Being out on unmarked territory, not knowing what’s around you, and being ready to fire at any given moment makes hunting one of the most unpredictable and dangerous sports. Senior Charlie Plym is a dedicated player on Poly’s varsity baseball team and also annually travels down to Georgia with his family to hunt. 

When Plym was 15 years old, he received a phone call from his grandfather inviting him to come down to Georgia to hunt for deer. His grandfather said he was finally old enough to join him in his hunting excursions. 

Plym soon learned that patience is essential to hunting. Plym spends hours waiting for the perfect shot; from being completely silent to keeping a sharp eye on the target, he has to account for many components. Positioning himself downwind (where the wind is moving toward the hunter from the direction of the deer) so the deer doesn’t smell him, Plym must wait in silence so the deer doesn’t get spooked and run off. Like fishing, hunting is a game of waiting until the precise moment presents itself. 

“The most challenging aspect of the sport is the waiting, I usually hunt deer and they are super aware of all sounds, so if you even move slightly they will leave,” Plym said. 

Every November, Plym heads down to Georgia for the annual “buck run.” “November is the best time for buck hunting because all the deers are mating.”

Even though there is often a stigma around hunting, regarding its violent nature, Plym addressed that he doesn’t hunt for sport.  Even though Plym finds hunting exhilarating, Plym hunts for a good meal as well. Plym notes that hunting is actually more sustainable than supporting the overly industrialized agricultural system. Even though he usually sources his food from a grocery store, once a year, he likes to “reconnect with nature, provide, and cook venison for his family.”

 “I don’t hunt just to kill animals, or to collect trophies, I hunt for deer meat and to spend quality time with my grandfather. I wish more people knew that it isn’t just mindless.”

Understanding more than just the physical act of hunting is extremely advantageous when in such an intense environment. Plym mentioned that he also takes account of the conservation aspect of hunting and it helps him to strategize. 

Planning to head down to Georgia this November for the annual “buck run,” Plym will carry with him his love for the sport outside of his high school years and maybe even bring the annual tradition to his own family one day.