Rilee's Day - November 2011

Submitted By: Shawn O'Bagy

Rilee poses with her trusty .223 and her trophy for the day.

We saw the dog approaching rapidly through the light green sage. At 80 yards he stopped to survey the location of the dying rabbit he heard 15 minutes earlier. My crosshairs were buried on his snow-white chest in case Rilee didn't have a clear shot. "Shoot Rilee or he's going to bail", I whispered to her. I briefly looked towards her to watch as she pulled the .223 close to her shoulder while taking a deep breath. I returned my gaze to the dog just in time for the shot. "Did I get it?" was all she said.
    The day began a few hours earlier as Rilee, my 10 year-old-daughter, asked me to take her coyote hunting. Coyote hunting, for those who know me, is my favorite type of hunting. Normally, I take my boys but not this time. Today was Rilee's day.
    The day was not ideal for hunting dogs; warm and sunny. My hopes were not high as we left Vernal, but I wanted to make sure she had a great time. She was just excited to be in the truck with dad. No boys, no mom, just Rilee.
    Our first set was uneventful but with the sun just high enough for one final stand we hurried to the second location. We sat on a sagebrush knob facing east. Our shadows grew as the sun raced towards the horizon. Views of sage flats and cedar ridges were plentiful. I called the vast valley with the call that Rilee chose. She said that she liked the way it sounded. I guess the dog liked it too because he showed himself within a few minutes.
    We noticed the dog from 500 yards away with only a few minutes of shooting light remaining. I was excited for her as she steadied for a shot. The dog was closing the distance in a hurry. At 100 yards, just as she was ready to pull the trigger, he dropped into a ridge that was difficult to notice from our vantage point. Almost immediately, he surfaced on the nearside of the ridge, almost 20 yards closer than the last time we saw him. Bad move.
    Rilee is no stranger to hunting, which was evident as she steadied for the shot on the statuesque varmint. He stood motionless for a few seconds, watching the horizon like a sniper. We, likewise, remained motionless. I know my heart was pumping from the adrenaline running through my veins. I can only imagine the commotion inside my little girl's 60-pound body. Regardless, she sat rock solid. The dog, after a few waning seconds, began to walk towards his right as if he did not want to play. I have seen this too many times, which rarely ended up in my favor. I bellowed a bark, which stopped him in his tracks.
    BOOM! "Did I get him"? I watched the shot from her .223 reach its mark. "Yes, Rilee, you did!" I said excitedly. Her bright smile and messy blond hair was all I remember before giving her the celebratory hug. "Go get your dog", I told her. As she walked towards the furry critter, I couldn't quit smiling. I was a proud papa. This indeed was Rilee's Day.