Even though many sports are offered here at Simpson College, there is one that is not offered that seems pretty popular among Simpson students. Hunting has risen in popularity and many students take up the sport, usually back in their hometown.

Something about being in nature brings them close to the animals.

“I like it because you get to be out in nature,” sophomore Nathan Trimble said. “You get to try and blend in and see all the animal activity around you.”

Being close to nature is only one perk of hunting. Some students hunt because it is an opportunity to spend time with friends.

“I have always hunted with my friends,” senior Jesse Reis said. “It is always a game to see who gets the biggest buck or the most birds.”

One style of hunting that has risen in popularity is bow hunting.

“Bow hunting is a challenge because your distance is limited between you and the deer,” Trimble said. “I also use a re-curve bow with wooden arrows which makes it even harder because the bow doesn’t have any sights or stabilizers.”

Reis also sees bow hunting as a good challenge.

“It’s tough because you are so close,” Reis said. “You get the anticipation of the deer coming close to you, and you have to watch every movement closely.”

Other students, like junior Erin Vinnedge, don’t have experience bow hunting but would like to try it out.

“I would like to try it because it seems like more of a challenge,” Vinnedge said. “It seems tough because you have to be smarter about the animal’s pattern out in nature.”

A native of Montana, Vinnedge was the first female of her home state to legally shoot two elk in one day.

“I hunt big game with a high-powered rifle,” Vinnedge said. “I also hunt water fowl with a shotgun.”

She said hunting appeals to her for a variety of reasons.

“I like it because you get to be outdoors with nature,” Vinnedge said. “It is also fun and I like to eat it.”

Reis said whether he hunts with a bow or a gun depends on the season.

“I use a shotgun for first-season shotgun deer and to hunt pheasants and quail,” Reis said. “I prefer shotgun, but the bow season is a longer season.”

Reis hunts pheasants and deer in Carroll and Guthrie Counties He hunts quail in southern Iowa.

Trimble hunts in many areas. He hunts in the public land of Summerset or a farm south of town. He also hunts on farms around his hometown where people will let him use the land.

The sport of hunting has taken up popularity with many Simpson students for various reasons but they all seem to agree that being out in nature is one perk. Whether you grew up doing it with your dad or it has been a tradition with friends, it seems to bring many students together.