Red-Tailed Hawk

Red tailed hawk

Might have been an older coon or sick or weak. He was doing what he supposed to do and removing them.

That's not a Big Bird.

This is a Big Bird:

It wouldn't have picked up and dropped a large coon. These birds can't pick up as much weight as many people think they can. I watched as a red shoulder hawk tried to pick up a crow that I shot. Could only get about 2 feet off the ground before landing back down after a second or two. Tried this four or five times before giving up.

Back in the 80's on our deer lease, while in the blind I watched a large size red tail catch a coon that was either old or sick as he could not run fast at all. The hawk came in very fast and turned him over from momentum and immediately went for his head area. It appeared it went with talons and beak for his eyes. Coon was totally disoriented and just kinda spun in circles. Hawk would back off a foot or so then attack again. Did this three or four times till he just appeared to sit on his head and peck and hold with its talons.
Another red tail came on the scene and appeared to assist. Neither tried to ever pick the coon up and fly. But they both fed on the coon. One stayed on the coon while the other would feed and fly off with small hunks of meat
and then return to do that again.
They did this for at least half and hour. Then just one stayed and fed and eventually left for as long as I stayed in the blind. I assumed they were a nesting pair.
To only have had cell phones back then…..One of the coolest things I've ever witnessed.
Never saw a deer but that made the morning worth it.