November 15, marked the first day of rifle season in Michigan and many students here took advantage of ideal conditions. With the students having the day off, there were a lot of students out in blinds or tree stands early in the morning, throughout the day, and throughout the week. Many had the experience of shooting a deer and the students who did not, still were able to get out and enjoy the outdoors. 

Noah Buchanan, a junior at SLHS, went out in the early morning and was not very successful. He has been hunting for a long time and has always loved the experience of going out in the early morning even if he is not able to shoot anything. Buchanan commented, “I went out to my deer blind early Tuesday morning. I did not see much while I was out. I saw a total of one doe and six squirrels. Even though I was not fortunate to bag a buck, I thought it was a very good experience to be able to go out and really just have that fun experience with my brother and my grandfather.” Buchanan then went on to talk about how he loves to go out with his grandfather and his brother. He really enjoys being able to feel so close to his family. 

Ben March, a junior at SLHS also decided to go out the weekend after opening day. March was a first-time hunter and was very excited to be able to have that experience with his father. March got the experience to shoot a doe. He commented, “I am a first-time hunter, and I was very excited to be able to have this experience. It was very exciting and nerve-racking to be able to shoot that doe. I was very excited to have that experience and understand the feeling that everyone talks about. It was very nerve-racking because I was just trying to make sure I did everything right and make sure that it all turned out the way that I expected it to.” 

There were also a lot of people who capitalized on opportunities prior to the firearm season and connected with their bows/crossbows. Junior Colby Taylor got two deer and senior Ashton Leonard shot at least one buck this year during his hunt in Ohio. Overall, there were a lot of SLHS students who went out and got the experience of hunting in the great state of Michigan.