I'm Hunting Wabbits

Just about every night, when I go over to the newspaper to pick up what I need for the next day's radio program, there is a bunny rabbit on the edge of our property next to the parking lot. It just sits there as if it's waiting for me to show up. When I do, it watches as I come down the sidewalk and turn around it; it hops along with me.

The rabbit keeps its distance, but that’s not much. Probably measured in a few yards, maybe three. There is no fear. Does it recognize me? That would be nice, not that we would exchange Christmas cards or sit down for tea. It’s just knowing one of another species is comfortable around me.

We have finches who work the lawn around our house, apparently feeding on seeds and insects. They, too, seem at ease around me. In one place, I am within just a couple yards of them with no problem. Someone said it’s because I walk slowly when I see the birds and don’t scare them. But I have another agenda.

I keep a salt shaker with me. If you put salt on a bird’s tail, you can capture it and that’s no fairy tale; try it for yourself and see how easy it is. After all, if you can get close enough to put salt on its tail, you are also close enough to catch it. One of these days, I will have to sneak up on a finch or two and try it out.

I keep an elephant lure around, just in case, but no luck so far. We do have a hawk that has kept our rabbit population down to just my friend.