Hunting, fishing popular among students

With natural forests and large lakes surrounding Milledgeville, students can enjoy being active in nature. Some students flock to tap these resources and participate in something they love – hunting and fishing.

“As far as lakes go, you have Laurel right down the road from the school for a quick get away. Lake Sinclair is also available if you’re looking for something a little more serious,” said Josh Beck, a long-time fisherman and member of the GCSU fishing team.

Beck has been fishing since he was a child. At age 12, he turned to competitive fishing and has been taking part in it ever since.

Across the state of Georgia, hunting is a loved sport by many and the people of Milledgeville are no exception. Many nearby areas are covered with rich forest which are a haven for wildlife.

“Both Rock Eagle (in Eatonton) and Cedar Creek Wildlife (in Round Oak) are great places to go hunting. I actually went to Rock Eagle recently and got my first deer there,” said sophomore and long-time hunter Jake Lawler.

While hunting and fishing are recreational activities, both require extensive preparations.

“For a fishing day-trip, you need your bait, poles and licenses. For river fishing though, you need a separate license. You will always have a spot to fish but, for river fishing you want to look for deep, still water. That’s where the fish go,” GCSU fishing team member Andrew Harlan said.

The standard preparation for hunting is quite different in nature and can be just as precise.

“The maintenance of your firearm is the most important thing. It needs to be clean or else it won’t fire correctly. Weather is also another factor when hunting and you need to prepare for that. You need your license with you, of course,” Lawler said. “Another thing you need to worry about is your scent. You have to cover it up before you go or the animals will smell it.”

Accounts given by hunters and fishermen on campus suggests that there is more to the sports then throwing out your line or sitting and waiting for an animal to cross your path.

For hunters and fishermen, the enjoyment stems from similar points.

“Hunting is a tradition in my family. My dad is a hunter and my brother is a hunter. It is something that I can do with them,” Lawler said. “The personal time I get from it is great too. Sitting there silently is a good time for reflection.”

Like hunting, fishing can create friendships and bonds over sharing the passion for a sport.

“My favorite part about it is the time you get to spend with your true buddies who share the same love that you do for the sport. It’s easy to see that on each angler’s face before blast-off,” Beck said. “Fishing has helped me make some of my strongest friendships.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Nov 13 2009. Filed under Perspectives. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry