By Kristy Fike
We jumped out of the truck and then we formed a semi-circle around our mentors. Mr. Spuchesi, our local game warden, conducted a safety brief and introduced us to our mentors for the day. Katelyn was mentored by Julie Abel, Courtney was mentored by Monty Clift, Kayla was mentored by Steve Abel, and I (Kristy) was mentored by Mr. Summers. Katelyn, Julie Abel, Mr. Summers and I were standing about 10 yards apart on a grassy road right in front of a huge grass, sapling, and briar thicket. Courtney and Monty Clift were standing just outside of the grass, sapling, and briar thicket towards our left in a cornfield. Kayla and Steve Abel were standing just outside the grass, sapling and briar thicket towards our right in a grassy field.
Once we were stationed in our spots, it only took a couple minutes for the pack of dogs to uncover a rabbit’s trail. All of us began scanning the terrain in front of us keeping in mind that the rabbit is way ahead of the dogs, sometimes even 100 yards. The dogs were happily trailing multiple rabbits straight up the middle into a huge briar thicket. Then the dogs looped away and trailed another rabbit into the briar thicket with their crisp howls bellowing throughout the land. Meanwhile, Mr. Summers and I spotted a rabbit in range with a safe background and Mr. Summers whispered “Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!” I pulled the trigger. I bagged the first rabbit of the day! Only a couple minutes passed, and we saw another rabbit. Once again with the rabbit in range and a safe background, I shot. With a second rabbit in the bag, I was off to a pretty good start, although I preferred that a girl that had not harvested a rabbit before would have gotten the rabbits. Finally, we heard a couple shots from Kayla’s direction…… she did not get the rabbit. Mr. Abel advised her to take off one of her jackets so it would be easier for her to get her gun in her shoulder. Two back to back shots later she had two rabbits.
We all shouted, “Good job Kayla!” She shouted back “Thanks!”
Meanwhile Courtney missed one rabbit. Meanwhile, Katelyn and I had switched spots, so I was now standing with Julie Abel and Katelyn was standing with Mr. Summers. We knew once the dogs pushed all the way through the thicket where all the rabbits where holing up, it was going to become a stampede of rabbits charging at Katelyn and me. Well it happened just like that! The scene was crazy because six rabbits came flying right through our feet. There was no real safe shot. All we could really do was stand there and look for a safe shot, but those rabbits were gone within a second. We just looked at each other with our eyes nearly popped out of our heads, and we laughed and talked about how amazing and crazy that was. Meanwhile, Kayla bagged more rabbits. She is such a great shot.
Within a few minutes. BANG! The shot came from Courtney’s direction. Curiosity was killing us wanting to know if she bagged the rabbit or not. A shriek echoed loud enough for us all to hear. We got our answer! Courtney was jumping up and down screaming in delight. While walking over, we all yelled “GREAT JOB COURTNEY! WOOH GO COURTNEY!” This was a HUGE deal, because not only was this her first rabbit, but it was also her first kill ever with her new gun! We swarmed her with hugs, high-fives, and congratulations. After taking some pictures, we made our way back to our hunting spots.
A couple rabbits darted in front of me but, I had no shot. Katelyn also had some rabbits in front of her, but she had no shot. The pack was baying and howling their way closer to Katelyn and me. I switched spots with her, putting her where the rabbit was going to cross any minute. The rabbit appeared, and it blended in with the brown grass which made it harder to see. Katelyn was struggling to see him for a few seconds. Then she recognized the rabbit’s outline in the tall brown grass, and she pulled the trigger; her shot splattered right behind him. Meanwhile, Kayla bagged yet another rabbit.
Mr. Spuchesi was calling out to the dogs “TALLY-HO, TALLY-HO!”
He was trying to get them to come to him and put them on another trail. He succeeded.
The pack was rolling. Courtney bagged another rabbit. Katelyn and I turned around facing a smaller briar patch and a hill. The dogs worked their way up the hill and were trying to find a trail. Once they did, they brought rabbits right at Katelyn and me. Katelyn was able to fire off a couple more shots. The dog ended up looping around and coming back and worked their way back up the hill. While they were trying to discover a hot rabbit trail, I took a shot on a rabbit and missed. Kayla finally limited out. The limit is six and she did it! That does not happen very often. She put her gun in the truck and broke out her food. She came over by me and sat on the ground watching.
Mr. Abel stood right behind me, being extra eyes. The dogs’ baying was getting closer and closer to the top of the hill.
“There’s one! Shoot! Shoot!” Mr. Abel said.
I put my gun up, took the shot and missed; the rabbit ran. Mr. Abel helped swing me around, so I could try to take another shot. I missed again. The packed looped back around and worked back up the hill. Mr. Spuchesi was walking up the hill also trying to get the pack on another trail. After a few moments we could hear the pack getting closer again. Mr. Abel spotted another rabbit. It was a safe shot and I took it. I bagged the rabbit. Soon after, the dogs came rolling down the hill. After a while of trying to pick up another trail, we headed for another nearby spot.
We all got stationed out in various locations and got ready. The dogs were hot on one. After a few moments we heard a shot come from Katelyn’s direction. The rabbit kept making the same loop over and over. The dogs stayed on him pretty good until, the rabbit finally went into a hole. We called it a day. On our way out, we saw a couple rabbits, but there was no safe shot on them. We headed for the trucks. Once we got to the trucks we removed layers of camo and laughing retold stories of our hunt. Surely everyone slept well that night, especially the dogs. Thanks to Mr. Spuchesi for taking us all out, our mentors, and the dogs which did a phenomenally good job. A couple of the girls experienced their first rabbit hunt, we put dinner on the table, and we all were able to have fellowship with each other. Thank you so much!
