A Walk-About For Rabbits Is Fun

The day was brilliant with strong sunlight reflecting off the snow, and when I went out to get the paper early this morning, cottontail rabbit tracks were everywhere in front of and behind the house.

The rabbits had been active last night. I donned some boots, and forgot about my shotgun and blaze orange, and just went for a short walk. The walk to see how many animals were living near the house. One rabbit can make a lot of tracks at night, and I knew we have at least two bunnies nearby. I've seen them outside after dark as they scamper here and there looking for food.

It appears there were four cottontails. Two were the adults I've seen on many occasions, and the other two were smaller rabbit tracks. Perhaps two from the most recent litter.

There are times each winter when snowshoes are needed to get around.

They weaved in and out of brush piles, wandered through piles of downed tree-tops, and there were a number  of tracks out where we used to feed the deer. They've nibbled a bit on the old dead clover, and there were a pair of deer tracks as well. One was an adult deer, and most likely an adult doe, and the other was a fawn.

We often see cottontail rabbits where sunflower seeds are knocked out of the feeder. The bunnies don't seem to mind sniffing through the seeds for some that are still intact.

My short little walk wasn't much over 150 yards, and in one spot was the unmistakable sign of the demise of one of the young rabbits. The animal had made a serious mistake in getting out in the open and away from brush and trees, and the whole picture was printed on the white snow.

An owl had swooped down from the sky sometime during the night, gliding in on hushed wings, and a few spots of blood on the snow showed where the bird had snared the cottontail. There were signs of wing-tip  feathers dusting the snow as the bird grabbed the young cottontail rabbit and flew away with dinner.

Avian predators are a major concern of wildlife in these parts. We often see hawks  take songbirds and ruffed grouse during the day, and if they hit a grouse, nothing is left behind but a pile of russet feathers.

Avian predation on rabbits is high during night-time when owls are active.

We've had cottontails around our house as long as we've lived here. They stay in the shrubs, venture out after dark to feed, and we see definite sign of their presence as they chew on ornamental bushes and shrubs.

Cats are another silent predator, and they prey heavily on songbirds and grouse when the snow is deep. There's no telling where the cats come from, but if we see a strange car or truck in the area, we often find cat tracks later. People who no longer want the cats turn them loose in someone else's neighborhood, and then we have to deal with them. Today, there was one lone dog track behind the house, and a single dog often meets a sad fate when it encounters one or two coyotes.

These large animals will kill every dog or cat they catch. Cats often escape by climbing a tree, but coyotes are brazen. They've been known to pluck a small dog off the back porch.

Rather than take unwanted cats to the Humane Society and let them deal with the critters, people dump them elsewhere. They feel sorry for the cat, and often these animals die of starvation or provide a nourishing lunch for a coyote.

A cat is a killing machine, and often kills for the sake of doing so. People should keep pet cats and dogs in the house at night or in a kennel. Lacking the guts to accept this responsibility, taking them to the pound is the best choice.

Unwanted cats are destructive during winter months. I frighten them away, but many people either set live traps or kill the cats on sight. Cats are pets, and they belong indoors or under human control.

A major predator of rabbits  are house cats, which should be kept indoors at nigh.

Those left to roam at night often disappear. Although I don't necessarily agree with the Three S's doctrine (shoot, shovel and shut up), I can understand why some landowners treat every roaming cat with suspicion.

Those that appear to be hunting game or song birds are summarily dispatched. This can be cause for a citation, a fine and perhaps a jail sentence, but no one that I know wants free-roaming cats in their neighborhood.

Free-roaming dogs often attack deer in deep snow, and many think that turning Fido out for the night is the right thing to do. Two, three or four dogs can form a pack, and they can and will drag down and kill deer.

The place for pet cats and dogs is inside at this time of year or under human control when outside. It's up to pet owners to control their animals.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors