As the school bell rings and kids are rushing to get home, these three students rush to go hunting, fishing, or snowmobiling. While other kids may prefer the comforts of their couches, these three prefer to spend the rest of the day and weekends outside. The focus of this story takes a closer look into Brayden, Logan, and Sam’s lives and what sparked their interest in what they love.  

A lot of the activities the students do outside of school come from the things they did as kids. From “going to my grandma’s” as Logan Kruser would do, to “taking the boat out by myself” and fishing as Brayden Hutchcroft would do, all of the students interviewed for this article love to do the things they did as a kid.

For some kids, spending time outdoors is one of the best ways to unwind after a long day of school. Some kids prefer to spend their time fishing and deer hunting like Brayden Hutchcroft, while others like to play baseball and duck hunt like Logan Kruser.

Logan has been hunting with his dad since he was twelve years old. For him “the cold mornings and the dew on the grass are all part of the experience. I can almost find a sense of peace and yet excitement when I'm duck hunting. When the sun comes over the hills and the other hunters start to shoot, that's when the excitement starts.”

Hunting is one of many outdoor activities these kids like to do. Brayden also likes to put a line out in the water at McCartney, a boat landing in Cassville. “Fishing is very relaxing for me,” he says “It is also a chance to get my mind off a long day of school.”

On the other hand, still being outside, but not hunting or fishing, Logan likes to spend some of his time playing baseball. “I picked it up from a young age with being at my grandma's and having my aunts play catch with me as they babysat me.” One of Logan’s best memories in baseball is when “we were playing in East Dubuque and Ethan was playing first base, and we just started yelling and calling his name. Brad Perry called him Corndog, and then we [all] called him Corndog. that was the same game Jack got his ERA of 1.47.” Needless to say, the East Dubuque game was very eventful. 

Sam Udelhofen loves to be outdoors whether it's snowmobiling, snowboarding, or hunting for deer, turkey, or squirrels. If he's not doing that, he is most likely in his shop building stuff out of wood. It's no doubt that Sam loved the outdoors from a young age, especially deer hunting. “The first hunt that hooked me was when I saw this huge buck [while] bow hunting. I went out every day after school trying to see it again. It's almost like it disappeared,” says Sam.  Not until later in the year during the gun season did the deer start showing up again. Even seeing the deer gave him enough of an adrenaline rush that he keeps going out to this day. 

These are just a few examples of the many different ways that students can enjoy spending time outdoors. Whether it's through hunting, fishing, baseball, or a number of other activities, there’s something out there for everyone.