How The Outdoors Changed Andi's Life

By Youth Hunter, Andi

When I was little, I always loved going hunting but never liked the idea of being behind the gun. Sitting in the blind for hours, cleaning the animal we had harvested, hanging out and laughing with my family was always amazing. I was always extremely happy for my family and their hunts.

It wasn’t until a year ago that I randomly asked my mom if I could go to the trap range with her. She was a little surprised but was happy I asked. My first round was a very fun experience and, to say the least, I was hooked. Practicing every Wednesday and every third Sunday became the highlight of my week. Eventually I was ready to join the Garden City Highschool Trap Team with many people I have become very close with. My coaches Beccy Landgraf, Dru Saddler, and Jessica Heckel (my mom) helped me become the trapshooter I am today. Of course, I have my ups and downs in shooting, but they will always coach me through those. I have not been to many shooting competitions. The ones I have been to are the Kansas State Shoot in Wichita. At the state shoot I was in the novice category shooting with people a couple of years older than me. I shot a 75/100 which was the top score for my category almost the whole day until some of the last scores had been posted. When all of the scores were in, I ended up in fourth place with first place score being a 78/100 and the two second place shooters breaking the same as me. In the end I lost by one target in the reverse run.

Shooting trap has been a big part of why I wanted to start hunting. It made me so much more comfortable with guns and the idea of hunting. My very first hunt this year was a turkey hunt on April 16, 2022, guided by Paul Zedalis. We headed out to Hodgeman County around 4:00 am and waited. A big tom came in with a couple of hens. It took the tom around 20 minutes to even notice the calls, and eventually he came over fanned out and strutting. He then started to attack the jake decoy. I couldn’t get in a shot until he peeked his head up. First shot… miss. I was shaking so bad and wondering if I hit this turkey. Having to re-pump the shotgun was the hardest part. The tom was still attacking this decoy. Second shot… miss. Finally, I take my third shot (amazed by how this turkey is still attacking the jake decoy), I finally hit this turkey. My dad runs out and grabs the turkey. Finally, I have my first turkey, but Paul no longer has a jake decoy.

Later in the year I started to go hunting almost every weekend, practicing with many different targets trying to get better at my trigger squeeze and not flinching. I finally decided I’m ready to go deer hunting. So far, I have been very fortunate with my hunts being successful and only taking a couple hours like with my turkey. On the morning of my deer hunt we headed out very early, sitting in the deer blind. Not long after we got there we were all set up, sitting patiently. After waiting an hour or so three does came in from my right. My heart was racing, I was shaking and trying to calm myself down. These does came in staring right at us. I slowly clicked my safety off my rifle, picking out the most mature doe. The does that came in were about 1,3, and 4 years of age. I had my sights on the four-year-old. I put my cross hairs on the heart of the deer and took the shot, which was only 35 yards away. Unlike my turkey it didn’t take three shots. We got up a couple of minutes later and saw the doe lying about 60 yards from where I had shot it from. I saw an entry wound and exit wound going straight through the heart and lungs. We field dressed the doe and took it home to be processed.

Thanks to Bobby Cole, Brett Heckel (my dad) and Wayne Herron for making my deer hunt possible.

So far this year I have gotten my first turkey, bullfrog, dove, duck, deer, chucker and hopefully my first pheasant at the governors hunt in Colby Kansas. I would like to thank Bobby Cole and Pass It On Outdoors for all of the opportunities they’ve given me.