BY DANIEL BRNJIC (’17)

Deer hunting is painted as a sport that kills deer for the fun of it. Most think that hunting is a danger to our environment by depriving it of deer. In reality, though, there are no more environmentally conscious people than hunters. They care about the sport they love and want to preserve it for generations to come. The state of Ohio sets safe limits on the amount of deer each hunter is allowed to kill each year, and it also has strict punishments for those who break the law. Deer season begins in late September with bow season and goes through February. Hunters live for the cold mornings and the sun rising over the quiet woods.

Deer hunters also have big hearts. They kill deer for the meat they provide, and this meat goes to a good cause. The state of Ohio usually allows each hunter to harvest three or four deer a year. With one deer being able to provide enough meat to last months for one family, most hunters donate the remaining meat to those in need. Because deer is a wild animal it cannot be sold at the grocery store. Most hunters will only keep one deer for themselves and donate their remaining deer to local butcher shops who process the meat and give it to those in need.

Deer hunting occurs within the holiday season. Gun season in Ohio occurs between Thanksgiving and Christmas. There is no better way to celebrate the season of giving than giving up to three hundred pounds of meat to those who need it in our community. With no shortage of families in need in the community donating meat is excellent way of giving to those in our local community who cannot afford to prepare an appropriate Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner a way to celebrate the holiday on a full stomach.