To Kill a Rabbit
Posted: Friday, January 01, 2010
by Andy Thomas
BigAngryDog.BlogSpot.com
I had the opportunity this year to spend Christmas with some good friends of mine in the Texas Hill Country. Driving in this part of the world is an absolute joy - long winding roads and few cars. I only wish I had a motorbike rather than a car.
When driving at night, you really do need to be aware of animals - they have a tendency to jump out in front of you. I slowed down every time I saw deer at the side of the road, but then as the minutes pass, there is a tendency to speed up as your mind turns to other things.
I quickly decided that my only course of action was to carry on straight and hope that my breaks would be enough.
They weren't.
There was a sickening double thump as I passed over the furry little blighter. Surely it couldn't still be alive? I decided to go back and check; I pulled over about hundred yards down the road.
There it sat in the middle of the road. As I approached, it tried to run, but its back legs were totally useless. I suspected that I'd probably broke its back. It managed to drag itself on its front legs for a few yards and then gave up. It just sat there, looking at me.
I knew I couldn't just leave it. Either the next car to come along would hit it, or more likely, a coyote would get it which wouldn't be pretty.
I was going to have to dispatch it.
But how exactly?
As I kid, I remembered finding a bird that had been hit by a car. Both wings were mangled and it was missing its beak. I had killed it by twisting its head. It had been quick.
But a rabbit is much bigger.
I contemplated twisting the rabbit's head only to have the thing not die, but have it twisting and screaming in my hands instead.
So I started to look around for a rock - I was going to bash it.
Again I had a vision of me whacking it over the head, only to bash its eyes out. And again it just wouldn't die, but lay twisting and screaming in the road no matter how many times I hit it.
This wasn't going to be easy.
As I struggled with my dilemma, a truck pulled over beside me. The driver looked suitably local to be experienced in this kind of thing and, fortunately for me (and the rabbit) he was willing to help.
It screamed, as I had imagined, as he grabbed hold of it but mercifully it was all over in an instant. He simply took hold of its hind legs and then kind of "flicked it" over his shoulder. And that was that. In fact, I wasn't entirely sure what he'd done.
While I sure am grateful to him for sparing me task, I remained curious to exactly how I could do it in the future.
So here's a YouTube video of how it's done. (Warning - while I don't find the video particularly disturbing, don't click on the link if you're particularly sensitive to this kind of thing.)
I couldn't find an example of the technique used, but I guess the one above is just as effective. Not that I intend to kill any furry little rabbits in the future, mind you, but I now know how just in case.
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)As a life long hunter I've had many troubling experiences with the death of animals. Many times it was rabbits that died in ways I would have not prefered. There must be some metaphor here. "Going back to review the runin left in the wake of our lives", perhaps. Had you gone on, youre experience would have been much different.
sickening and heartbreaking.I thought you were going to splint the legs and nurture it back to health but instead you showed it Texas mercy, known worldwide by it's executions of criminals that rivals and surpasses the totals of any ten states' executions combined.This article nauseated me.
Hi Andy.I felt so badly for that rabbit as I read it. I couldn't help but imagine myself in its place, or in yours. The whole thing would have undone me had I hit it with my car.You wrote of it very matter of factly, and yet I think it bothered you. I hope that you have made peace with what happened.DianneHi Dianne!I am kind of matter-of-fact about that kind of thing, dry even. But it did bother me, obviously, otherwise I wouldn't have hesitated and the kindly driver who stopped wouldn't have needed to. But I don't doubt for a minute that it was the right thing to do.
Thanks for the message (and your perception).Andy
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