Wabbit Season

by Em
2 comments

When I opened the shades yesterday morning I was startled by a Volkswagen-sized rabbit poking around in my flowerbeds. I’m not kidding. That beast looked like he could’ve easily swallowed a normal-sized bunny.

He snuck a look at me through the window and then hopped around the side of the house out of view. I was about to go about my business when he suddenly tore past the window at full speed. Thundering after him was what I would can only describe as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Bunny. Stay Puft made Volkswagen look small in comparison. And it didn’t end there. The parade kept on coming. All we were missing was a marching band and a guy with a pooper-scooper bringing up the rear.

Bunny #3 was smaller than the first two, and he was being pursued by the “smallest” of them all.

IMG_8738 (Small)

I’m not sure how the “little” guy could cause such a panic, but the rabbit nesting dolls continued to chase each other around the yard like fighting squirrels. Around and around the grass, up and over the raised beds and in and out of bushes they raced. The only thing they didn’t do was climb a tree.

They were still in the backyard when I checked an hour later, but they had called off the pursuit. Instead each had claimed his own raised bed and was rummaging around for snacks—probably carb-loading for the next race.

If I see a single tulip bloom in my yard this spring, it will be a miracle.

 

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2 comments

jamesck18 April 11, 2014 - 5:35 pm

These are huge rabbits! About 45 years ago I used to snare rabbits when I lived out in a small rural community but none as big as these, I gave them to my Grandmother to make rabbit stew or soup. But when I discovered one still alive in my snare and I had no choice but kill it; I took up my snares and have not eaten rabbit or any wildlife since. Moose are quite common in Newfoundland and have caused dozens of death on our highways. Hundreds are killed each year for food. But no Moose for me! James

Em April 12, 2014 - 8:53 am

My father-in-law live-traps rabbits in his yard not too far from here, but they are finicky about the food in the traps and are hard to catch. I won’t even do live-trapping because I had a traumatic experience like you once. A squirrel that got caught in one of the traps managed to squish his head through a tiny steel mesh grate and couldn’t get it back out. I arrived home from some errands to hear blood-curdling screams coming from the backyard. It was the squirrel. I didn’t know squirrels could scream (it’s as loud if not louder than rabbit screams). I’m surprised the neighbors didn’t call the police! I had to call my husband to come home and put the poor creature out of its misery. I haven’t live-trapped since.
We’ve been to Maine twice in the last couple of years. We were both excited to see a moose (alas, the closest we got was a dead one on the side of the road) and terrified of coming upon one in the middle of the road at night. We have to watch out for deer on the highways around here, and they cause enough damage. I don’t think I’d be comfortable driving at night with moose on the loose!

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