Bunny and the yote story...

[hogdogs]

First I wasn't hunting at the moment to kill but I guess I am always hunting...
The ol' story goes that given a fighting fair chase the bunny wins as he is running for his life while the coyote is just runnin' for supper....
One night in near winter up here in the Fla panhandle I had made a store run. On the way home I took a curve and as my headlights followed the arc they lit up a rabbit sitting on the edge. I thought... stay there little feller and all will be fine. As I was about to lose sight off the front end something caught my eye... Not 16 inches behind and above the rabbit was a coyote head. I do not know if he got the bunny or if I helped or hindered his/her plans to catch it but for some reason from inside the warm truck cab I really felt very near to nature. I also chalked that experience up to the "firsts" I love to take in...
Brent

[Daryl]

Brent,

Many years ago, I was hunting and as I got out of the truck, a coyote was yipping and raising a fuss up on a nearby hill.

My buddy and I decided to try a stalk on it. We sneaked up the hill, and suddenly the coyote cut across a small opening about 80 yards away. I was ready, so I raised my 22-250 and took a running shot at him...and heard the bullet smack flesh. As we walked up to where the coyote was, a jackrabbit cut out from some brush and started up a brushy hillside.

So, I raised the 22-250 again, led him just a bit, and shot the jackrabbit too.

That was the third coyote that I'd shot that morning, so I was feeling pretty good.



Daryl

[jdscholer]

Several years ago, my coyote pard and I were driving down a desert dirt track, looking for a good spot to walk to a stand. Suddenly a cottontail zipped across the road, then a jack rabbit. THEN, a coyote chasing them both. We hopped out, grabbing guns, spilling coffee, and generally stepping on our ---lips. The critters all disappeared into the sagebrush, and we had a good laugh. Don't know who won the race. jd

[onthejon55]

this summer i was headed home around 12 at night on a back road that has a few houses on it but mainly nothing but trees. just as i was slowing down to turn a corner i saw something running towards the road. at this time i was almost stopped when a mouse comes running out onto the road being chased by a fox. the mouse weaved but the fox caught him just before he got to the other side. the fox looked up as if he just realized i was there and trotted back into the woods. that was the only time i have ever seen a fox in real life and im very thankful for it

[SKULLANDCROSSBONES65]

G'day. Years ago, while heading for the school buss one morning. I watched a fox fight over a rabbit, with a wedge tail eagle. Each time the fox tried to run off with the rabbit the eagle would swoop down on it. The fox would let go of the rabbit and the eagle would pick it up. As the eagle took off the fox would jump up and grab the rabbit, forcing the eagle to let go. The moral to this true yarn is, I should have skipped school that day.

[Daryl]

that was the only time i have ever seen a fox in real life and im very thankful for it

Meh...I've killed several of them, but got a real good look at a live one about a year ago. I called it in with a mouth blown call, and it got between my hunting partner (my cousin) and I, so I couldn't shoot.

It was convinced I was a rabbit though, and it came straight at me. No problem even then, until it got about 18 inches from me and jumped at my face! I ducked, rolled away from it, and it went over the top of me, scratching my cheek and lip as it flew over me. Finally able to shoot, but a little rattles as well, I missed the little bugger.

And had to go in for rabies treatment, just to add insult to injury.

That's ok; I have a re-match planned in the near future.

You just never know what's going to happen when you're calling critters. You're the hunter, but also the hunted.

Daryl

[Art Eatman]

I was standing by my truck, adding gas from a can when I heard some noise. I looked toward the sound, and here came a cottontail with a coyote close behind. Both of them in 5th gear overdrive and wide open throttle. They never really saw me, even though they whizzed past maybe three feet away. Under the fence, into the brush, and gone, gone, gone. I'd bet on the rabbit...

Why is a rabbit hard to catch? He doesn't know where he's going next, either.

[butterboy]

I live on a small island in the puget sound in washington state.
On my way to work I saw a rabbit on the side of the road and thought dont do it, I didnt want to run him over.
Well little did I know he was being watched, all of a sudden a huge bald eagle swooped down an picked the little guy up, he was squirming all over but had no chance.
I had been off Island for about a year and it was cool to be back and see all the great wild life we have up here..

[hogdogs]

Butter, I watched an Osprey snatch up a very unhappy bream out of the lake.... Thing was making it real hard for him to fly so with his "off" talon, in flight he grabbed the rear half of the fish and stretched him out to make him aerodynamic... I just thought to myself... "Funny how many humans need an aeronautical degree to figure that out..."
Brent

[10-96]

Last summer while on duty, I watched a fox put the 'sneak up' on a skunk. From about 50yds out- it was clear the fox didn't know what was on the other end of his stalk. He crept up to about 30yds and lit the afterburners, and at about 5yds- he figgered out what his intended dinner was and hit the airbrakes. Poor critter couldn't get himself turned around and in gear fast enough. He didn't get sprayed thank goodness, but that was a great show.