Talk about a heavyweight matchup between two of the most skilled scavengers in the entire animal kingdom…
A bald eagle squares off with a coyote for for what’s left of a deer carcass.
Two animals with a taste for deer meat, two animals who seize the opportunity to feast on fallen remains, but two animals that could not have more different reputations. The eagle being revered as an emblem for American patriotism… regal, elegant.
The coyote coyote on the other hand… a pest.
Although in the wild… nobody cares about reputations… it’s fight for your food or starve. And sometimes, it’s kill or be killed.
While the coyote has the size advantage in terms of weight, the eagles massive wingspan makes the canine look small by comparison.
Coyotes typically weigh 15-40 pounds and measure 3.5 to 4.5 feet long from the tip of the snout to the tip of the tail. By comparison, full grown bald eagles typically weigh 9-12 pounds on average, but their wingspans typically measure up to 6 or 7 feet long.
The video was taken in the Swan Valley of Montana, just north of Missoula, Montana.
The footage begins with the coyote patrolling the area hard, nose to the ground looking for this treasure trove of deer meat. However, he’s got some competition as the eagle lands in area as well after spotting the meat from the skies.
Just as the eagle begins feasting, here comes the coyote.
The eagle runs the coyote away from the meat a few times, but in its third attempt, the coyote finally is able to sneak a bite of the carcass. However, the eagle doesn’t back down and continues to attack the coyote, urging it to flee so it can continue to dine in peace.
The two animals continue to spar back and forth in this chess match, and at one point, a sneaky crow even tries to get in on the action.
Ultimately, the eagle ends up disappearing with a healthy piece of meat in its mouth while the coyote presumably was able to chow down on the rest.
It’s a draw…. where both players emerge victorious.