Some hunter I

I went to the range today and in the wind a target got away from me at the truck. I went after it and as I stepped into the long grass a young rabbit took a small step. As soon as he did ZAP a bull snake struck the rabbit & started to constrict.

It ruined my whole day to walk away from that rabbit fighting for its life & let Mr. Bull Snake have his meal Part of me is still sick at hart that I left that squealing rabbit to it's demise.
Some hunter I :idunno:

Being a hunter doesn't mean you have to kill everything you come across, and rabbits aren't food for us exclusively. You made the right decision, in my view.

Spence

Nature is cruel; but we don't have to be. Though it may be second nature for most of us to want to rescue one wild creature from another, we are far, far from possessing the kind of wisdom needed to make such a decision. Yes, you did the right (wise) thing.

We see that all the time all though not snakes. Nature is red in toth and claw.

B.

I've had kestrels and Cooper's hawks try to snatch wounded doves before my dog got to them. It burns me up. Had a bald eagle steal a duck I killed too.

I got a kestrel to drop a dove once by chasing it. The dove was too heavy for the kestrel to get far off the ground with it, when I swung my shotgun barrel at it, it dropped the dove.

I pried a quail out of an indigo snake's mouth once when he stole it from me. The snake wasn't hurt.

I agree with everyone that you did the right thing. Nature can be an ugly thing at times.

Three Coyotes were attacking a small yearling Deer
last year in southern Ohio. I was in my tree stand with me shotgun.I managed to kill one yote' the others escaped with their lives..lucky for them cause I would have killed em all if io could have. As far as I know the yearling made it.

I think I'd feel the same way you did, Sean. It's true that it's Nature's way, of course. But when you see an animal struggling and suffering, it pulls at your heart. I tend to imagine my own dogs when I see an animal suffering, so I get pretty upset. I don't think it should ever feel "good" when we see an animal die, even if that was exactly the goal and aim as a hunter. It's difficult. Also not easy is admitting your softness for cute animals, I'm sure. Thanks for injecting a little humanity among we macho mountain men! Cheers!

You did the right thing. Mr. Snake needs a meal also. Mr. Rabbit has served his time in the mortal coil, probably has a few dozen offspring in the local area.

You did the right thing. "Nature" in it's truest form was happening. The snake and rabbit were doing exactly as they were meant to do. The rabbit may have been squealing, but you couldn't hear the speechless snake's thankfullness for the full belly he was going to have for the next week!

The area I've been hunting the last couple of years has a pretty good coyote population and I cannot count the number of times that I have heard rabbits getting killed, their screams piercing the darkening evening air. Those coyotes were doing nothing more than what I was trying to do. They were just better at it, that particular day...and their lives depend on it, not mine.

I would look at what you saw as quite a gift to actually witness the balance of nature in progress. Cool. Too bad some of those Boulder Animal Rightests weren't standing right beside you...not that they would understand it even if they saw it.

Yep...every living thing needs to eat.

You did the right thing, who knows how long it had been for Mr. Bull Snake to have a meal. They don't really do the see an stalk thing, more like catch as catch can.

As much as I like fried squirrel, just had to leave this one to Mr Bull snake.

You did the right thing Sean, as hard as it was. Sometimes that something is hard to do is an indication that it is the right thing to do.
Maybe it's funny or odd, but, while I would have let the snake have its meal, I too would have tried to kill those coyotes and save the yearling deer from them.

Dumbass! You never tried snake and rabbit pie? Mmmmmmm... Just kidding. Just be grateful it wasn't you vs a croc! There has been a few instances here lately of people waking up to their Chihuahua pets chain hanging out the mouths of pythons! I think reptiles only see things in terms of protein/non protein. No negotiations entered into.

It's natures way. If rabbits didn't have predators, they would soon over populate. They breed like rabbits, don't cha know!

The only problem you face, as I see it, is dealing with the fact that YOU were the one who originally spooked the rabbit so the snake could get it. In other words, you unwittingly "drove" the rabbit to the snake.
Too late to worry about it now.

Sean, First, I think you did the proper, or right thing. The snake was most likely stalking the bunny, and the outcome would have been the same had you not startled it. Once, while I still lived in Florida, I turned the tables, I was hunting shore birds, (rails), when an Osprey flew over, struggling with a 5 pound bass. He dropped the bass, and I picked it up and put it in my game bag. The bird was not pleased, but I sure was. Keep yer powder dry......Robin :rotf:

Without snakes we would be overrun by mice and rats. I understand it can be hard to watch. At the same time its a great experience to be able to see that take place. Of the two mountain lions I've seen, the second one ran down and killed a young mule deer while I watched. After it took it down, the mother and her second fawn watched from a distance. The mother kept "calling" for the other fawn. I felt bad for them but that was an amazing thing to see happen.

One thing that drives me crazy is "nature" documentaries that always show the prey escaping from the predator. I'm sure most people viewing these shows root for the prey to escape. I once knew a woman who cried when she was told the great horned owl that just caught a rabbit was not "giving it a ride", which she believed was happening.

Too many people these days are shielded from how cruel nature can be. Many of these same people oppose us hunting because they believe its cruel. Predators (us included) have a valuable role helping to maintain a balance nature.

I like snakes and will not harm them at all. I always had a pet grey rat, or black snake when I was growing up. The best one I had was a 8' Burmese Python that I grew to over 12' long, Last I heard he was at the Gulf Coast state zoo (Gulf Shores zoo?) Use to feed him a rabbit once every 2 weeks. Made friends with the neighbors when he got loose one time :grin: . I did recapture him though so its not my fault Fla. has a problem with them :blah: .