Hunting season causes some students to miss class

By Matthew Lytle

As modern gun deer hunting season approaches, many students around campus will leave Friday afternoon to venture home for a long weekend of hunting.

Some of these students may argue that this should merit an excused absence, but others might disagree.

Modern gun season begins across the state Saturday.

Modern gun refers to a rifle which allows the hunter an easier, more active shot at harvesting a deer.

Kentucky has four hunting zones — zones 1 and 2 are open Saturday through Nov. 27, and zones 3 and 4 are Saturday through Nov. 21.

These zones are in use to control deer population throughout the state.

Some students on campus plan to hunt this weekend, which can mean skipping class on Friday.

“It gives you an adrenaline rush that is indescribable,” Alan Turner, an education junior, said about hunting. “You can literally see your heart beat not just feel it.”

Hunting is a tradition and a way of life for many students and their families.

“We pay money to go to school so it should be our choice to attend class or not,” said Andrew Owen, an accounting junior.

John Lynch, a journalism professor, cited a couple instances where students have skipped his class and were not ashamed of telling him why.

“I was stunned,’’ Lynch said when a student told him he would be missing class because of deer season. “It was out of my experience.

He also described another instance when a student came back to class and was raving to Lynch about how he harvested an elk during a hunt while missing class.

“He had no doubt he was not coming to class,’’ Lynch said.

Turner said he will be going home this weekend to hunt.

“Hunting is a tradition that has gone back for many years,” Turner said. “You only have five days out of the year to use a modern gun, and usually only three of those days fall during the work week.”