Red-tailed scavenger

I was surprised that the mother bear didn’t pull the squirrel carcass down when she and her cub visited this site on April 3. I had tacked the forebody to the trunk of the fir nearly 8 feet above the boulder. When I checked the camera 4 days later it was well-seasoned, but not fly blown.

Five days after the bears' visit a red-tailed hawk saw the carcass, landed on the rock, flew up to the bait, and pulled it down. This scavenging comes as a surprise. At this time of year you would think there's fresh meat around that a redtail would forego over-ripe carrion.