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Is This Incredible Photo for Real?
Check out this photo sent in by a friend. His email was entitled, "Photographed by a Hunter in Montana" and read:
Don't know if this is real--people can do pretty amazing things with computers--but if it is, it's a pretty crazy shot.
If you know anything about this photo, let us know.
Thanks, Todd.
its feet are in the snow
Posted by: drake | December 20, 2006 at 10:34 PM
after going to the site and checking out the entire series of 5 pictures , i believe they are real . check out the small black bird that flies in front of the confrontation .
Posted by: jose hernandez | December 20, 2006 at 10:36 PM
As a photographer, I know what to look for in a picture when it comes to seeing digital effects. These photo's are authentic. The biggest clue is the light. That's the first thing to look for. The angle of light and the direction of shadows, which, in this case, all line up perfectly. That is extremely difficult to accomplish when adding different elements together to make a complete picture.
Posted by: Scott Gross | December 21, 2006 at 12:13 AM
THe "small black bird" is a magpie, which are scavengers.
Posted by: G. Warren | December 21, 2006 at 12:42 AM
I saw this happen on a Colorado elk hunt earlier this year, except it was 6 goldens hitting a coyote in an open field. They would take turns divebombing the 'yote and each time they would he would jump and try to grab at the eagles. The 'yote finally hit the tree line and got away
Posted by: Rog | December 21, 2006 at 09:15 AM
The shadows don't match, and I see none for the fox. What seems to be a shadow of the magpie is much lighter than the others.....also, if the carcass has been picked out why is there so much undisturbed snow on it.
Posted by: Joe S. | December 21, 2006 at 09:26 AM
i don't believe golden eagles have
the white stripe on it's wings.i think the picture might be possible but i thinks it's a hawk
enlarged a nd super imposed
it's a fake
Posted by: kidd billy | December 21, 2006 at 02:37 PM
You guys just like arguing, get married and you'll get over it. I photog and have doctored a few for the fun of it and you can not tell sometimes. I told the fish cop the pic with my wife and a 9# "looking" yellow perch was doctored and he still asked me repeatedly; "So how much did it weigh?" Pictures can be deceiving-period.
Posted by: al the infidel | December 21, 2006 at 11:42 PM
The picture is a fake. The eagle would have already been well over the top of the fox if not past the fox (because of momentum) in the photo when it let go AND the talons should be down or behind the eagle. The photo shows the talons in the position that it is ABOUT to grab something, not that it has just let go of something as heavy as a fox. If the fox was spun around, it is even more reason to believe the eagle would be past the fox in the photo because the eagle would drag the fox around, not push it along while picking it up. It's pretty simple, the eagle and the talons are in the wrong positions for this shot to be real.
Posted by: Jim | December 23, 2006 at 02:27 AM
It's fake. There are no front feet on the fox. They were cut off in the paste. Look at the dimensions. The eagle's body is bigger than the fox. The eagle doesn't even have a grip on the fox. If it did, or even if the pic was taken as the eagle let go, the fox would not be in that position.
Posted by: BJH | December 23, 2006 at 11:20 AM
I can not speak to whether or not the photo has been doctored. I can speak to whether the scenario is likely. It is not. First, the eagle in that picture has not hit its target yet. Why then is the fox ass over tea kettle? Even if you allow that the fox is leaping from being startled, it would leap head first. Finally, as an aside, dare I say that is not a fox? If it is, I must say I have never seen one so thick around the middle and with haunches as large as those and a fox's snout is tiny compared to what is in that photo. That is a coyote.
Posted by: Michael | December 23, 2006 at 01:56 PM
FAKE.... ITS THE MITTLE OF WINTER IN THE SNOW THE CARCAS IS MISSINGTHE MEAT IN THE RIBS DONT KNOW OF MANY PEOPLE WHO TAKE RIB MEAT OUT AND ANIMALS WOULD NOT EAT THE MEAT OUT LIKE THAT PLUS THE EAGLE IS TOO BIG AND NOT FACING THE RIGHT WAY
Posted by: shane taylor | December 25, 2006 at 12:45 AM
The photo is FAKE. Due to the talons are not in, on or into the fox. Both open and away from the body.
