Eagle encounters

Joined
Jul 11, 2019
Messages
10
Reaction score
8
Age
66
Yesterday I had a close encounter with 2 Wedge tailed eagles, and survived it. Should you run or should you hide ? Or should you land ?
Anybody had experience with eagles I would be interested to hear.
short video of the encounter:
To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.
 
Last edited:
Yesterday I had a close encounter with 2 Wedge tailed eagles, and survived it. Should you run or should you hide ? Or should you land ?
Anybody had experience with eagles I would be interested to hear.
link to short video of the encounter:
To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.
View attachment 112760
Only seagulls and hawks here thankfully, nice clip and to survive the dreaded tree just great
Enjoyed watching:)...and welcome,,,,hey its probly good they not catch it or it would have ended up in the nest ,those eagles catch drones ,amazing stuff
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • Like
Reactions: Macam
I was flying near a Buzzard a couple of days ago and it seemed neither interested nor bothered which was great for me. I have an orange skin (actually lengths of wide, orange coloured insulating tape) on mine as I have been told it deters attacks (as much as anything else I don't want a bird getting injured). I have had gulls have a look but no attacks. I have also been told that climbing is the best means of defence, however you do then have to get back down etc.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Macam and Shoot4fun
I would assume that you may have got too close to their 'nest' or maybe young ?

We have a lot of Hawks and Buzzards over here and the only time I have had any interest in any of my flights - was my RC Eagle. That was really a couple of 'swoops' down to look and then away.
The only Eagle "incident" I saw - the Eagle was circling our field and it completely ignored everything ... even the Thermal Gliders that were up there with it !!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Macam and Shoot4fun
Only seagulls and hawks here thankfully, nice clip and to survive the dreaded tree just great
Enjoyed watching:)...and welcome,,,,hey its probly good they not catch it or it would have ended up in the nest ,those eagles catch drones ,amazing stuff
Only seagulls and hawks here thankfully, nice clip and to survive the dreaded tree just great
Enjoyed watching:)...and welcome,,,,hey its probly good they not catch it or it would have ended up in the nest ,those eagles catch drones ,amazing stuff
It is hard to judge their size, they typically grow to 6-7ft wingspan. I have seen a shot of a drone in a nest, not a happy ending.
 
Bald Eagles in my part of the country are a little touchy if you disturb them, especially around breeding/hatching times. My a/c has been chased back to daddy more than once. Some farms we have are on the Gasconade river in central MO, and eagles nest on or near it. I'm constantly on the lookout, when on these farms, for them. Don't want my birdie to be lunch for their birdies. Besides the fine I'd get slapped with for "harassing wildlife". The National Bird is my favorite, so I give them a wide berth. Buzzards don't seem at all interested here either. Small black birds with orange spot on wings tend to get pissy occasionally...

Welcome to the forum, btw!

Brad
 
I have read that the best reaction is to fly up and away from them. like hawks they attack from above.
Yes, flying up and away is the best strategy. They have a great advantage if they can attack from above as is their usual practice- flying away is seen as retreating which seemingly is what they are hoping for.

Even pilots of full size helicopters are wary of eagles in the bush and getting away from them in a hurry is the priority. Eagles seem to be a genuine thread to sUAV operations based in the many reports around the internet.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Shoot4fun and Macam
Thanks for that, sounds like a good strategy. But in my situation, I was low, around 6 ft, in open country with 2 big wedgie's circling about 50 ft above. I had observed at home that when eagles flew overhead all the small birds immediately hid in the nearest tree. So I made a dash for small stand of trees.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Shoot4fun
So I made a dash for small stand of trees.
Yeah, you were pretty much screwed, being in the open as you were. Lucky they didn't destroy your bird! I flew last night along the river I mentioned earlier, just to see if any were in the area. Didn't have much battery, or desire, to stay up long, but didn't see anything. The height/altitude thing seems like a good idea. I'll stay high as possible from now on!

Brad
 
  • Like
Reactions: Macam
Yeah, you were pretty much screwed, being in the open as you were. Lucky they didn't destroy your bird! I flew last night along the river I mentioned earlier, just to see if any were in the area. Didn't have much battery, or desire, to stay up long, but didn't see anything. The height/altitude thing seems like a good idea. I'll stay high as possible from now on!

Brad
Thanks Brad, Having done a bit more research it seems the trouble with going high is you have to be able to out-run and out-maneuver these masters of the sky, not to mention battery power.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Shoot4fun
I think it maybe more a territorial thing more than protecting their nest although I'm sure they do this as well.

We have a pair that use a huge nest in a big gum on one of our hills .They have been around for about 5 years or so . Most years they raise one chick (apparently the strongest one kills and eats the others ) some years two.
When you see four of these massive birds cruising around you tie a rope from your belt to the motor bike just in case.
Id like to think I stay out of their territory when flying but unfortunately their territory is large and they can show up any where anytime.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Shoot4fun and Macam
Yes, Thanks for that. Its mid winter here in Aust I doubt they would be nesting.
I think they are apex hunters and they chase anything that is food size and moves. A white phantom is about the same size as a seagull or pigeon.

The day they nearly got me, I was flying about 2 miles from where I live, and I am pretty sure they are the same pair I have seen circling over my place checking out the neighbors chooks.
I would really like to know what would happen if I had just landed

Do Eagles like trophy's ?
 
I question the video, looks a bit produced to me(fake) sorry. The worst thing you can do with any bird of prey is run. When they decide you’re on the menu the angle and speed they come at easily overtake a quad. The best thing to do at that point is go straight up and go fast. Once on the attack the bird can’t make an adjustment like that. When they commit they commit. You can easily get away just by changing your angle and getting away. The bird can’t come out of that dive bomb mode. It works if you are at max height well not sure what to say except try anyway. It’s easier to make the bird miss than to lose a 1000+ drone.
 

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
143,066
Messages
1,467,354
Members
104,933
Latest member
mactechnic