by Noelle DiFrancesco
Senior Alex Cecil poses with his dad before hunting deer. Many enjoy observing nature while awaiting prey. (Photo courtesy of the NHS Roundtable.)
Staff Writer, the Roundtable
Northern High School
This story was originally published in the Roundtable, the school newspaper of Northern High School, which has partnered with the NECD Community VOICE.
Sitting in the woods for hours, keeping still and quiet does not seem like it would be a total blast, but some look forward to it all year. Deer season recently started, and many were eager to get out in the woods and hunt.
“I went out the first day and sat for about two hours,” junior Heather Higdon said. “In that period of time, I only saw one deer.”
Hunters do not feel bad about killing deer if good food is the result.
“You shouldn’t be allowed to hunt if you don’t eat your deer,” junior Stephen Lavenets said.
Hunting is not a top hobby for most girls. Usually, it is the boys who are out hunting and later taking care of the skinning and gutting. But some girls rather enjoy this part.
“Gutting the deer is interesting,” sophomore Kelsey Wicker said. “I think it is fun, and it doesn’t gross me out.”
The most exciting part of hunting, though, is when the sound of crunching leaves reaches their ears, and a deer appears. Quickly getting ready to shoot with sweaty palms and a racing heart, the hunter’s gun fires and excitement fills their body.
“I get an adrenaline rush when I see a huge buck, knowing that I am about to shoot at it,” senior Eric Ferrell said. “It is the best feeling knowing you killed it, not just shot it.”
The relaxing aspect of getting to be outdoors for hours is a favorite for some who hunt. Sometimes, nature is all they have when the deer do not come by.
“There is nothing better than sitting in the woods with your friends waiting for big bucks to come by,” Lavenets said. “I always feel very relaxed listening to all the sounds that surround me.”