The thrill of the hunt

Hunting is huge. Every year according to the International

Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, hunting generates $10.6 billion in overall retail sales with $493 million coming from rifle sales alone.?

Now that the leaves are changing, hunters are getting that itch again.? The itch to sit in the woods waiting patiently for that prized trophy buck that senior Michael Ewing describes as “killing something that I can mount on my wall and be proud of.”

“It is the chance to completely get away from everything. It’s a great time to think,” said senior Josh Maloy.

? “Just being in the outdoors again and enjoying the thrill of being in the middle of the woods, silent as can be, without a deer ever knowing you are there is a thrill for me,” said Ewing. “I enjoy watching the other wildlife around me and taking out my binoculars to scope around the area.”

The placid woods are also a sort of religious experience for some.

“The number one reason I go is to be with the Lord,” said Maloy.? “To know that He created everything and to sit inside of His creation is a close type of interaction with the Lord for me.”

Though hunting involves hours of sitting alone in the woods, Ewing says that it is not as simple as it appears.

“It’s not as easy as it looks,” he said. “Time, money and lots of preparation go into it.? A hunter must go to some level of degree to make sure his scent is not picked up, he’s not heard while in the woods and most important that he has set up in an area where deer are likely to pass through.”

Strategy is also very important in hunting. A hunter must be capable of discerning if deer move through a specific area.

“The way to know if a deer is likely to pass through is to look for deer feces on the ground, rubs on tree, and scrapes on the ground, trails, and signs of a food source such as acorns or persimmon trees,” said Ewing.

“A lot of it is being in the right place at the right time,” said Maloy.? “You do a lot of scouting where you put your deer stand.? You always want to be around some sort of food or water source.”

Deer hunting, unlike bird and squirrel hunting, requires hunters to either sit in a tree stand or against a tree base for hours at a time.

Ewing points out that he prefers sitting in tree stand because stands offer better view, more comfort and less chance of a deer seeing you. Rifles and bows are the two most common hunting weapons. Although bow season starts earlier than rifle season, most hunters prefer the latter.

“A rifle is a lot easier, but a bow is such a challenge.? I have never killed anything with a bow, ” said Maloy.

The disadvantage of a bow is that a greater level of accuracy is required and yet is harder to achieve. Bows are more likely to maim than kill a deer.

Though Ewing uses a bow he prefers his Ruger .30-06 with a Bausch and Lomb scope.?

“The gun is more advantageous in hunting, because you can be more accurate and you can shoot much further,” he said.

The defining moment for a hunter is when a deer appears in the scope. Ewing says a lot of preparation in the off-season goes into making the shot under pressure.

“I take practice at target to get ready for the season each year,” he said. “This helps because I am more comfortable taking a shot and feeling the recoil of the gun than if I shot only a couple of times during the season. The best way to get better is to practice and prepare in the off-season.”

Ewing cites resources such as videos and books that can provide valuable information on hunting

Though hunting involves firearms, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources said that the sport is safe. The department cites an average of 73 hunting accidents and eight fatalities a year.

“According to U.S. National Safety Council statistics, people are 20 times more likely to die in a car accident than while hunting. Hunting is a very safe activity,” said the DNR website.

Not only do Ewing and Maloy find hunting to be peaceful, exciting and enjoyable they also said hunting facilitates relationships between parents and their children.

“It’s an outdoor activity that a father can pass down to his son,” said Ewing.

Ewing’s father began taking him hunting when he was 2 years old. He watched his father while hunting and killed his first deer when he was 12.

“If it weren’t for that bonding time and hanging out with my dad, I would have never known what to do to actually shoot a deer,” he said.

Maloy echoes Ewing’s comments.

“My dad first started taking me when I was younger,” said Maloy.? “It is the chance for the father to teach his son responsibility and respect for the woods and a gun. Hunting teaches a lot of life lessons.? You don’t want to be a killer you want to be a conservationist.”

The ultimate reward for Maloy’s patience and preparation is the deer meat, or venison.

“The meat is unbelievable.? The back straps on the deer, are probably the best meat I have ever had if you cook it right,” he said. “I wrap bacon around it and marinate it in Dale’s sauce, Italian dressing and Sunkist orange.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Oct 22 2004. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry