approximately IS miles southwest of Fal- 

 furrias, Brooks Coniity, 'IVxas. Upon 

 going into the mott. I found the remains 

 of a freshly killed tuikey hen, with a 

 number of large tracks around in the 

 loose sand. The breast of the turkey 

 had been pretty well eaten. Xo further 

 sight or record of the eagh' li.-id Ikmmi 

 secured, but it was evident that this liird 

 had been the one tliat iiad fed on tlic 

 turkey. Whether it did the killing. I 

 cannot say, but the eircunistantial evi- 

 dence was very strong, with no indication 

 of any other predator having been pre.'^- 

 ent. The site was at a turkey baiting 

 station. 



Another golden eagle-wild tur- 

 key episode was recorded by Brown - 

 low Wilson of Colfax County, X. 

 Mex., on April 27, 1948. He relates : 



This week I was riding in the Cerro- 

 soso Canyon and observed a golden eagle 

 soaring overhead as if it had something 

 located. All at once it disappeared from 

 view and apparently dived on its prey, 

 although I did not see this actually hap- 

 pen. I then started up a trail onto the 

 hill top. When about 300 feet up I came 

 upon a sight such as I have never seen 

 before. Here was the golden eagle 

 perched on the back of a large turkey 

 gobbler feeding on it. The gobbler, still 

 alive, seemed paralyzed all except its 

 head and neck. 



Biologist C. M. Aldous, United 

 States Fish and Wildlife Service, 

 reported tlie following observation 

 made on tlie Mescaleio Indian 

 Reservation, N. Mex. : 



On about the first of October 104.", 

 superintendent Robert I). Iloltz, regional 

 forester William H. Zeh. and reservation 

 f(n-ester Bert Shields were traveling by 

 car going northeast from Snake Wells 

 when they saw a golden eagle plunuiit't 

 earthward at a terrific speed about one- 

 half to 1 mile away. When tlu'y reached 

 the point where they judged the eagle 

 had landed, they flushed the bird from 

 a freshly killed full-grown turkey. The 

 eagle had consunied almost Hie entire 



edible portion of the carcass by the time 

 they arrived. 



Siicii is the iiatiifc of t lie dat a coii- 

 cerniug depivdat ions on wikl tur- 

 key by the golden eagle. Tlie i)re- 

 ceding qtiotations and |)iiblishe(l 

 I'ecofds dating even to the pi'c- 

 Aiidiibon pt'i'iod substantiate tlii' 

 fticf that on occasion the golden 

 eagle kills wild turkeys. The quan- 

 titative significance remains to be 

 determined. 



In general, the jjroblenis of inter- 

 relationship of upland game birds 

 ;ind eagles are as varied iis the 

 habitats and species involved. A 

 C()m|)lex ])roblem is made even more 

 coin|)licated by the fact that the 

 gohh^n eagle also preys on other ani- 

 mals such as skunks and snakes 

 wliich nuiy at times exert pressure 

 on tipland-game-bird ])optdations. 

 In short, the relationship presents ti 

 difficult ecological problem wliich 

 can l)e solved oidy locally by quali- 

 fied wildlife technicians. 



Waterfowl. — As both the eagle 

 and waterfowl are migratory, their 

 interrelationship is luiique. The 

 simultaneous appearance of golden 

 eagles and waterfowl in an area in 

 fall and winter often leads to the 

 deduction that the eagles are follow- 

 ing the waterfowl. 



That the golden eagle, on occa- 

 sion, may kill ducks or geese is be- 

 yond dispute. Records of gohh'ii 

 eagles' "stooping'' on waterfowl or 

 feeding on detid ducks are numerous 

 and of theif catching live water- 

 fowl are occasional. Whether the 

 ducks they catch are chiefly sick oi' 

 iiijuicd bii'ds still is ;m ummswered 

 (|uest ion. 



Sevei'id methods were utilized to 



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