Westies Hunting

Walking the Foster  Westies we were working our way through a field full of rushes when they pounced and chopped a half grown bunny. The Westies have been 
obviously used to hunting as they immediately grabbed the rabbit and worried it. 
Its a good job the wife was no there to see here beloved white fluffy lap dogs, 
covered in blood. 

I wonder if the ladies who adore and pamper these little dogs realise that 
lurking beneath that neatly trimmed coat lies the heart of a killer. 

Westies were originally dogs which would take on anything, up to a badger. 
Despite the in breeding and usual Kennel Club stunts the Westie has remained a 
hearty game little dog. It is now useless in rain as its coat cannot push out 
rain and many have weak jaws which mean they would never hold quarry. 

The two I have at the moment are thankfully an exception to the usual run of the 
mill. 

They love rabbiting but are incredibly stubborn and will not leave a hedge that 
they are convinced a rabbit is in; even when the rabbit has long gone.  I don't suppose these will catch on as hunting terriers ever again as there are far better breeds of terrier out there, but it was good to see them hunt and remember their origins. 

Evan's first rabbit.

I suppose everyone remembers their first rabbit caught. It is when you join that exclusive group of hunters bound by skill and blood and loss.

Evans shot was a really good one, of coarse as his father I am biased.   He had been practising for a couple of days with my BRNO .22 and had become quite proficient with it.

We went shooting up in the hills of Mid Wales on a large farm with plenty of cover for rabbits.  Walking up to the hill gate we spotted a rabbit sitting by a fence at the bottom of the field.  Evan using the gate post as a rest for the rifle took careful aim at his quarry some 80 yards away.  The rifle is silenced and we were using Eley subsonics so a click as the firing pin struck the cartridge was followed by a load thwack as the hollow point round found its target and killed the rabbit instantly.

A very proud father took the photo of sons first rabbit.