Eagle's eye's are down away, not looking at the fox!
Talon's, one is forward the fox's body, while the second is behind the fax?
No fox reaction. i.e.: To try to bend and bite the eagle in defense? Just hanging limp?
The Eagle is approx. 4-5' off the ground, but the fox's fore paws are in the snow?
The fox's body seems to be closer than the eagle? As in super imposed, like all the other fake photo's.
The smaller bird would have been further away from the carcass. Once the eagle came down, grabbed the fax. That bird would have been at most double the distance.
Last but not least, an Eagle would not jeopardize injury with a larger prey, than what was available.
I vote TOTAL FAKE.
Posted by: Bill Schooner | December 26, 2006 at 05:25 PM
I have watched just such a fight here in Wyoming. The outcome though, was the Golden Eagle killed and ate the fox after a 30 minute fight. It happened in Febuary, 1994 in Natrona County, Wyoming
Posted by: Everett DeWitt | December 26, 2006 at 09:43 PM
Well mullet,
You can come and try to hang with me anytime and well see whos real...
Posted by: Lee B. | December 30, 2006 at 10:25 AM
Kinda reminds me of a goose that my mom had that would attack large dogs and peaple . The dog by the way was my saint benard . The dog could have had him for lunch but probably figured that their must have been something wrong with that goose .
Posted by: Dan Morris | January 02, 2007 at 06:37 AM
Kinda reminds me of a goose that my mom had that would attack large dogs and peaple . The dog by the way was my saint benard . The dog could have had him for lunch but probably figured that their must have been something wrong with that goose .
Posted by: Dan Morris | January 02, 2007 at 06:39 AM
The pic looks real to me but it was not taken in Finland. The other birds are black billed magpies, which are limited to the western US, western Canada, and southern Alaska. ...Just to add a little more fuel to the fire.
Posted by: Ben | January 04, 2007 at 01:15 AM
In Finland they have a bird called a "harakka" which IS a magpie in English (for more info check out www.birdphoto.fi/lajikuvat/picpic/)
Posted by: Kaisa | January 06, 2007 at 09:46 AM
Are you still debating whether or not this is real? The actual info was already posted by 'hull'.
The photo and the rest of the series are real. Taken in Finland. And Dan, magpies do live in Finland.
The photographer:
http://www.tarsiger.com/person.php?tunnus=komi&lang=fin
The entire photo set:
http://www.tarsiger.com/index.php?pic_id=komi1142612071&lang=fin
Snopes link:
http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/eaglefox.asp
Posted by: Check your facts | January 25, 2007 at 06:25 AM
I think this pic. is real. First of all it is an eagle,(one of the camments was that it wasn't an eagle)its just a juvinile(the white feathers on the wings). With the comments about how the eagles talons aren't on the fox, they aren't on because the eagle has already lifted the fox in the air, but doesn't have enough lift to hold on for a longer time. I have heard and seen Golden eagles take fawns many times and considering that your average fox only weighs about 10 pounds, it would be a pushover for an eagle to take it on.
Posted by: CP | May 09, 2007 at 10:58 PM
Please take the time to copy and paste the link for all of the pics before judging this one. Then, come back and give the photographer credit for bringing us such a spectacular view into nature that we would have missed except for his talent and dedication. Otherwise I'd have to say that you can't see the forest for your colon.
Posted by: predators predator | June 14, 2008 at 11:30 PM
It's real for your information.
Is it so hard for you guys to believe that one can get lucky once in a life.
Stupid Yankees.
Posted by: Miikka | September 16, 2008 at 11:24 PM
And it was definitely taken in Finland.
Posted by: Miikka | September 16, 2008 at 11:25 PM