Covert

Covert (noun)
Hunting . a thicket giving shelter to wild animals or game

animals huddle
hidden within the covert
as gunshots ring out

One of the spring fox pups stayed at the farm this year. We often saw him playing in the pastures. If we were working around the barn, he would hunker down in the tall grass and watch us, ears up and bright eyed. He’d chase butterflies and his own fluffy tail in the evening sun. Just past sun set one autumn evening, we saw him bounding down towards the pipeline. Five minutes later, in the darkness, we heard two shots ring out. We never saw that playful spirit again.
I hate small game season.

photo by Mike Baird, found on flickr