Some view hunting as a boring and  low quality activity that only includes killing helpless animals, but for most hunting is a fun pastime.

   Statistics show that deer hunting is the most popular activity in the United States. Around 16 million people hunt annually.

   Many students enjoy being able to hunt and have been since they were very young. 

   “I’ve been hunting since I was like 4 or 5,” sophomore Addison Smith said.

   Research states that the age that most kids get introduced to hunting is continuing to go down. The average age that kids start hunting is between 7 and 9.

   Having started at such an early age, most people start hunting by themselves around the age of 12, but some people still enjoy doing it with other people.

   “I usually hunt by myself, but every now and then someone will come with me. For some reason, I have better luck with somebody,” sophomore Titus Havens said.

   Hunting camps and clubs are very popular places to hunt at around Greene County, Rocky Creek and Agricola. Some people also might just hunt on their property around their houses. 

   Although it might not seem like it, there is a dangerous aspect to hunting, having around 1,000 to 4,000 hunting injuries a year.

   “My neighbor’s friend fell out of a tree stand one time and broke his back,” junior Matthew Wicker said.

   In the end hunting might just be a fun activity, but there are traditions that come with it. Tradition can be anything from wiping blood on one’s face after they kill their first deer to skinning it with their family.

   No matter what it is there is a sense of emotion that comes with it. 

   “Every season, we do a specific hunt like maybe a doe day or one certain thing every Christmas Eve,” freshman Destini Merritt said.

   Whether a person hunts for the sport, fun or to continue a tradition, they will ensure that this year is their best yet.