For many students the fall season is a busy one after school. Some students play fall sports, work, or just do school work. But for a select group of students the fall means something else — it means it’s time to hunt.

Hunting comes in a variety of forms. Most of it depends on where you live and what type of land you have access to. Most hunters in the state of Michigan deer hunt, while a very small percentage of people elk hunt. These various hunting options can make hunting a very unique sport.

It even varies globally. In the United States you can hunt anything from bunny to moose. But in other parts of the world, like Africa, you can hunt game like elephant and cape buffalo.

Trapper Jack Burke, a senior at MHS, has been hunting since he was young. He hunts deer, geese, turkey, and coyote. He hunts on land in the highland recreation area and the Indian lake state recreation area. He hunts for meat and to learn about nature. “To be a hunter means conserving and controlling populations” said Burke.

For each individual, hunting means something different. Whether it’s for the meat, enjoying nature, or spending time with your family, it can play an important role in people’s lives.

“I hunt because it gives me time to be stress free and it gives me time to spend and make memories with my buddies and my family” says Hunter Bartholomew, a senior at MHS. Hunter has been hunting his entire life. He hunts waterfowl, turkey, and deer. He primarily hunts locally and in the thumb. “ To be a hunter means that you’re willing to be persistent and willing to sit through long periods without luck in hopes that you’ll get a trophy that you’ve been going for a long time. But it takes a real hunter to be able to go out and not shoot something.”

Like Trapper and Hunter, many students share this love of hunting and the outdoors. They have grown up hunting and many will continue this tradition for the rest of their lives.