Rabbits in the snow

[10 Ga.]

Hi everyone,

After work today I decided to walk about the homestead looking for rabbits. So far I have been unable to connect with anything while using my original 10Ga double barrel shotgun. I set out into the bitter cold (-1F) for a 30 min walk. This time I was actually able to scare up a rabbit and take a shot. I quickly reloaded with paper cartridges and moved forward into the brush line the the rabbit ran into. I could see the rabbit tracks in the snow and an elongated circular pattern of shot, but I was unable to find any blood. I followed the tracks farther (5 Yards) as night fell. I could then see five almost microscopic drops of blood in the snow. This is where the story goes bad. I followed the tracks hoping to finally make some meat with this old smoothie when the tracks just ended (15yards from shot) They ran in a straight line pointing one direction then just stop. I have hunted rabbits a fair amount with modern equipment but have never had this happen. Any ideas where he could have went? Was he abducted by aliens? This is a little disheartening because there is nothing I hate more than loosing game.

-10Ga

 

[R Ellis]

Maybe buried up in the snow or made a long jump and you missed where it jumped

 

[2 shots]

hawk or eagle??

 

[Britsmoothy]

2f or 1f powder maybe?

 

[longcruise]

I had this happen with a snowshoe that broke a wire snare and kept going. There were barely discernable imprints of wing tips in the snow where the tracks ended.

 

[10 Ga.]

There is a resident great horned owl so that is a possibility. I checked for wing prints but didn’t find any. I guess I will just have to keep trying.

10Ga

 

[Sam squanch]

Owl got it.