Journey
Journey gets this look on her face when she’s killed something. It’s very matter of fact. Like she’s saying, “Oh by the way I just killed again.”
First thing this morning we were all out in the front yard. Journey was scratching around under a tree when she got fixated on something. Mom came running over to see what was happening, but it was too late.
Journey had found a nest of little rabbits and she killed two of them in a flash. She carefully laid them out on the ground so we all could see what she’d done. She let me smell them and I even picked one up in my mouth.
I tried to be as gentle as I could because I thought maybe the rabbit might still be alive. It made me sad to hold the little bunny in my mouth, so I gently put him back next to his brother.
Mom felt bad too. She picked up the bunny and massaged his chest to see if he could still be alive, but he was gone. We didn’t see Journey kill the rabbits and there wasn’t any damage to their little bodies. But Journey must have shaken them just enough to make them dead.
Mom carried the rabbits out of the yard one by one. She laid them beyond the fence in some tall grass where they could rest in peace. “Sorry, bunny,” she said over and over.
Journey knew we weren’t too happy with her, but I don’t think she understood why. Me and mom felt the little bunnies didn’t stand a chance. They have no defense against predators and they’re not the brightest creature. Sometimes we have to get out of the car to chase them off the road so they don’t get run over.
It’s different when Journey hunts moles. They’re devious and do so much damage to the fields and lawn. It’s a game of hide and seek. Journey is good at hunting the moles, but it’s always a challenge. It wasn’t a challenge with the little bunnies. They didn’t stand a chance. Journey just happened on them and the next thing you know they were dead.
That’s the way it is living in the country. The bears and bobcats eat the chickens, the cougar eats the goats, and Journey hunts for the fun of it. She rarely eats what she kills except for the occasional rabbit.
I guess we do what comes natural to us. Killing varmints and small creatures comes natural to Journey. I admire her skill but sometimes I wish she’d find another hobby.