OPEN
SEASON
James Crouse, Chase’s father, loves to hun with his son. “I know [hunting] makes my dad proud,” Chase said.
possible, hoping that his camouflage gear is enough to keep him hidden. Te clothes and equipment work well enough, but after many long hours, Chase has not seen a single game animal. Disappointments like this have kept Chase out of hunting for a majority of his life. Now, he accepts hunting as more than a sport and embraces the opportunity to be with friends and nature. Tough Chase has a history in hunting,
Families come together through shared passion T
BY WILSON WITHERSPOON
wilsonwitherspoon@csdecatur.net
he sun is rising in Rome, Georgia, but junior Chase Crouse has been up for hours. He holds as still as
hunting in fields, where “there’s way more space and way more chance of seeing some- thing.” When the opportunity presents itself, Chase anticipates taking a hunting trip to Greenville, South Carolina, an area whose rural sections are renowned for their bountiful fields. Despite his preference for the fields, he
his view of the sport has changed as he has entered his later years of high school. “My dad took me when I was real young, but I never really wanted to hunt until recently,” he said.
Chase has not yet killed a game animal,
and he rarely sees anything worthwhile when he is out in the woods. “In the woods, something has to walk right in front of you [for you] to see it,” he said. Chase prefers
34 CARPE DIEM • DECEMBER 2011
continues to hunt mostly in the woods. Te requirement has not deterred Chase in the least. He is still optimistic about getting his first kill in the woods, and is eagerly antici- pating the event. “Once you can get out in the woods on your own and climb in a tree, you can just imagine a big buck walking by and you get really excited.” One factor that has helped kindle Chase’s enthusiasm for hunting is the encourage- ment of senior Todd Foster. “He talks to me about [hunting] all the time,” Chase said. Todd is admittedly a more decorated hunter than Chase. He has killed over 20 game animals in his career, and has shown a little more commitment to perfecting his practice. “He’s definitely had more success,”
Chase said, “but then again, he’s probably put in more time than me.” Todd hunts regularly and has starting
going on solo hunts over the past five years. One of his last times out, on Oct. 16, he recorded such a comprehensive kill that he is set for induction into a course record book and will receive a certificate of achievement soon.
Unlike Chase, Todd has always felt a pas-
sion for hunting. “I got into it at the start. I’ve been hunting since I was four years old, and I’ve loved it ever since,” he said. “I’ve always been that kid running around with BB guns and shooting people.” Tough he has been involved in the sport
for almost a decade and a half, Foster doesn’t feel his child-like excitement wearing off at all. Te constant thrill of hunting has helped Foster to grow closer to it with experience. “I like hunting because it’s a challenge,” he said. “Plus, the adrenaline you feel when you get a kill – it’s indescribable.” Despite their different skill levels, the two find that their experiences share much more
Photo courtesy of Chase Crouse
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