We watched a huge red tail hawk in a tree acorss the road this afternoon. I was watching with my binoculars, he was really big. I was waiting for him to spot a chipmonk or something and he was looking but a bunch of crows spotted him first. He made a stand, spread his wings and dared them, then finally flew off. He was really something.
My wife saw one at her office a few months ago take off with a squirrel but he dropped it.
We used to live really close to a large lake and one day there was a bald eagle in the top of a tree in the back yard. I cannot tell you how big he was. I didn't realize it until he took to the wing. He must have had an 8 ft wing span, it was awesome. I went to check that the cats were still around...
We have had coyotes in the north metro Atlanta area take dogs off the leash while people walked them, cats from the backyard. Coyotes can be more dangerous than you might think.
http://www.varmintal.com/attac.htm I'd put out a trap or put a .22 mag in it if I were you.
J