Bunny
An hour passes when finally, a bunny hops along. Vicki and I hold our breaths in wait to see if it will take the bait. The rabbit halts and sniffs, only a few feet from the vegetation. The small, forest dwelling creature inches its way closer, and closer. I tense up and clench my teeth in anticipation. The creature inches it’s way with tiny bounds, toward the bait. With one more movement, it is within the snare. Vicki pulls on the paracord and in an instant, the bunny is flicked up from the ground and its foot is entrapped. As it dangles, it flails wildly, kicking and bouncing in the air.
With a sigh of relief, I turn and nod to my hunting partner. “Nice catch.”
“Why, thank you.” She responds with a smile.
After we have killed off the animal, we take it back to our camp where I field dress and skin it. Now stripped down to bare muscle, I skewer the bunny and prop it over the fire using a make shift spit. Rotating slowly, it takes a fair amount of time to get the rabbit to a state, safe for consumption.
“Have you gone hunting before?” I ask Vicki, who is sat on the ground beside the still going fire.
“Actually, yes. I have. When I was younger, my father would take me on survival trips. He taught me how to hunt, fish, build shelter, and navigate. What about you?”
“Honestly, no. I know a bit about this survival stuff, but overall, I’m clueless.”
Vicki gives a giggle, finding my naïve nature somehow adorable.
“Aren’t you going to catch some food for yourself?”
Vicki groans and places a hand on her stomach.
“I still don’t feel right after that buck. I’ll be fine and should have my appetite back by morning.”
Written by Nero Hopps on 25 June 2018