A birding enthusiast in the Pacific Northwest created a stir on Facebook after posting stunning images of a bald eagle fighting a coyote over a fawn carcass. 

"There's not enough action in most of our bird shots (Many are magnificent, of course)," Craig Dunn said in a Facebook post. "Last month, a fawn died on the road and attracted some visitors. I tend to forget just how large bald eagles get. The canines look young; the eagle had a youngling in the nest to feed."

Amazed viewers rushed to the comments to share their take on the rare photos, which Dunn said were captured with a trail cam. 

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"Wow," wrote one commenter. "Those are some cool pictures." 

"What a cool encounter!" another said. 

"I always try to remember that the wingspan of a female bald eagle is about the width of the height of a doorway!" added another. "Quite huge! They are so cool." 

In addition to illustrating the surprisingly large size and ferociousness of the bald eagle, the photos also highlighted the amazing images that can be captured with a trail camera.  

Beyond their ability to reveal rare and stunning images of animals in their natural habitats, trail cams serve important purposes when it comes to wildlife management. 

"Trail cameras can be used for more than just nature viewing or scouting and can be a powerful management tool," according to a report by AgriLife Extension Service, part of the Texas A&M system. "For instance, information can be collected on animal movement and range size, minimum population size, demographic data … identifying nest predators, or cataloging vertebrate diversity.

"Trail cameras provide information that complements other sources of data collected on the property (e.g. browse surveys, spotlight counts, harvest data) to strengthen management decisions."

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Additionally, trail cameras and so-called "camera traps" can be instrumental in helping to track rare or elusive creatures as part of conservation efforts. 

For example, in Israel, a trail cam captured images of a honey badger standing its ground in the face of a much larger jackal, demonstrating both the honey badger's well-known fearlessness and the success of conservation efforts aimed at returning them to the region. 

Similarly, trail cameras set up in the Central African Republic captured breathtaking video of a mother lioness and her cubs, documenting the success of years of conservation efforts. 

In addition to giving scientists an unprecedented view of animals in their natural habitats, trail-cam footage can also help educate the public on the importance of protecting wildlife and the delicate ecosystems they call home.

Judging from the enthusiasm of the response to Dunn's bald-eagle-versus-coyote trail-cam photos, many people still are captivated by the wonder of nature. 

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