Wild Events When Hunting

If you spend enough time outdoors you are sometimes treated to an unexpected sight or happening. I’m sure others will have a story to share.

Prelude
Rabbit hunting with my good friend, now deceased and his beagle Mitzi was a common event shared almost every Saturday when rabbit season was open. Mitzi was one tenacious beagle when she got on a scent and wouldn’t stop until the rabbit was shot or holed up.

It was an early winter day and somewhat cold. Poor Mitzi was starting to get antsy from her body language as we had been at it for a couple of hours scouring the edges of bush lots trying to find a rabbit. Finally she hit a sent that seemed to engulf her like euphoria and happily began howling as she gave chase. This bunny was a smart one that got by me and my partner the first go around with Mitzi hot on his trail. Well we learned where he would circle a second time and waited for his return.

My friend caught a glimpse of him trying to utilize cover to get by us again and let a shot go. It seemed the bush cover absorbed a lot of shot and we had a partially crippled bunny that could still slightly run awkwardly. We watched the bunny with his awkward running break away from his circular pattern and head out on a nearby fence row. We first thought that either Mitzi would tag him or we would when he tried to return to the bush lot as we began repositioning ourselves. While repositioning ourselves we witnessed a hawk come from out of nowhere and nailed our targeted bunny. Seconds later he flew off with his prize. At first we were both amazed and dumbfounded at what just happened until Mitzi’s howling brought us back to reality. When she reached the kill zone she franticly kept looking to find more bunny scent but eventually gave up.

When Mitzi returned to my buddy he did praise her for her efforts and said “Don’t worry girl as I saw what happened and hope that hawk gets a belly ache from some of those lead pellets”. As my buddy turned towards me I must have had a puzzling look that started us both laughing.

With past memories of good times they sometimes get stirred and resurface to sort of relive and produce the joy or laughter that originated from them.
If no one objects to conveying some more memories I have one yet to share of an Evel Knievel Rabbit. His daredevil act is one that never will be forgotten as he tried to jump over an oncoming car.


Ed