Dead Bald Eagle With Talons Clutching Decomposing Deer's Head Found, Experts Baffled What Caused Their Death

A hunter in Wisconsin made a startling find earlier this week: a dead bald eagle clutching the head of a young deer in its talons.

Neal Herrman, a native of the city of Barron, was out to hunt turkeys when he found the bald eagle and the deer in the forest. He had already caught one in nearby Dunn County, and as he continued to scout at other locations, he found something that didn't exactly resemble a turkey.

"I noticed something white out in the field, just a white spot... I put my binoculars on, and I thought, 'I'm pretty sure that's a bald eagle over there," Herrmann told local news outlet FOX31 Denver KDVR. Additionally, he was surprised to find the head of a fawn, or a deer youngling still clutched in the dead bird's talons. He estimates the deer to be dead for "three days or so," with the eagle dead for about 12 hours when stumbled upon it.

The Wisconsin hunter also posted several photos of the bizarre find on his Facebook account Wednesday, May 26.

Investigating the Cause of Death

Shortly after the find, Herrman knew what to do next - notify state wildlife officials as soon as possible. But as he was in a remote location with no cell signal, he had to drive a few miles down before calling his brother-in-law Greg Moen who was an employee with the Dunn County Sheriff's office who called the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Responding to their report, the DNR requested the local hunter if he could turn over the dead bald eagle - the fawn's head still in its clutches - to their offices. Herrman recalled picking up the dead bird, and the remains of the deer with it.

While it remains unclear how the bald eagle died, the DNR supposedly told Herrman they'll get back to him when they learn anything. Herman, on the other hand, said in his interview that a friend of his believes that the bird might've been electrocuted by nearby power lines. While Herrman believes that anything is possible, he notes: "That eagle definitely had a death grip on that fawn. It was pretty crazy."

A National Symbol to the United States

The Bald Eagle is designated as the national bird of the United States, with June 20th being designated as the American Eagle Day by the US Senate, celebrating the recovery and restoration of the species. As a bird of prey, the bald eagle is an opportunistic feeder, with a wide variety of diets including fishes, small mammals, and carrions. Additionally, the Pennsylvania Game Commission notes that it is rare for bald eagles to prey on live deer, though it is not uncommon for them to go after dead ones.

Its range usually includes a large section of North America: almost all of the continental United States, as well as huge parts of Canada and Alaska, as well as northern parts of Mexico. Its name, "Bald Eagle," does not refer to the lack of feathers from any part of its body but from an older use of the word, referring to being "white" or "white headed."

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