Rare footage shows a bald eagle make the switch from fish to venison.
Julie Smith, from Bloomer, Wisconsin, enjoys being an early riser. From the deck of her family's home on Lake Noquebay, she has the perfect view of morning sunrises and whatever nature happens to cross her path.
On the morning of June 30, however, she captured something rare with her cell phone which completely caught her off guard.
Smith spotted a whitetail fawn swimming just feet from shore, along the rip rap that lines the lake bottom.
It was a moment worth recording, so out came her phone. But the scene of tranquil peace was soon interrupted when a bald eagle suddenly swooped down, pouncing on the young deer with enough force to drive it underwater.
What Smith captures next is a life-and-death struggle, although one you quickly realize the eagle has the upper hand in.
The eagle eventually dragged the lifeless fawn to shore, returning back to the carcass that evening to feed. Within four days, not much was left other than a few tufts of fur.
A bald eagle's diet consists mainly of fish, with shorebirds next in line. And, although they've been known to feed on mammals, it's certainly a rare occurrence.
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