An alarm clock pierces the silence as a sleepless Elijah Meck, a graduate student in entomology, reaches over to turn it off. Meck jumps out of bed and begins to put his clothes on. This day is different than most, though. Instead of grabbing his backpack and gym clothes, Meck grabs a bow, arrows and a tree stand as he heads out the door.
While some students will be heading down to Clemson, S.C. this Saturday to attend the annual Textile Bowl, others, like Meck, will be heading into the forest in search of white-tailed deer as archery season begins in North Carolina. For many students, this will be nothing new to them. However, for some, this will be their first time bow hunting in North Carolina.
“I have been deer hunting for a long time, but I am from Pennsylvania and that is where I have done most of my deer hunting, all of my bow hunting actually,” Meck said. “I haven’t killed a deer with a bow in nine years and never in North Carolina. I am looking forward to this Saturday.”
Bow hunters have many options as far as where they can hunt in the Triangle. Some students have permission to hunt private land around the area. Although there is not as much “hunter friendly” land in the Triangle as more rural areas, students have not had much of a problem gaining permission to hunt when they do find land. For Jason Gore, a junior in turf grass management, this required asking permission from a landowner in eastern Wake County.
“I just went up and asked if I could bow hunt, and they said they didn’t have a problem with it,” Gore said. “Also, I think people are more inclined to let you hunt when you tell them you are hunting with a bow.”
According to Meck, deer can also be a pest to landowners. Some people even encourage deer hunting on their property. Because of overpopulation, in rural areas especially, deer come onto landowners’ yards and eat their landscapes. Farmers also have trouble with deer because they go into their fields and eat their crops. “It was not hard for me to get permission to hunt on private land because the landowner told me he was having problems with deer eating the shrubs and the crops on his property,” Meck said. “Bow hunting is a key management tool. Many people who oppose hunting do not understand that Mother Nature is not always the most humane when controlling the deer population.” However, for those who do not have permission to hunt private land, there are hundreds of acres of accessible public land in the Triangle. Game lands surround Falls Lake, Shearon Harris Lake and Jordan Lake and all of this public land is less than a 30 minute drive from campus.
Once students find places to hunt and make their kills, there are many options for what they can do with their venison, or deer meat. Some students choose to process their own meat while others pay to have it processed. Many students choose to give some of their meat away to those who don’t hunt but enjoy the taste of venison.
“I make my own sausage and jerky with most of my meat, but I give some away to people who don’t hunt if they want it,” Meck said.
Students chose to pick up the sport of bow hunting for many different reasons — some do it for the food, some do it for the sport. Still, others do it because it provides them with an inexpensive recreational opportunity.
“I enjoy practicing shooting my bow and it gives you something to do in the off-season… and it doesn’t cost a lot of money,” David Register, a freshman in turf grass management, said. “I can shoot my bow for nothing, where if I go and shoot a rifle it might cost me $30 in ammunition. It’s just good sport. I like the challenge.”
The football team’s rivalry game will not be the only cause for excitement this weekend. Saturday is a day many students have waited several months for.
“I am excited about the season this year,” Gore said. “I have some pictures of some really nice deer that I hope to get a shot at.”
