I know they're here. Every time I go out in the morning after a fresh snow I find their trails all over the property. Rabbits.
Dioji (my lab) and I have decided to hunt them for the pot. I consider myself an expert rabbit hunter after spending an hour researching the subject on the internet. What else could I need to know?
Bolt action .22, water bottle, tall boots and an interested dog - we're well equipped and the hunt is on. We spend 2 hours wandering around, kicking deadfall and looking under trees. We follow fresh (ish) tracks and smell rabbit droppings. So far we've had no luck.
Not only have I not shot a rabbit yet, I haven't actually seen one since moving to the country. They're here, but they're wily. When I lived in Calgary we had a flock of about 50 living in the field behind my house. I describe it as a flock because on a warm spring evening when the snow had melted but the bunnies had yet to lose their white winter coats you could see them from the deck in the gathering twilight, moving around the field, synchronized like a flock of birds, avoiding the urban dog walkers and bike riders. In Calgary you had to be careful not to step on a rabbit when you left the house. I could have filled the pot each night with nothing more than a trout net.
I refuse to give up on bugs, but obviously my strategy will have to change. I'm thinking of making Dioji stay at the house while I hike out over the hills and loop around to the south. Then I'll call her and watch for rabbits to flush as she crashes through the bushes looking for me. Keep your head down good-girl.
So far we've been going out in the late afternoon. Perhaps next week I'll try an early morning hunt, to surprise Mr. Bunny while he's still groggy before his morning coffee. I'll keep you updated and look forward to posting a picture of my first hopper. In the meantime I'm open to advice or ideas.
Dioji (my lab) and I have decided to hunt them for the pot. I consider myself an expert rabbit hunter after spending an hour researching the subject on the internet. What else could I need to know?
Bolt action .22, water bottle, tall boots and an interested dog - we're well equipped and the hunt is on. We spend 2 hours wandering around, kicking deadfall and looking under trees. We follow fresh (ish) tracks and smell rabbit droppings. So far we've had no luck.
Not only have I not shot a rabbit yet, I haven't actually seen one since moving to the country. They're here, but they're wily. When I lived in Calgary we had a flock of about 50 living in the field behind my house. I describe it as a flock because on a warm spring evening when the snow had melted but the bunnies had yet to lose their white winter coats you could see them from the deck in the gathering twilight, moving around the field, synchronized like a flock of birds, avoiding the urban dog walkers and bike riders. In Calgary you had to be careful not to step on a rabbit when you left the house. I could have filled the pot each night with nothing more than a trout net.
I refuse to give up on bugs, but obviously my strategy will have to change. I'm thinking of making Dioji stay at the house while I hike out over the hills and loop around to the south. Then I'll call her and watch for rabbits to flush as she crashes through the bushes looking for me. Keep your head down good-girl.
So far we've been going out in the late afternoon. Perhaps next week I'll try an early morning hunt, to surprise Mr. Bunny while he's still groggy before his morning coffee. I'll keep you updated and look forward to posting a picture of my first hopper. In the meantime I'm open to advice or ideas.
