Got to use the Tahoe as an "ambulance "

[Mudsport96]

So my wife and i were headed home yesterday afternoon, and i could see something in the road ahead of us. She looked up at the right time and saw it too, then asked was that alive? I said yeah as i braked to do a U turn and hit the stability button because i didnt want to be "nannied" with the maneuver i was about to pull. So through the median and full throttle turn to go back and check out the scene.

Sitting on the stripe between the slow and passing lanes. Broken right wing but seemed okay other than that. So i told her to get the blanket from the back of the Tahoe and lay it out on the hood. And i gently worked the injured wing as best i could to the body and grabbed him up, set him on the blanket and with light wrapping got in the passenger seat. I said head the the vets office they close in 15 minutes, and we got there and dropped it off for the local wildlife refuge to get today. It was banded on its leg so it had been captured before. May be why it was so docile when it was in the truck.

 

[MassHoe04]

Beautiful hawk - those eyes! Red Tail?

We are lucky in Western Mass. to have a retired EPO start a rehabilitation center for injured birds of prey. He is busier now, than ever before! No shortage of bird strikes on the roads up here...
Those centers do a lot of great work getting birds back in the air and in the wild.

 

[Scottydoggs]

damn your brave. mother nature loves you for that act.

i came across not one, but two dead birds today, ( i landscape) had the tell tail signs of a bird of prey attack. carcass and feathers exploded out in a 2 foot circle. if you ever seen a hawk nail another bird on the ground. the prey's feathers just go ****! one there was nothing left, the other i suppose it felt safe enough to chow down right there. i got hawks and other birds of prey all over the place here.

 

[George B]

Nice. We have more hawks than I can ever remember around here now.

 

[89Suburban]

So my wife and i were headed home yesterday afternoon, and i could see something in the road ahead of us. She looked up at the right time and saw it too, then asked was that alive? I said yeah as i braked to do a U turn and hit the stability button because i didnt want to be "nannied" with the maneuver i was about to pull. So through the median and full throttle turn to go back and check out the scene.

View attachment 386858View attachment 386859
Sitting on the stripe between the slow and passing lanes. Broken right wing but seemed okay other than that. So i told her to get the blanket from the back of the Tahoe and lay it out on the hood. And i gently worked the injured wing as best i could to the body and grabbed him up, set him on the blanket and with light wrapping got in the passenger seat. I said head the the vets office they close in 15 minutes, and we got there and dropped it off for the local wildlife refuge to get today. It was banded on its leg so it had been captured before. May be why it was so docile when it was in the truck.

Awesome man good job!!!

 

[nonickatall]

That's what I call passion, breaking your wing just to ride Tahoe...

 

[Mudsport96]

Beautiful hawk - those eyes! Red Tail?

We are lucky in Western Mass. to have a retired EPO start a rehabilitation center for injured birds of prey. He is busier now, than ever before! No shortage of bird strikes on the roads up here...
Those centers do a lot of great work getting birds back in the air and in the wild.

Yup juvenile/sub-adult redtail. Ive seen several road kills in the last month and was like not this time.

 

[Mudsport96]

Update as of 5 pm. It made it through last night at the vet. And was transferred to the wildlife place today.

 

[bill1013]

I’m fishing off the West Coast of O’ahu. We had been camping for the 3 day weekend and the family was packing up to go home. I figured I would throw out my line for one last chance at catching something. At first light I caught an octopus, but that’s another story.

I picked my nice shiny, floating Yonimura lure. It basically floats until you pull it then it dives. Once you stop pulling it floats to the surface. So I’m using my 10’ surf casting rod and I’m throwing it out past the surf and dragging it in. About 10 minutes into the session I notice 2 Frigate birds flying perpendicular to the beach.

The sparkling lure drew one of the birds attention and it dove on it immediately. In a gut reaction I pulled hard, really hard hoping the the lure would dive deeper than the bird could dive. It was a good try, but the bird emerged from the water with my lure firmly in its beak and started flying away.

