Girl’s Just Want To Have Fun

Kaylynn Mann-Wasley

I've always wanted to get into hunting but never had the time to take the hunters safety course because when I was younger I was too busy doing sports.  But when I met Rich Heitman and was introduced to his hunting family I was influenced more and more! I ended up tagging along with Rich, his father Scott, his brother Ty and his cousin Zak during deer gun season of 2010 and instantly fell in love.

The outdoors has always intrigued my interest. So finally in 2014, I took my hunters safety class at the Waukesha Rifle and Pistol Club and graduated with flying colors.  I  joined the “Learn to Hunt Turkey Program.” I was introduced to my mentor Steve Decker and he got me even more amped up for turkey hunting and let me tell ya, I learned a ton!   

So April 12th, 2014, I got up at 3am and got ready to meet my mentor Steve,  a girl from my hunters class and her mentor at 4:45am at Wern Valley Sportmen's club in Wales, Wi.  Once we got there we departed for our adventure.  We drove a little outside of Eagle in town of Troy in WalworthCounty. We soon pulled up to a farm and parked in front of a bunch of Scottish Longhaired cows, (curious fellas)  and started our long walk to the blind.

Once there, we set up the decoys.  Just as were settled in the blind with Steve (about 5:45 am) we heard two gobblers behind us along with a few hens yacking away. Patiently we waited.  When it got a little lighter out I looked behind me to finally check out my surroundings.   About 20 yards away I saw a huge tree just full of turkeys, about 20 of them!!!!! (So these silly things probably watched us put up the decoys.) At that moment to the left of the tree I saw a huge black blob that appeared to be strutting towards me.  At this point Steve told me to get my gun ready,  so I aimed towards the Tom decoy...I can hear him get closer and I hear him drumin away… As soon as he came visible in front  of the muzzle I started getting the shakes...bad!  I pulled the trigger and smacked the 25 pound Tom straight down at 6:15am!

The rest of the story is this:  Harvested and cooked it myself. Slabbed homemade peach jam and wrapped the meat with bacon; thanks to Steve's wife who gave me some pointers on recipes.   It was one of the best moments of my life and it is true that girls do know how to have fun!