Hunting Season

It's the Fall, and that is a popular time for hunting, big hairy guys who don't shave for days get dressed up in bright colors that don't match the woodlands, so they don't accidentally shoot each other, yet they feel they won't be seen by the animals (because fluorescent orange is a natural color in the woods). I guess maybe animals are color blind?

Some creatures are made to hunt, where others (like humans) need assault rifles with telescope sights. Other creatures are made to hunt.

Our dog is a Basset Hound. Hound dogs are bred to hunt, and Bassets are specialists in small mammals. We've had Lucy for two years now, and she has been aggravated by squirrels in the trees, she has cornered a opossum in the back yard, and she has located a chipmunk in the drainpipe and chased it across the yard to where it escaped her by jumping into a drainage pipe in the retaining wall.

Yesterday Amy watched Lucy playing with Pixel, my brother's kitten (who is getting big as he's now about 8 months old). They were running around the back yard chasing and jumping, and Amy thought she saw them playing with something, as Pixel appeared to have a squirrel in his mouth. She never saw it close enough to be sure, so she simply hoped that neither animal tried to bring it in through the doggie door.

Last night we went to play trivia and when we got home we let Lucy out. As I was heading to bed (I was REALLY tired) Amy called me back downstairs in a bit of a panic. I came down and out on the patio was the dead animal, it turned out it was indeed a chipmunk. We were still downstairs so I ventured out to deal with the body (note credit for the kill likely goes to Pixel as it was a pretty-good tear to the throat). I disposed of the animal and went to bed.

I awoke this morning to the phone ringing - good news as Amy's parents are coming for Thanksgiving (we knew her sister would be with us). I came downstairs while Amy was still on the phone and found Pixel at the entrance to the living room, standing over a dead bird. I asked Amy for the dustpan (she was still on the phone) and I took care of that carcass (a tear down the torso, do birds have torsos?). When Amy finished her call, she told me that Peter mentioned he thought he saw something as he was leaving this morning.

Oh, and I nearly forgot. Last night after taking care of the chipmunk, we noticed Pixel playing with or looking for something up in the raised garden. The way our backyard is set up there is a small two-tiered garden/flowerbed up in the corner. We got the flashlight and took a look, the levels of the garden are enclosed with large stones. On the inside of one (where it holds the dirt up there) I notice a round tunnel-like opening and Pixel is trying to stick his paw down in it. We presume this is a chipmunk burrow (if that's what you call it). So we picked up Pixel and carried him inside and hopefully are leaving the animals to live another day.

The Burrow.

The Escape.

The Hunter.