Here are the lyrics and audio for "Birds of a Feather," a bluegrass rabbit hunting song by Lannie Dietle. The song tells the true story of a young boy chasing after rabbit tracks for his father in rural western Pennsylvania. Through playful details — barking like a dog, hopping over logs, and sniffing the fired paper shells — the song highlights the bond between father and son as they hunt together. It's a nostalgic tribute to country life, family tradition, and the childhood memories that shaped the songwriter's love of the outdoors. Enjoy the free lyrics, streaming audio, and personal notes below.
I started huntin' when I was just six,
Put on my coat, and headed for the sticks.
I guess things were a little different then,
On that cold, snowy day way back when.
Me and Dad were birds of a feather,
Him and me a huntin' together.
My Daddy, he'd look for rabbit tracks,
I'd chase after and bring'm back.
Daddy told me to just bark like a dog,
Runnin' through the brush and hoppin' over logs.
Me and Dad were birds of a feather,
Him and me a huntin' together.
Me, I was worried I'd get lost in the woods,
But on cold days our sound carried good.
Daddy said that I just shouldn't worry,
If I sounded far away, he'd come in a hurry.
Me and Dad were birds of a feather,
Him and me a huntin' together.
Daddy, he carried an old double barrel, and
If the rabbits circled back, it was at their own peril.
Now that old gun wasn't made for glamour,
It had a home-made stock and an arc-welded hammer.
Daddy always gave me the fired paper shells,
Just because I liked the smell.
Now I'm an old man, and can't smell a thing,
But what fond thoughts those memories bring.
Me and Dad were birds of a feather,
Him and me a huntin' together.
Oh, him and me a huntin' together.
Thoughts on this bluegrass rabbit hunting song
The song "Birds of a Feather" is a true story about hunting rabbits with my father in Mercer County, Pennsylvania back when I was a little boy in the late 1950s. While the song may not stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the great old-time rabbit hunter classics "Rabbit in the Log" and "Run Little Rabbit Run," folks tell me it ain't half bad!
Background information about the song
The same rabbit hunting story is told on pages 62 and 63 of my 2024 book "In the Land of Used to Be." Since we lived out in the country, our hunt began as soon as we stepped into the brushy woods adjoining our backyard. There were unrecovered logs strewn about our property from a logging operation. I was so little that I was worried about what I should do if my way was blocked by one of those logs while I was following a set of rabbit tracks. I asked my father about it, and he told me to just hop over any logs that were in my way — and that's just what I did. The naivety of the question reveals how very young I was.
This vintage home movie of five- or six-year-old me also shows the woods that surrounded our yard — the woods where Dad and I hunted rabbits together. Although our dog "Lady" was a terrific companion dog, I was the rabbit hunting dog!
The shotgun referenced in the song
The following picture shows the old Springfield double-barreled shotgun mentioned in the song. It had a broken buttstock and a farm-repaired hammer when my grandfather Allen Korns gave it to my father Roy Dietle. My father carved out a crude but functional stock so he could hunt with the gun, which is marked with a February 10, 1914 patent date. The picture was taken after I had the hammers replaced, and after I replaced the crude homemade buttstock with a nicely figured walnut stock I made in my father's basement workshop. It is the first shotgun I ever fired.
Restored Springfield double-barreled shotgun with a new walnut stock I made. Originally, my grandfather Allen Korns gave it to my father Roy Dietle with a broken stock and a farm-repaired hammer. The gun is marked with a February 10, 1914 patent date. As the first shotgun I ever fired, it brings back many good childhood hunting memories.
Reflections
Those early hunts with my dad are among my fondest memories of growing up in the country. We were truly birds of a feather — him patiently showing me the ways of the woods, and me doing my best to be his eager two-legged hunting dog. Writing this new bluegrass rabbit hunting song has been a way to hold onto that simple bond and the exciting feel of those cold, snowy mornings.
Artistic license
I think I was probably younger than six the first time I went rabbit hunting with my father, but I used "six" in the song because it rhymes with "sticks."
Related songs about Appalachia
Now that you've heard my real-life rabbit hunting song, here are several other songs in the Appalachian folk and bluegrass tradition to give a listen to:
The song is available to stream and download for personal use or radio air play at no cost. For commercial use, such as performing or recording covers of the song, contact me to discuss licensing terms.
