The hunter and his dog

I've had a good day.

St Luke's before slipping away to the hunter's place. With the tail of yesterday's horrendous storm clearing quickly the plan was to make the most of the sun and hunt a little spot in north Canterbury for the afternoon. 3 boys and 1 girl.

Nature was at her finest. It was warmer than expected and the clarity of light was sparkling. As the hunter and I waited at the top of a paddock while the other 2 swept animal crossings for pig sign, we watched a couple of hares disturbed by dogs and men.

Initially we thought it was one of the tan dogs crossing the field. But then we realised it was 2 hares full of spring and doing a most incredible dance of love. I hardly breathed as they cavorted in circles towards us, fluid and graceful. With the breeze blowing towards us they never realised we were there in the open.

Less than 2m from us they stopped and Mr Hare decided it as time to get it on with Mrs Hare but she hissed and spat (told him she had a headache ;-) and then there dance continued up the track and into the forest. It was like the best of any TV wildlife doco times a hundred.

Further up the boys and dogs got onto a mob of pigs. As the hunter and I made our way along a track to join them up in the tussocks, we met 4 pigs they'd disturbed and were now heading for the gorse. They were maybe 30m from us, siblings clearly talking and communicating with each other. The eyed us up before breaking and disappearing up a steep bank. They are so intelligent and quick.

We had one young dog with us who is lacking in confidence. With no mate he didn't know what to do.

Then on our way back to the truck we heard the deep squeal and grant of a big sow on heat. She was probably swatting a male admirer she doesn't feel the same about.

Nature and spring.

I had lots of photos to choose from including one of me carrying the pig. But I didn't do much. I had a couple of good ones with dogs galloping towards me and boys coming down off the tussocks above us.

But this one resonates the most. Yes, the hunter hunts but it's not a blood bath. He loved the hares as much as me. We already had a pig and 4 others literally running into us wasn't fair to him. Respect.

"You don't have to kill everything" he said.

Nicely expansive big