The great State of Minnesota offers youth hunting seasons for qualified youngsters looking to bag a deer, grouse, pheasant, waterfowl, turkey or other game before the adult veterans enter the woods. In the spring, the wild turkey hunting season runs from mid-April to the end of May. It’s a great time for youngsters to get their feet wet in (typically) warmer while honing their hunting skills in a less-crowded arena.

Not only does the Gopher State have a healthy turkey population and more than its share of mature toms, it also boasts one of the nation’s top youth hunting fellowship.

Kali Schendzielos, 12 and a sixth grader at Becker Middle School has been hunting turkeys for just under a year. She also deer hunts in the fall. On Saturday, April 16 at 8 a.m. in the morning, Kali bagged a 10” bearded tom just outside Big Lake with a 20-gauge shotgun.

The bird, which practically dwarfs the 12-year-old, will be consumed for its meat and the feathers saved for a fan mount.

Kali was accompanied by Andrew Hemish on the hunt. She is the daughter of Kelly and Parker Schendzielos.

What an accomplishment!