Doolin got a rabbit

[ramonaghan]

First time in three hounds. It was in our fenced backyard despite our efforts to keep out small critters (will be getting chicken wire tomorrow for the gap under the fence).

I know it's instinct, I know he didn't do anything wrong, etc etc. But it still sucked. Poor bunny didn't die immediately.

Doo is quite proud of himself, of course, and he was a very good boy to let me pry his jaws open and remove his prize. We'll be working on "drop it" more. Sigh.

[DocsDoctor]

I'm sorry you had to deal with this - as you say it wasn't Doolin's fault, but it is tough to see and deal with, even tougher if the death has not been immediate.  RIP little bunny.

[FiveRoooooers]

It *is* a tough thing to witness but good on you for recognizing that Doolin was acting on instinct. And what a good boy for Doo cooperatively giving up his "prize" !

If it helps you feel any better, shy sweet in-your-pocket Segugio did the same, with a skunk.

 

[BatterseaBrindl]

   Doolin     

 Being rural, rabbits are a ‘dime a dozen’ here and they seem to have no problem getting under the chain link / no climb. 

We’ve had more than one hound bring their ‘prize’ to the door.  One dog - Nigel? - even managed to scoot into the mud room and onto the dog futon with a very-much-alive bunneh.   Now that was fun…..

    Jan

[ramonaghan]

I forgot to give star pupil Willa credit for her "leave it." And as tough as it was, I am so glad we were out there because who knows how much fun those two would have had with their new toy otherwise.

2 hours ago, FiveRoooooers said:

If it helps you feel any better, shy sweet in-your-pocket Segugio did the same, with a skunk.

 

[MerseyGrey]

Silly bunny. Don’t feel too bad for it; it’s gone to bunny heaven, which is the scene at the end of Watership Down. There are no Doolins or Willas in bunny heaven, just an abundance of carrots and lettuce leaves. 

[Time4ANap]

Even Rocket who would walk right by a bunny on the sidewalk got a rabbit once when it suddenly ran from him. The instinct kicked in.  If the bunny had stayed still nothing would have happened. The look on Tocket's face was more of a "Oh crap, what do I do with this thing now that I caught it" look. 

Good boy, Doolin. 

[Jerilyn]

I'm sorry you had to deal with that. It is quite shocking. Wiki, however, gives Doolin a high four.

Wiki, who has double digit mouse and vole kills, doesn't even look at the rabbits anymore. I think she's realized that they will get out the fence before she gets to them.

[ramonaghan]

53 minutes ago, Time4ANap said:

Even Rocket who would walk right by a bunny on the sidewalk got a rabbit once when it suddenly ran from him. The instinct kicked in.  If the bunny had stayed still nothing would have happened. The look on Tocket's face was more of a "Oh crap, what do I do with this thing now that I caught it" look. 

Good boy, Doolin. 

Doolin caught a squirrel in the yard when he was very new and that was his exact reaction. He dropped it and it ran up a tree.  

[EllenEveBaz]

Milo adds his high four:  "Major score, dude!  Congrats!  Make that first shake decisive and you won't have the humans (who probably eat meat themselves, amiright?) blubbering as much.  Rabbits are idjits and will keep on coming into your yard.  It is your duty to keep houndie territory free of those lop-eared vermin.  Let's see -- you've already gotten a squirrel, may I suggest your next critter be a groundhog (although those little chunkies can run surprisingly fast) or a chipmunk, if you prefer them small and agile.  While I have caught several skunks, I do not recommend them for the beginner. " 

One of Milo's songs is my lyrics to the tune of "Popeye the Sailor Man."  Feel free to adapt for Doolin.

     He's Milo, the wonder hound
     Leaps logs with a single bound
     He chases the wabbit, he catches, he gwabs it
     He's Milo, the wonder hound 

No matter how many times Milo catches something, even though I was raised in a hunting and fishing family, I still dread it.  

[Remolacha]

Much as I love bunnies I can not fault a houndie for doing what comes naturally. There is a reason another name for wild rabbits is “lunch”. So, nice job Doolin, but like Milo says, do your mom a favor and kill it before she has to.

