Mighty hunter has struck again. Warning dead baby bunny picture at bottem.

Today was a nice warm day I put pork ribs into the crock pot to cook for dinner and went out to do some yard work had dogs out as usual Saya donned her bright bandana, and jingle bells so she sounds like Christmas when she walks and runs.

I had Saya off leash while Bella had a 30foot leash which she dragged around as she wandered and played with toys.

I got to work watered the flowers, the grass seedlings that are getting bigger I had plant new grass seeds in front yard closest to house because Dink killed it because she peed as soon as she hit the grass..I didn't want to give her grass saver stuff because who knows how it would do with her pain and arthritic meds.. and grass can be grown back..

I spread the seeds, put a mix of soil and ground coffee and watered it. It's now green and healthy so I water when it hasn't rained in long time so it won't die.

This is burn pile recently I burned dried grass and some fallen dried tree branches.

I think it adds some type nutrient to the soil so grass grows good plus mixed with coffee grounds and used tea makes it even better for the grass!

Side of the yard is where I also put grass seeds and it looks great before it was very patchy almost no grass just dirt degrading down on the hill. I put coffee grounds, mixed with sand, burned soil, and top soil spread seeds and added more soil as grass grew the hill is much better not degrading and nice and green!

On to the rabbit talk. Hunter Sai is nuts over squirrel, hawks, crows, vultures, and coarse rabbits.

She does good off leash and is doing better with coming when called even after pursuit of a cottontail rabbit.

Today she heard something in woods either rabbit or squirrel and she started to go for it. I told her to stop and come now! She stopped for a bit and then came to me the brush was thick so took her time to come back.

She got her favorite three dog bakery treat and Merrick tripe and liver patties for good recall I always give her a jackpot reward either a super yummy treat or a lot of her favorite treats.

An adult rabbit in the distance!

 Here rabbits are all over even with coyotes getting them they're plenty more and coarse babies are abound from various ages some independent and able to forage for food on their own and some still in the nest.

Well Saya has been chasing young rabbits from looks of them they're at least they're either two and half or 4 weeks old they're very fast and bigger then younger bunnies I seen on pictures.

The woods!

Saya has caught and quickly killed a 3 or 4 week rabbit with a quick shake before it was sometime last year. I'm not sure when, but I'm guessing around this time since this when young bunnies are about.

Do I enjoy her killing the bunny not really. I didn't tell her to stop I thought she was going to see our cat which hangs around which she is friendly with. I watched her and I knew once she got it she wasn't meeting our kitty. So I ran as fast as I could from the shed to the tree area which is pretty far from shed.

I yelled to drop it while half way there and she did she waited for me I saw it was a bunny and was already dead. I believe it died quickly from her shake she did on it.

When you see a dog shake it's plush toy that's what it is an instinct on killing it's prey. Fast as they do it I'm sure it snaps the rodent's, rabbits, or any small critter's spine..

Does Saya eating raw have anything to do with killing things? I don't think so I believe if she was still on kibble she'd done it and killed the little bunny.

I don't think her diet has anything to do with it because with the bunny dead she didn't eat it at all.

I believe it was her prey drive that drove her to get it she saw this young bunny all the way at the shed which is quite far and she got it at high speed.

I've fed her whole prey quail from hare today, but that has feathers and she never chases small birds except for crows, hawks and vultures. She watches vultures and crows and has chased a hawk to the woods.

Came back to me like she did good chasing it off.

At 8 or 9 weeks she went after two rabbits that were bigger then her or same size maybe either way. Luckily they were quick and she stopped at the woods and came back to me.

Shiba inu are very prey driven dogs, squirrel, rabbit or leaf blowing in the wind triggers it and she will want to chase it.

I'm lucky she will come back with me calling her I don't know maybe it's good genetics, just her personality, my ability to practice it each day and having such big yard or what.

I don't recommend off leash for too many shiba inu it's dangerous and coarse not many owners live where it is possible. A neighborhood or park is not place for it cars are too dangerous and not many dogs have car senses and know to not be in road especially when cars are nearby..

Dog sees cat, squirrel or even a plastic bag floating with the wind across the street temptation is too great off leash shiba runs across the road and gets hit.

If I move into the city I won't do off leash with Saya if I do it'd be at this current area.

Pika boo!

Anyways onto Saya's hunt today. Picture above is garden at side of the house mostly grasses and clover grows there and Saya seen some young bunnies there and chased them they gotten away and I got her to come right away.

With her jingle bells it helps me hear if she is in search of something or running I haven't tested it yet how far I can hear the bells maybe next weekend I'll put them on her collar and have mom walk her in second field to see if I hear it jingle if not I'll get closer till I hear it to get accurate knowledge of the bells sound.

