Morning journal and courier., 1891-07-13
A RABBIT DRIVE.
How the Little Pests Are Slaughtered
by Thousands I'm California

HOW the Little Pests Are Slaughtered
by Thousands I'm California.
lFrom the St. Louis Globe Democrat
Thew wholesale slaughter of rabbits Chares)
in California during the past few years
has become quite business, particularly
in Kern county. The remarkable fecun-
dity of the genus Lepus makes it necessary,
even imperative, 20 rid the country of
them, and to do this various means are EN-
ployed, the most successful of which is to
form large company and round them up
and corral much the same as cowboys and
stockmen gather in cattle during the spring
of each year.
A few years ago farmers commenced in
closing their lands with woven wire fences,
but after the expenditure of thousands of
dollars in various kinds of fences, they
have learned, and their experience has been
sad and expensive, that these pests will go
through, under or over, any fence that has
yet been placed ON the market. Hence for
more than two years the generally adopted
plan of determination by inaugurating
"driyes" at stated intervals and places has
been going steadily on with varying degrees
of success. During the winter of 1889
1890 there were killed at various drives in
this vicinity, duringa period not exceeding
six weeks, 10000 jack rabbits, and yet
their was no perceptible diminution in
point of numbers. As the phrase goes,
''the woods were full of 'em, >" and the un-
cultivated fields fairly smarmed with the
pests, the foliage on every bush or plant
secreted one or more, and the question of
Glow are we to rid the hecountry of the jack
rsbblts' became very serious one.
The drive which l attended WAS given by
two ranchmen, whose lands adjoin, located
about eleven miles northwest of this town,
Bakersfield. The event was thoroughly ad-
vertised, both through the local press and
by the circulation of printed posters. A
general invitation was extended to every
body to turn out and participate in the
sport and destruction of the pests Ladies
and children counted as well as men, and
each participant was requested to bring a
short strong club with which to do execu-
tion.- On these occasions there are usually
two drives, one in the forenoon and the
other in the afternoon. On the day in
question two drives took place. The morn
ing drive your correspondent participated
i& and it is OF this one write.
After the line is formed the captain
gives the word to march, and each member
of the company, who are supposed to be
equi-distant, takes the line of march, slow
ly at fret, toward the corral. One hun
dred and twenty-five persons participated
in this drive. The space between each per-
son the entire length of the line did not
average twenty feet when the line was
formed, and, of course, the distance grad
| ually decreased as the line advanced. Each
person forming the line was armed with a
club, and as the word was given to move a
whoop went up all along the line, and the
| 125 persons composing the company looked
about them for rabbits, and, at the same
time, began steadily, slowly pressing their
| way toward the corral None of the sage
| brush was more than three or four feet
high, and every plant and shrub was exam
ined, and every skulking rabbit routed.
Yelling, shrieking, whooping, whistling
| and singing men, women and children
moved steadily on, pounding the bushes
\ and routing each secreted animal. There
| were many large holes in the earth, exca-
waited by badgers and polecats, but jack
rabbits never venture under ground, so
none were lost from this cause. AS the
| march commenced the scene was indescrib-
able.
| AS the line moved up towards the corral
| the rabbits darted about in every direction.
and hundreds of them dashed past the line
uninjured, and their fleet feet carried them
| far out on the prairie unscathed, while many
met their death in the dangerous attempt
to run the gauntlet. Some of them would
dart wildly about, first in one direction,
then in another, and finding no way of es
cape, drop dead ON the prairie from sheer
| fright. Many that attempted to pass the
line were clubbed down and killed, while
others ron away on three legs or were 9th
erwise manned as they passed. Meanwhile
the bounds were becoming narrower, the
| territory smaller and the rabbits core
spondingiy plentiful.
By the time two-thirds of the territory
had been traversed those composing the
line stood almost shoulder to shoulder, and
the command was given to quicken the
pace, and with yells and huzzas all pressed
forward rapidly. Everybody was striking al
the numberless legs and ears and gray bod
les as they drove the mass on before them.
Perhaps two acres of the field in the corner
near the corral were clear of brush, and
out on this clean patch of ground the ami
mails were driven like a great drove OF
sheep, except that they were darting about
almost frenzied from fright. Probably
more than half of the number Gagged rushed
blindly into one corner, climbing one up
on another until there was bank of throb
bing hearts, ears and legs four feet deep
Some skulked under a single leaf in ths
|
tuft of grass.
The scene was touching one, for thii
timid animal never attempts to defend ol
protect himself from any enemy excep
with his legs, and when it comes to max
ing time across the prairie, or dOdging
greyhound or band of coyotes, he is righ
at home and seems to enjoy the sport quit,
as well as his pursuers, who rarely over
take and capture.
| The wholesale slaughter of the rabbits
after they are corraled is brutal in the ex
treme. About twenty-five men and boy
jumped into the corral and with clnbi
commenced beating the terrified animals tt
death. The rabbits did not undertake t.
run away from their pursuers here, bu
simply awaited the blow they seemed to in
stinctively understand was reserved fol
them. Hundreds of them skulked on tn,
ground under the very feet of their de
stroyers, drawing their ears close to theil
bodies and crouching as close to the eartf
as they possibly could In the confusion
incident to this wholesale slaughter many
of them were wounded, and the piteous
cries of these injured, helpless and dying
creatures were very touching. Some OF
them were helpless with broken spine ol
shattered legs, and there they lay, moaning
and writhing until depatched by the exc,
cutioners.
| After the slaughter all the rabbits were
| counted and stacked, and number of
those present gathered in a semi-circle
around the bloody but lifeless carcasses and
a photograph was taken. An actual count
revealed 800 dead rabbits, besides those
that were killed in the field, which must
have been between two hundred and three