To make a long story short it took me around 20 minutes to get the bird down on the beach and another 15 to get the hook out of its mouth. I had to get a blanket and cover its body & bill. After the hook was removed it almost flew away with the blanket, but luckily my daughter had a firm hold on the blanket. Blankets are a good thing to keep handy as you never know when you’ll need one. A moving blanket is good too.

My ex-father in law just laughed his butt off. An octopus in the morning and a Frigate bird in the evening. What a fisherman! Aloha!

 

[Mudsport96]

Blanket or towel is always handy

 

[swathdiver]

Blanket or towel is always handy

I keep at least two in my truck all the time. Twice I've used them to comfort an injured person in a car accident before the cavalry arrived and once used one as you did when a female bald eagle struck the lead vehicle in our convoy and then bounced off of our van's hood. We comforted her and took her to the refuge but she was too broken up inside to save. Beautiful bird, wing span had to be at least 6-7 feet.

 

[RAMurphy]

So my wife and i were headed home yesterday afternoon, and i could see something in the road ahead of us. She looked up at the right time and saw it too, then asked was that alive? I said yeah as i braked to do a U turn and hit the stability button because i didnt want to be "nannied" with the maneuver i was about to pull. So through the median and full throttle turn to go back and check out the scene.

View attachment 386858View attachment 386859
Sitting on the stripe between the slow and passing lanes. Broken right wing but seemed okay other than that. So i told her to get the blanket from the back of the Tahoe and lay it out on the hood. And i gently worked the injured wing as best i could to the body and grabbed him up, set him on the blanket and with light wrapping got in the passenger seat. I said head the the vets office they close in 15 minutes, and we got there and dropped it off for the local wildlife refuge to get today. It was banded on its leg so it had been captured before. May be why it was so docile when it was in the truck.

Awesome that you took the time to save this beautiful hawk.

 

[Mudsport96]

Awesome that you took the time to save this beautiful hawk.

Well we had put one of my wifes cats down that morning so it was kinda like, Nope not today not if i can help it.

Not that i wouldnt have done it anyway, but it was like extra gotta get this guy help.

 

[89Suburban]

I keep at least two in my truck all the time. Twice I've used them to comfort an injured person in a car accident before the cavalry arrived and once used one as you did when a female bald eagle struck the lead vehicle in our convoy and then bounced off of our van's hood. We comforted her and took her to the refuge but she was too broken up inside to save. Beautiful bird, wing span had to be at least 6-7 feet.

Me too! Also for breakdowns and roadside tire changes etc. Blankets and towels.

 

[Alex_M]

Blanket or towel is always handy

It's the number one thing a hitchhiker should always bring with them on a trip around the universe.

OP, great save. Love birds of prey. That's a beautiful one. It's always a shame to find them hurt like that, but always a joy to be able to interact with them so closely.

 

[Mudsport96]

It's the number one thing a hitchhiker should always bring with them on a trip around the universe.

I was going to make that reference, but wasn't sure how many people would get it

 

[Alex_M]

Wasn't sure if anyone would, so I'm glad someone did! That's my favorite book.

 

[EddieC]

We had a family of red tails with chicks in a tall pine across the street until the mother didn't come back one day. The male searched for days but apparently was not knowledgeable in feeding. A couple from the local raptor rescue group came by and got up to the nest to check on the chicks but they perished due to lack of food. The rescuers surmised that residential lawn pesticides got the mother. She normally didn't venture far from the nest. It was saddening and the male never brought a new mate to the nest on subsequent years.

 

[grouch]

Mother Nature can be a good neighbor. Fight her and you'll lose every time. Small raptors are a sign of a healthy ecosystem and they keep the population of prey animals healthy by catching the sick.

I personally always carry a new, clean blanket in my vehicles in case I come up on an accident. If someone is in shock, it will help them hold on until help arrives.

 

[yukon06]

Im very sorry about your cat, i know 3 times over how difficult it is to put your family member down.
I also build winter cat shelters and catios in the spring.

That said, good karma for you to stop and help the injured bird....you helped him when he needed it the most.....much respect my friend.