EVANSTON — A 12-year-old girl from Evanston has accomplished something in her first year of hunting that could make even some seasoned hunters envious. Kylie Hintz, a seventh-grader at Davis Middle School, successfully completed a quadfecta, harvesting a pronghorn antelope, an elk, a deer and a bear — all in 2017.

Although Kylie has practically been hunting since birth — her dad, Joe Hintz, started taking her when she was just 4 months old — this was the first year Kylie got to pull the trigger.

“I couldn’t be prouder of Kylie,” Melinda Hintz, Kylie’s stepmom, said. “From the beginning of the year she had a goal that she set her mind to and never gave up.”

Melinda said Kylie had the persistence and patience to reach her goal. Melinda noted “the long days in the bear stand without a sound, the laughs and times we shared while out on long grueling hikes.”

Through some tough times, Kylie never got discouraged. Melinda said Kylie kept a positive attitude, even when someone else shot a bull almost within her range.

“We can try again tomorrow,” Kylie would say, always with a smile.

Kylie was in it for the long haul this year, making sure she was prepared for each hunt.

“She has been so successful because she is willing to put in all the hard work and [she] has the patience it takes before, during and after the season,” Melinda said. “We collect and make bear bait all winter, practice marksmanship during the summer and hike and scout all fall. She has a never-give-up attitude…”

That attitude was crucial as Kylie walked 38 miles to fil her fourth and final tag, which happened to be the bull elk she shot with a .270 Winchester Short Magnum (WSM) on Oct. 21.

She harvested her bear on June 2, with a .270 rifle, followed by an antelope on Sept. 11, also with a .270 rifle. She got her deer on Oct. 7, with a .270 WSM.

Joe filled his deer and elk tags along the way.

Kylie enjoys the outdoors and likes to hike, fish and camp. She said her favorite part of hunting is getting to the animal after she’s shot it.

“The adrenaline rush when I get close to the animal [is the best],” Kylie said. “I practiced hunting with my dad since I was a little girl.”

With an abundance of game meat following so many successful hunts, the Hintzes make plenty of jerkey, summer sausage, hamburgers and steaks.

“Kylie likes wild game meat,” Melinda said, “and her [favorites are] elk steaks and jerkey.”