[ramonaghan]

1 hour ago, EllenEveBaz said:

Milo adds his high four:  "Major score, dude!  Congrats!  Make that first shake decisive and you won't have the humans (who probably eat meat themselves, amiright?) blubbering as much.  Rabbits are idjits and will keep on coming into your yard.  It is your duty to keep houndie territory free of those lop-eared vermin.  Let's see -- you've already gotten a squirrel, may I suggest your next critter be a groundhog (although those little chunkies can run surprisingly fast) or a chipmunk, if you prefer them small and agile.  While I have caught several skunks, I do not recommend them for the beginner. " 

One of Milo's songs is my lyrics to the tune of "Popeye the Sailor Man."  Feel free to adapt for Doolin.

     He's Milo, the wonder hound
     Leaps logs with a single bound
     He chases the wabbit, he catches, he gwabs it
     He's Milo, the wonder hound 

No matter how many times Milo catches something, even though I was raised in a hunting and fishing family, I still dread it.  

Gotta admit, I was waiting to hear from Milo.   And the humans here don't eat much meat at all, but this might have pushed me officially over the line to vegetarianism. 

4 minutes ago, Remolacha said:

Much as I love bunnies I can not fault a houndie for doing what comes naturally. There is a reason another name for wild rabbits is “lunch”. So, nice job Doolin, but like Milo says, do your mom a favor and kill it before she has to.

The stray cats and the crows have been enjoying "lunch"...I really thought something would have dragged it away by now.  I did knot have to put it out of its misery, which I cannot even fathom. I just sat and petted it for a couple of minutes as it passed.  I really think Doo was on his way back inside to play with his new toy. OMG.

[EllenEveBaz]

FWIW -- I don't know what time of day Doolin caught his rabbit, but most of Milo's catches have been at night and the early morning.  (Rabbits evidently have to eat almost 24 hours a day to keep their digestive systems working.)  One thing I did that seemed to reduce the numbers was set up several motion detector lights in the back yard, focused on the outside door and porch, on the theory that would give critters in the yard a visual alert that trouble was coming.  Numbers did go down, but I don't know what other factors may have been.  

 

On another tack -- what do you call a bunch of rabbits hopping backwards?

 

a receding hare line

[racindog]

I have had hounds that when the rabbit escaped- the hounds furiously go digging under the fence where the rabbit got out and even injure themselves on the chain link.  If he's that kind of hound he could do a number on his feet/legs if there was that skinny chicken wire there.  Just something to consider.

[ramonaghan]

6 minutes ago, racindog said:

I have had hounds that when the rabbit escaped- the hounds furiously go digging under the fence where the rabbit got out and even injure themselves on the chain link.  If he's that kind of hound he could do a number on his feet/legs if there was that skinny chicken wire there.  Just something to consider.

Thanks, that's a good point I hadn't considered. I don't think he's that kind of hound, but I decided against the chicken wire anyway. I decided I'd rather any future rabbits have that escape route. 

35 minutes ago, EllenEveBaz said:

On another tack -- what do you call a bunch of rabbits hopping backwards?

 

a receding hare line

Very nice.  

[Remolacha]

Rabbits are most active at dawn and dusk, safest for them because it’s kind of “between” the day predators and the night predators. That being said, most rabbits aren’t very bright, the ones that live past their first year or so are very, very (wery, wery ) savvy and not likely to be caught.

[2greyhoundMINI]

Good for Doolin!

I know, I know, I always feel for the poor bunny.
I think every grey I've had has brought us bunny kills. 

It's hard to feel bad because they are so proud and I can't help but think, "You FINALLY caught the rabbit!"

[gracegirl]

Doo, I knew you had it in ya buddy! I’m either just now hearing about this for the first time, or I forgot earlier if your mom told me. Congratulations, you’re a real houndie! My most docile of hounds, Grace, was also my fiercest hunter. But also I don’t think wild rabbits have brains, so there’s that aspect too. Be proud Doolin, ya finally got Sparky bud! 

[MP_the4pack]

I had a bunny living under my shed. Several times it just barely got away from my two. So I caught it in a have a heart trap and released it away from my property.  3 times it still came back. The 4th time I saw bunny fur on the path between my place and the last dropoff point.