Callie’s Path To A Hunter

By Johnnie Thompson & Brittany Reid Anderson

A school teacher prepares his/her students for learning by first writing a lesson plan with objectives or standards, and each student is graded on knowledge retained based on a test. Likewise, parents teach from the knowledge of their own experiences that were handed down to them or from a natural gift they possess. A hunter is taught from both, but moreover, the one-to-one training from a father, a mother, or a grandfather is irreplaceable.

Callie Dobson is a 16-year-old sophomore at Calhoun High School. She is the daughter of Junior and Donna Callahan. Callie is a golfer on the high school team and a very talented artist.

Callie’s quest to become a hunter started when she was born. Her grandfather, Danny Dobson, a retired Department of Natural Resources officer, bought her a lifetime hunting license. Perhaps he knew the good things that were ahead for this young lady.

Junior is the owner of Southern Comfort Gun Dogs. In addition, he is the manager of a plantation in Kingston. He started his teaching of the great outdoors when his niece, Carmen, would visit from the city. So when Callie came along and reached hunting age, his teaching would continue.

Callie started her learning with the kennel and the dogs. Then she began training her own dogs very successfully. When Callie heard all the stories of “the guys” hunting deer, her fire was lit! It was then that Junior started teaching her about gun safety and hunting rules. Callie also took the hunter safety course. Later on she began field training by learning how to read and understand the signs of the game animals that she was hunting.

The day had finally arrived. It was Nov. 21, 2015, the peak of the rut in Bartow County. It was a brisk, cool morning. Callie and Junior had sat in this same stand the afternoon before talking about how they knew that if a deer stepped out in this particular location that the shot she may get would be a long shot. However, her dad knew she could do it. Of course, Callie knew it, too.

Daylight broke, and the cold became a little colder. Then he appeared. The majestic animal was an 11-pointer with an enormous body. However, he was 300 yards away. Callie’s heart was pounding. As dads do, Junior started whispering words to calm her down.

“He’s a long way off. Let’s try to get him closer,” he said.

The attempts failed. As Junior became nervous himself, he knew the buck was about to leave the open area to retreat to the safety of the brush. He knew it could have been the last time they’d ever see the buck.

He then whispered calmly, “Get on him, girl. Have you got him?”

Callie replied, “Yep!”

She squeezed the trigger of her 7mm-08. When the smoke cleared, she looked hard to see if it fell. Sure enough, there he was. At a distance of 249 yards, Callie’s first deer was on the ground. A great trophy. Success! First deer! It’s a wall hanger!

As a true hunter, she has the fever now. Three days later, Callie and Junior returned to the woods and reached success once again with a 10-pointer and a very large doe.

What a week to remember and a week that will be hard to top. I think we can all agree that Callie Dobson is a hunter, and I think all readers will agree that she made the honor roll.

Great job, sweetie.

Callie Dobson, 16, of Calhoun, killed her first deer on Nov. 21, 2015 in Bartow County. She was hunting with her dad Junior.