Good Rabbit

Washburn's Outdoor Journal / March 15, 2021

Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.

It was early March, and Iowa’s spring thaw was gathering a full head of steam. Even in the north, snow cover was going fast. Another day, maybe two, and it would all be gone.

Camouflaged beneath the tawny canopy of last year’s vegetation, the cottontail held its nerve, sitting tight until we nearly stepped on it. Leaping into action, the cottontail beat a gazelle-like, high-speed exit. Attila exploded from my gloved fist and the chase was on. The cover was thick, but not thick enough. In spite of the rabbit’s fleet footed maneuvers — and in less time than it takes to read this sentence — the pursuing goshawk made its move. In one deft display of aerial prowess, the raptor pinned the rabbit to the matt, gaining instant and full control of what was destined to become our shared lunch.

The moment was bittersweet. Our hunting season, like the melting snow, was on borrowed time. Who could say? Maybe Attila had just captured the year’s final rabbit. If so, the event deserved to be celebrated with something special. A tribute dinner seemed in order – an open-air feast marking the passage of a glorious and exciting winter in the out-of-doors. There was but one way to properly prepare such a meal.

About The Author

Lowell Washburn

Born in North Central Iowa, Lowell Washburn has enjoyed a lifelong interest in the out of doors. He began photographing wild birds at age 10, and outdoor photography soon became his passion and eventually a career. Washburn is best known for images that portray migratory waterfowl and other wetland wildlife in their natural habitats. His best photographs are often obtained after spending hours floating amid natural marshlands, half submerged within the dark confines of a floating muskrat house blind. Upon completing military service as a sergeant with the Fourth Infantry Division in the central highlands of South Vietnam, Washburn returned to Iowa in 1970. His wildlife photos began appearing in Iowa newspapers in 1971 and he began authoring outdoor news columns in 1978. Today, his photos and writing have appeared in over 50 national and international magazines including Outdoor Life, International Wildlife, Field&Stream, Ducks Unlimited, Pointing Dog Journal, the NAFA Journal, and others. After working as a naturalist for Iowa’s county conservation board system, Washburn was recruited by the Department of Natural Resources in 1984. His primary duties included statewide communication with Iowa newspaper, television, and radio news agencies with a primary goal of increasing the level of public awareness and appreciation for Iowa's natural resources. During his tenure he also served as staff member for the Iowa Conservationist Magazine and for the DNR’s Iowa Outdoors Magazine. Washburn retired from the DNR in 2010. In addition to wildlife photography, his ongoing outdoor passions include falconry, traditional bow hunting, waterfowling, spending time with hunting dogs of all types, and herpetology.