If I can't hear it too fair I need replace them with louder one..


(>'.')><('0')>!!**Warning after this picture below there's pics of Saya's dead baby rabbit last year and today.**!!(v'.'v)(^'.'^)

Today I was watering things and noticed her in the side garden sniffing and walking around I went to check and found out she found rabbit nest it was well hidden she must found it by smell. rabbit nests are usually lined with rabbit fur and dead grasses.

The nest was deep and some thick grasses. one young bunny must got too scared with her presence because it ran out. Saya saw it so she pursued and caught it. She chomped hard and killed it instantly.

I told her to leave it so she backed off I gave her treat for leaving the bunny coarse too late on delivery. I didn't notice what's up till she already got it. Luckily no other rabbits came out so I called her come and she followed me.

I had checked and the nest was un harmed by Saya and there were baby bunnies still nestled there so I left them. Article says mom rabbits don't refuse to take care of babies if the babies or area smells of humans or dog because they're used to them being around the area or something like that which is good.

Last year's baby bunny after it froze for month it's wet from when I washed it off.

A lot of times people think a nest of bunnies is abandoned because there's usually no mom there to chase you off or defend them. Mom usually comes back periodically and feed the babies they do it mostly at night and early morning not during day.

Guess makes sense since mom doesn't want babies to be discovered. or whatever. Only way mom won't take care of bunny if the nest has been completely destroyed and luckily it was too thick for Saya to get to.

Bunny produce a lot of young so luckily she only got one and I'm sure the others will survive or maybe depends how they fair with cats, coyotes and predators like raccoons or badger..

What do I do when this happens? I picked it up and washed it with water and then put it in ziplock bag and put it into Saya's side of the deep freezer and took note of today's date of 5/20/2012.

I plan to feed to Saya one month from now. Would make a small meal or snack..

I feel it's best thing to do Saya gets a free meal and different protein and it doesn't go to waste.

Though if I wanted to I could toss into trash then it would just decay and that would be sad. I could also toss it into the field and bugs, raccoon, fox or coyote would have eaten it.

I chose to wash up and freeze for four weeks then feed to Saya. Some say to freeze bit less, but I freeze fish I caught in the pond and did the first rabbit for four weeks to be on safe side to kill of any parasites.

Sorry to show such yucky pictures I don't post this to gross people out. I do it to document things Saya does, her diet and so on.

Sadly she likes to be a hunter. Which I guess is good one less rabbit that will eat my veggies.

Plus I just don't get why the mom rabbit thought having babies close to humans was good idea. The dogs are outside quite a bit and I'm out there too Saya even when baby bunny season is here she walks in the side garden area and by the wood pile so the mom bunny should think hmm is this good spot?

Though I guess this would been a good spot since coyotes might have less chance getting near the nest..

I do take the blame I seen little rabbits so I knew it was that time of the year I should have taken precaution and had her on her 30 foot leash and had her follow me around as I did things instead of giving her full freedom.

Ah well lessons learned again.

I live in country so I'm not too sicken by this it's circle of life and sad. a snake could have found it and eaten them or one.. or our cat. though our cat isn't too keen on hunting he mainly lays around and follows people around.

I don't encourage her to chase or get bunnies if she is in pursuit I recall her off them she listens a lot of the times and never catches adult ones they're very fast and quick.

With training she is doing better about leaving them and not giving chase. When she does she comes back to me.

I do feel sorry for the rabbit I worry if it suffered I don't want an animal to suffer if injured. I rescued a rock pigeon that a dog caught most people wouldn't care since pigeons aren't used for work much and seen as pest true they do poop a lot and can be an issue with disease I'm sure.

I guess one good thing about it there is one less bunny to eat our veggies. I wrote that before, but I wrote it again.

We use pepper spray on our fruits and veggies does a good job as a deterrent. My dad forgot to do it for week so the rabbits ate two plants up.

A fence coarse would be a better solution no need to reapply coarse that cost money and would make it hard to water the garden..

I'm hoping to someday raise quail or rabbit for meat and eggs well rabbit would be only for meat.. hehe

I'd raise them and let them free range on things by having protected fenced area so they can eat in peace.

That's long way in the future though.

Again sorry for dead baby bunny pictures. I could not show them, but if we own a cat or a dog especially a dog like a shiba then it will eventually happen or maybe you'll be lucky and it won't.

Sorry for such long post. I'm not the best blogger or not too good with grammar either..

School was never really fun for me thanks to bullies in school making it hard for me to learn and well you know how kids and teens are gotta pick on the weakest and nicest kid.

Coarse that's no excuse for my bad writing. At least I know how to write my name in cursive! My young cousin's can't even read it! Even clear well written cursive they can't read. :\

I'm hoping one day get into college work on my writing and work hard.