One man’s catch is another bird’s meal.

Video making it’s rounds on the news today. Pretty cool.

One man’s catch is another bird’s meal, apparently.

Nicholas Batchelder was ice fishing in Windham, Maine, on Jan. 11 with some friends when a bald eagle swooped down and helped himself to a meal.

Batchelder and his friends had made their first catch – a small perch – while fishing on Little Sebago Lake when they saw the bald eagle eyeing them from up above, News Center Maine reported.

Quickly, Batchelder set up his GoPro camera and set the perch out on the snow to entice the eagle to come closer.

The three friends backed away from the fish, and the eagle flew down and made off with the fresh catch.

Batchelder posted the incredible up-close video on Facebook, where thousands have commented, praising the footage.

“That’s awesome!” one person wrote on the amazing video.

“He looks like he’s saying ‘well I guess if no one wants it, I’ll take it,’” another joked.

“Wow,” another impressed by the video wrote.

I had an eagle swoop in and pick up a duck I had just shot and it was floating in the decoy spread. Thank goodness for non toxic shot! He made several attempts to retrieve it and was successful on the third try. Flew up in a tree a couple hundred yards away.
One of my favorite outdoor experiences to this day.

So does that count towards your daily limit

A few years ago while ice fishing near ice out we were catching lots of Rock bass. We threw a few on the ice while hole hopping. A Eagle sitting in a tree flew down and snatched it and flew up to a nest and dropped it off. It then flew back to it perch and keep a eye out for the next meal. We tossed out another one and sure enough – here it came again. During this outing and the next several over a few days this was repeated several dozen times. By our 3rd and final outing I believe that eagle knew us. It would always great us with several loud screams and fly up to the same perch and wait for the 1st Rock bass to hit the ice. By the end it was picking them up with us only about 20 feet away. His lady friend and babies must have thought he was the best fish hunter ever.

You can see how big they really are when swooping in to get a fish boatside!

How are rock bass to eat? I don’t keep them. Just curious?

Careful feeding them in MN. That may be more illegal than using 2 lines in open water!

mplspug wrote:

Careful feeding them in MN. That may be more illegal than using 2 lines in open water!

As stupid as it sounds, the first question that went through my Minnesota overly regulated and taxed mind was, is that legal?

Very cool. This happened to me ice fishing last year. I caught some nice perch and left them out on the ice by my hole. Probably five or six of them. I got cold so I quick went in my hub to warm up and fish a bit. Shortly thereafter, I hear some really weird scratching noises outside the hut. I think nothing of it. I wait a little while and, sure enough, more scratching noises outside. This is when I realize something is stealing my fish! I pop open my hub shelter window, look out, and yep, two bald eagles are out there taking my last perch. I was kind of mad! Those were nice perch! I quickly left my hut and let the eagles know what I thought. They just flew away, sat in their trees, and looked at me. Sad times . . .

I actually assume it is. Down here you can’t look sideways at a gator, manatee or dolphin without getting in trouble.

If it happened accidentally (you were unaware of the eagle), probably OK. But if the DNR observed you actually leaving gamefish on the ice multiple times and having an eagle or any bird for that matter, fly off with your fish, I suspect it would be grounds for “wanton waste”.

is a rock bass actually a game fish??????

Huntindave wrote:

If it happened accidentally (you were unaware of the eagle), probably OK. But if the DNR observed you actually leaving gamefish on the ice multiple times and having an eagle or any bird for that matter, fly off with your fish, I suspect it would be grounds for “wanton waste”.

I would think this would be the case, but I guess the only way to know for sure would be to check with a CO.

Dusty Gesinger wrote:

How are rock <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>bass to eat? I don’t keep them. Just curious?

I have never ate one. I have a friend who will occasional Keep a few during winter months. He says they taste just Fine. I’m going to just take his word for it

glenn57 wrote:

is a rock <em class=”ido-tag-em”>bass actually a game fish??????

Yes, with a 30 fish limit, continuous open season and no size restrictions.
(MN regs) could be different for other states

Last fall we had ~ 5# walleye wash up on our beach on ML. When we woke up the next morning there was a mature bald eagle plucking at the carcass with a younger looking on from a few feet away. After a few minutes two more mature eagles came to join the party. There was a brief skirmish and one of the newly arrived eagles grabbed what was left of the carcass and flew away. The other two mature eagles left shortly after but the younger one hung around for a few minutes. By his actions you could see he profound disappoint. All this from about 50′ away from our bedroom window.

I’ve had 3 interactions with eagles on ice at my cabin in the last several years. Hungry eagles in winter get much bolder.

Huntindave wrote:

But if the DNR observed you actually leaving gamefish on the ice multiple times and having an eagle or any bird for that matter, fly off with your fish, I suspect it would be grounds for “wanton waste”.

Ok. I give up. Call the DNR office on me for leaving fish on the ice for five minutes while I went ten feet away inside my hut to get warm. Obviously, wanton waste. I apologize for telling what I considered to be a funny story. The internet police win again.

Friend had a small shallow pond on his property that got weed choked in summer and was wondering what to do. Someone suggested putting suckers in there and would keep weeds down and are hardy and would most likely survive till fall and we could cut up and use for bait. Netted a bunch of nice suckers and threw them in and looked like it was going to work until eagle set up on his property and picked everyone of them out.

flanders51 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Huntindave wrote:</div>
But if the DNR observed you actually leaving gamefish on the ice multiple times and having an eagle or any bird for that matter, fly off with your fish, I suspect it would be grounds for “wanton waste”.

Ok. I give up. Call the DNR office on me for leaving fish on the ice for five minutes while I went ten feet away inside my hut to get warm. Obviously, wanton waste. I apologize for telling what I considered to be a funny story. The internet police win again.

(A) Why do you assume my comments were directed towards you?
(B) Why do you quote only half of my comments, taking them out of context?

The fella in the video, left fish on the ice specifically for Eagle to pick up. Totally different then what you did, you left multiple fish ONE TIME and were UNAWARE of the Eagle.