Panoche Hills—Rabbit Hunting
Hike Review:
I’ve driven around Panoche and Tumey hills, but I don’t think I’ve hiked much of it at all. Which meant that I was familiar with the beautifully dry and chaparral landscape, but it was new to me to walk among it.
We walked off trail, but we walked paths that other hunters had definitely walked before. There were some muddy spots, but it was mostly hard packed dirt.
I did spot some trash, but it was mostly shotgun shells which had been previously fired.
There was very little elevation gain, which meant mostly flat, easy walking.
What I Learned
This was my first time hunting as a willing participant (I’ve been dragged to a few other hunting trips when I was young) and I had an amazing time. Basically, because I was trying to make as least noise as possible, I found myself being present—I was aware of every breath, every step, whether my safety was on, etc. It was a very meditative 5 hrs with little breaks in between where Steve and I would communicate in whispers or through hand signals.
I watched Steve clean a rabbit, and it was really awesome learning from someone that was experienced. I wasn’t sure how grossed out I would be, but it wasn’t bad at all. There was much less blood than I had expected, and there wasn’t the same smell of death that accompanies beef bought in stores.
It’s nice to bring extra water as cleaning the rabbit could require a bit of it. I only carried 750ml, and next time I think I should like to carry another .5L or so.
I wore a synthetic insulated jacket, but I regretted it as soon as we got on the trail, as the fabric wasn’t as quiet as I would like. I think next time I’ll stick to wool if it’s cold, and cotton if it’s not too chilly.
I was happy to see how the animal only suffered for a few seconds and how quickly it passed.
Friends
Steve taught me everything about rabbit hunting and I am grateful for his generosity. He was extremely prepared and a kind teacher! Also, we found out we have a lot of similarities, which meant the conversations were just fantastic!
What Happened?
I met Steve at the Wilderness First Responder training that I took in December and we bonded over stories of bike packing and being teammates/partners in the final three days of class. We somehow got to the topic of hunting and he graciously offered to take me rabbit hunting once he found out that I had an appetite for it (and that I had my hunters safety certificate). He helped me figure out the right ammo to get and highlighted the key regulations to pay attention to, and we planned to go to Panoche Hills.
A quick tangent about meat consumption and my beliefs around that. I’ve been avoiding meat as I’m trying to be a vegetarian due to climate and moral issues. I believe that the mass consumption of meat is unsustainable for the planet and that the way these domesticated animals live is a life of suffering (for most farms). With hunting, they only allow the hunting of animals which can be sustainably hunted, so I don’t have climate concerns; also, the wild animal has a natural life and it’s suffering is hopefully just a few seconds while it’s being killed. And so, I walked into hunting with a clear conscience.
We met up at 6am and we made our way to Panoche. It was pretty chilly by the time we got started, but the sun warmed us up as soon as we started walking, and we made our way through the bushes. Steve taught me what landscapes to look for, how to look for rabbit droppings, how to use the terrain to my advantage, and when to speed-up/slow-down.
I ended up seeing 4 rabbits, only one which was viable to shooting, though it darted Steve’s way, so I didn’t end up taking a shot—Steve took two shots, which missed. After we made it to our half way point, we hiked back and Steve ended up getting a good sized rabbit with two shots. We didn’t see anymore rabbits after that, but that made sense since rabbits tend to sleep during the day underground.
All in all, I had a great time and I think this is just the first in many hunting trips I take.