We jumped out of the truck and then we formed a semi-circle around our mentors. Mr. Spuchesi, our local game warden, conducted a safety brief and introduced us to our mentors for the day. Katelyn was mentored by Julie Abel, Courtney was mentored by Monty Clift, Kayla was mentored by Steve Abel, and I (Kristy) was mentored by Mr. Summers. Katelyn, Julie Abel, Mr. Summers and I were standing about 10 yards apart on a grassy road right in front of a huge grass, sapling, and briar thicket. Courtney and Monty Clift were standing just outside of the grass, sapling, and briar thicket towards our left in a cornfield. Kayla and Steve Abel were standing just outside the grass, sapling and briar thicket towards our right in a grassy field.
Once we were stationed in our spots, it only took a couple minutes for the pack of dogs to uncover a rabbit’s trail. All of us began scanning the terrain in front of us keeping in mind that the rabbit is way ahead of the dogs, sometimes even 100 yards. The dogs were happily trailing multiple rabbits straight up the middle into a huge briar thicket. Then the dogs looped away and trailed another rabbit into the briar thicket with their crisp howls bellowing throughout the land. Meanwhile, Mr. Summers and I spotted a rabbit in range with a safe background and Mr. Summers whispered “Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!” I pulled the trigger. I bagged the first rabbit of the day! Only a couple minutes passed, and we saw another rabbit. Once again with the rabbit in range and a safe background, I shot. With a second rabbit in the bag, I was off to a pretty good start, although I preferred that a girl that had not harvested a rabbit before would have gotten the rabbits. Finally, we heard a couple shots from Kayla’s direction…… she did not get the rabbit. Mr. Abel advised her to take off one of her jackets so it would be easier for her to get her gun in her shoulder. Two back to back shots later she had two rabbits.
We all shouted, “Good job Kayla!” She shouted back “Thanks!”
Meanwhile Courtney missed one rabbit. Meanwhile, Katelyn and I had switched spots, so I was now standing with Julie Abel and Katelyn was standing with Mr. Summers. We knew once the dogs pushed all the way through the thicket where all the rabbits where holing up, it was going to become a stampede of rabbits charging at Katelyn and me. Well it happened just like that! The scene was crazy because six rabbits came flying right through our feet. There was no real safe shot. All we could really do was stand there and look for a safe shot, but those rabbits were gone within a second. We just looked at each other with our eyes nearly popped out of our heads, and we laughed and talked about how amazing and crazy that was. Meanwhile, Kayla bagged more rabbits. She is such a great shot.
Within a few minutes. BANG! The shot came from Courtney’s direction. Curiosity was killing us wanting to know if she bagged the rabbit or not. A shriek echoed loud enough for us all to hear. We got our answer! Courtney was jumping up and down screaming in delight. While walking over, we all yelled “GREAT JOB COURTNEY! WOOH GO COURTNEY!” This was a HUGE deal, because not only was this her first rabbit, but it was also her first kill ever with her new gun! We swarmed her with hugs, high-fives, and congratulations. After taking some pictures, we made our way back to our hunting spots.
A couple rabbits darted in front of me but, I had no shot. Katelyn also had some rabbits in front of her, but she had no shot. The pack was baying and howling their way closer to Katelyn and me. I switched spots with her, putting her where the rabbit was going to cross any minute. The rabbit appeared, and it blended in with the brown grass which made it harder to see. Katelyn was struggling to see him for a few seconds. Then she recognized the rabbit’s outline in the tall brown grass, and she pulled the trigger; her shot splattered right behind him. Meanwhile, Kayla bagged yet another rabbit.
Mr. Spuchesi was calling out to the dogs “TALLY-HO, TALLY-HO!”
He was trying to get them to come to him and put them on another trail. He succeeded.
The pack was rolling. Courtney bagged another rabbit. Katelyn and I turned around facing a smaller briar patch and a hill. The dogs worked their way up the hill and were trying to find a trail. Once they did, they brought rabbits right at Katelyn and me. Katelyn was able to fire off a couple more shots. The dog ended up looping around and coming back and worked their way back up the hill. While they were trying to discover a hot rabbit trail, I took a shot on a rabbit and missed. Kayla finally limited out. The limit is six and she did it! That does not happen very often. She put her gun in the truck and broke out her food. She came over by me and sat on the ground watching.
Mr. Abel stood right behind me, being extra eyes. The dogs’ baying was getting closer and closer to the top of the hill.
“There’s one! Shoot! Shoot!” Mr. Abel said.
I put my gun up, took the shot and missed; the rabbit ran. Mr. Abel helped swing me around, so I could try to take another shot. I missed again. The packed looped back around and worked back up the hill. Mr. Spuchesi was walking up the hill also trying to get the pack on another trail. After a few moments we could hear the pack getting closer again. Mr. Abel spotted another rabbit. It was a safe shot and I took it. I bagged the rabbit. Soon after, the dogs came rolling down the hill. After a while of trying to pick up another trail, we headed for another nearby spot.
We all got stationed out in various locations and got ready. The dogs were hot on one. After a few moments we heard a shot come from Katelyn’s direction. The rabbit kept making the same loop over and over. The dogs stayed on him pretty good until, the rabbit finally went into a hole. We called it a day. On our way out, we saw a couple rabbits, but there was no safe shot on them. We headed for the trucks. Once we got to the trucks we removed layers of camo and laughing retold stories of our hunt. Surely everyone slept well that night, especially the dogs. Thanks to Mr. Spuchesi for taking us all out, our mentors, and the dogs which did a phenomenally good job. A couple of the girls experienced their first rabbit hunt, we put dinner on the table, and we all were able to have fellowship with each other. Thank you so much!
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