Friday, June 4, 2010

Catching Rabbits and Birds.



This is the idea of the bird trap!


This is a nice rabbit trap. mine was the same design,  just not quite this professional.


When I was six years old we moved to the town of Burlington, NC. The first impression I remember was seeing squirrels running on the electric wires down town.



We were moving from the country where at six I had already trapped rabbits that mama fixed for supper. We were not too poor to purchase food, it was just the thing to teach boys as they grew up. Dad had made my first rabbit box and showed me how to find rabbit paths and place the box close to a path with a piece of apple in it. He explained that a quarter apple or an apple core was better than a whole apple, because cutting it released the smell. I wasn’t always lucky, sometime I went a week without catching a rabbit. Sometimes Dad released it because it was too small.


Now here we were in a ‘city’ and if squirrels were this plentiful, rabbits would be a synch. To a six year old disappoint doesn’t last long. I settled quickly that rabbits were not around BUT birds, yeah!


Then Mama knowing things I did not know, but knowing how to occupy two energetic kids (Shirl & I) showed us a trick of a card board box. Now I was gonna be a bird trapper. Tie a string to a stick, place bread crumbs under a box that is held up by your ‘prop stick’. Hide and wait for the millions of birds that were about to be trapped. Mama kept me busy with that. Shirl didn’t like the idea of trapping the pretty birds and left me to the manly task of catching supper. I don’t remember catching ONE bird, but I came close and it kept me replacing the stick saying I must be faster.


Watching my grand kids, I wonder how many would be patient enough to hide and hold that string just waiting for tweety bird to walk unsuspectingly under the box. Note to you that do not know, BIRDS ARE FAST!


Yesterday our grandson was nearly arrested in Belmont. The crime? Heading down town on his skate board. The cop used the lights and siren. No skate boarding in Belmont anymore, new law. So his bottom lip was dragging the ground. I suggested he and his buddies make an appointment with the city council. I hope they do it.


I believe Jen’s daughter was the one who got really bored when the power went out during a storm. No TV, computer etc. Probably not an isolated case.


Thanks for coming this way.


NIte Shipslog


PS:


The dot over the letter 'i' is called a 'tittle.' Just in case you did not know.

12 comments:

shirl72 said...

Well we need to get a new box to catch Mr.
Rabbit. He doesn't understand the plants are not there for his enjoyment. If he will leave
them alone we might have some cantelopes.

Sorry about Luke. That is a little much to
use the light and siren for a child on a skate
board. They need to make a place for the boys to ride their skate boards. I guess somebody got upset about them skating on the Church steps. One person can ruin everything for the boys that know how to use the skate boards.

Shirl

Rose said...

The rabbit trap story is so cute. I agree, no kids today would have the patience to hide and wait!!!!!

Sorry about the skate board incident. But, right here in my complex there is a list of Can't do's and Skate Boarding is one of them. I've noticed the sign in a lot of shopping areas too.

I don't believe the poor kid should have been nearly arrested over this incident. Unless, there were signs and notices posted everywhere in full view for warning.

There should be more parks for children to play in.

Hugs, Rose

Jimmy's Journal said...

I always was fascinated with little traps like that. I never caught much and I released everything I caught.

The cartoon pic was exactly how I caught animals except I used a tomato crate.

Good post!

Jimmy

Paula said...

I didn't know a tittle is a dot. Thanks 'cause I may need to know that sometime. I like to learn things like that.

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

I remember how my grandfather loved rabbit. All the boys I grew up learned to hunt in one way or the other now it seems not many do. Times keep changing. What a wise woman your mother was. Thanks for the memories today.

Lucy said...

OK so I am a softy. When my brothers killed a rabbit or squirrels which we did need for meat now and then, who am I kidding, anytime we could get meat was a good day but I split when it came to cleANING THEM INSIDE AND THE GUYS SKINNING THEM.

Fred Alton said...

Jack, Thanks for the reminder! Dad taught me the "box with stick tied with string" method and I never was able to catch anything. The other method was, "If you can sprinkle salt on the tail of any bird, you can catch him!" I remember walking around looking for birds with my hand on the salt in my pocket. ☻☻☻

betty said...

interesting way to catch a bird; hadn't heard of that way before; your mom was very clever on ways to keep you busy and thinking; I like how your dad released the bunnies that were too small

I can't believe skate boarding would be against the law. I know businesses sometimes get frustrated with kids skate boarding down their ramps, rails, etc but in my eye, it is good clean fun. Hope your grandson does take that up with the city council

hope you and Sherry have a great weekend!

betty

Woody said...

Glad things are going "Great Guns" for you 2, tonight My Honey made me 2 soft scrambled eggs, jello, apple juice and ice cream for supper. FINALLY, I chewed each mouthful of eggs about 20 times!!!!! Take care!
Gary & Anna Mae

Ally Lifewithally said...

Thanks for a lovely read ~ I enjoyed your memories ~ sounds like you had an idylic childhood ~ Ally x

Helen said...

I remember my brother and uncle making rabbit boxes like that. They caught some too. I did know what a tittle was but had forgoton it. Helen

Anonymous said...

It was mostly due to my small son that I started to see birds again, as he tries to catch them as well, running behind them though, bursting into laughter when they fly away.

Profound and wonderful serie of entries. Please have you all a nice Sunday.