large metro area but in the past 8 years the Coyotes have made their way here. We used to have big numbers of Cottontails but not anymore. I'm sure the Coyotes have something to do with that.