Saturday, June 4, 2011

How to catch rabbits by the gunny sack full

Russell Whiles wrote this one.


Gary, your story about your First Bow and Arrow stirred a rabbit-hunting memory..a rather unique one!

Me and Boog (G.D. Williams), we did a lot of things together. Where and how Boog ever got the idea to do this, maybe he will share on here. Plus, I will probably make some mistakes in telling the story, and Boog should help us out later, with straight facts.

A field where a crop is growing takes a lot of work to get it all pretty and ready for a crop. Prior to the dirt being all crumbly and smooth and ready to drill, or plant, it was probably plowed. If the dirt was very firm,  plowing would turn the field into row upon row of large dirt clods. Somehow, Boog knew that boys at our age could "outrun" (that might be less than accurate..) rabbits in a freshly plowed field. That would have never dawned on me!

So, here we go...Take a gunny sack...you described "gunny sacks" in an earlier story, Gary! Take a gunny sack into the plowed field and scare up a rabbit. Chase it, as best you can, and most likely, you will find that the chase goes fairly well, in your favor! Surprised?...I was!

Actually, "outrunning" the rabbit is more of an illusion, created when the rabbit finds so many big clods to hide under, he just gives up and hides! It takes only amateur stealth to sneak up on the Clod of Refuge, and a lightning-fast grab yields a caught bunny! Next, put the bunny in the gunny! Done deal! 

Why did we do that?

Well, Boog wanted his little dog to be a rabbit dog. As I recall, the pup was a weenie dog...Dash Hound...Dachshund! Once back at home with a bag-o'-bunnies, we released them one at a time, to properly train that little dog! The picture in my mind is one of a grateful rabbit, enjoying its freedom, while the pup focused its curiosity on the mysterious gunny sack, oblivious to the chase.

I have no idea whether modern rabbits behave the same way, today, in a plowed field. In fact, we see fewer plowed fields, with newer no-till practices in farming. I am more interested to see Gary's "What Did we Learn" points, at the end of this story!

Thanks for the story and Boog says it was Mel McKee who had a beagle that needed training.
So what did we learn in the Osage?
  • What is in the sack that you cannot see is more exciting than what you can see
  • Beagles are just like people
  • We always want what we cannot have? 
Thanks for your time,

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