Each year families engage in many holiday traditions that are as unique as the people within them. One such largely practiced tradition is opening day of hunting season, which went into full force on Friday, Nov. 15.
Over 600,000 men, women and children deer hunt in Michigan each season according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. As students begin heading home for the holiday break, many will join the thousands of others manning deer blinds and tents despite the chilly weather.
Fall was the chosen season for hunting for a variety of reasons. Most Michigan native animals are born during the spring and summer months and by fall are in the most physically fit condition they will be in for the year. The better health an animal is in, the more protein and nutrition the animal will provide. Hunting is also strictly regulated and enforced by the DNR, to assure that the populations of certain animals does not get out of control nor become extinct.
For many students heading home for the holidays, Thanksgiving morning will be the next opportunity to get out into the woods and try for a buck. Many head out to the woods the night prior to Thanksgiving Day, spend the morning hoping to land the best deer and then return home in time for dinner with loved ones.
Students on campus have mixed opinions concerning hunting season. Freshman Amber Wise grew up in a hunting family and recalled her grandfather hunting goose and duck back in her childhood.
“I remember my grandfather would come home with geese and duck and they would all be laid out the lawn,” Wise said. “He would cook things like gizzard and onions with it.”
Other members of her family still hunt during deer season, including an uncle and step-father who is an aspiring deer hunter.
“Yeah I don’t know if I could kill something but I would go just for the fun of it,” she said.
Other EMU students, growing up in a different family environment didn’t find hunting to be a part of their holiday season. Senior Vergil Essex was one such student.
“I didn’t grow up in a culture where hunting was present,” he said.
Senior Ivory Harris agreed, saying, “It wasn’t in my culture to hunt and I don’t like the cold.”
Other students on campus are opposed to the concept of hunting in general. David Steinrock is working towards his doctoral in education. While not opposed to the consumption of eating meat, Steinrock doesn’t agree with hunting wild game by stating, “I don’t think people should have guns or kill other living things.”
Despite the wide array of experiences and opinions of EMU students, thousands of deer are “bagged” in Michigan each year. In 2011 alone the final count estimated by the DNR for deer was over 400,000. During the average season, 90 percent of hunters that obtained a license were male with 10 percent under the age of 17 according to survey reports from michigan.gov/dnr.
“Hunting is an addiction,” said avid hunter Mark Ancona. “When you’re up in that blind for hours and you begin to think to yourself you should just head back and get a cup of coffee but then say, well maybe just five more minutes”.
Michigan hunting caters to all ages, with youth programs beginning as young as 9 years old. There are many regulations involving youth hunters for safety but the programs are positive proof that hunting is a cherished fall family event. In addition, special permits are available for disabled persons including the “standing vehicle hunting permit” which allows those unable to trek the woods the opportunity to participate in the season.
While most Michigan residents have heard of deer season, there are multiple animals on the game list hunters can pursue. These include cottontail rabbit, quail, wild turkey and even bobcat depending on the season. Specific dates allow hunters to use either bow and arrow or firearm.
Each EMU student has a unique experience to report when returning home for the holiday season and for many, this tradition includes getting back to nature and our original hunter-gatherer instincts. Most hunters that do “bag” a deer during the season assure that the meat is properly prepared and use it to provide for their family, insuring that the life of an animal is not wasted. It can be a challenging and rewarding holiday season pasttime and any student interested in participating should take a moment to assure they understand proper regulations.
More information can be found at michigan.gov/dnr or at facebook.com/midnr.
