hunting and fishing

Outdoors Catching game

For many Marksmen, the sports of hunting and fishing are a tradition passed down through generations. Senior Klyde Warren and juniors Henry Piccagli and James Fults have made it their passions.

Chilled by the cold winter air, senior Klyde Warren walked through the cornfields of East Texas to stalk a small group of wild hogs.

Accompanied by a gun, knife and hunting guide, Warren gradually heard the sounds of footsteps pounding against the earth a few hundred feet in front of him. As these footsteps grew louder, sounds of shrieks and grunts came from the opposite direction.

Warren knew he was in trouble.

Quickly loading his gun and resting it between his palms, Warren prepared to fend off any threatening animals that might come his way. As he and his guide made their way through the long, dried cornfield, they were met on the other side by a herd of wild hogs.

Surrounded, Warren picked the largest in the group, wedged the gun’s stock tightly against his right cheekbone and precisely aligned the scope’s red dot sight to just under the hog’s neck.

He took the shot.

Suddenly, the rest of the hogs aggressively charged in his direction. The corn was too thick to shoot through, as the hog was barreling toward him.

The herd of 250-pound hogs were quickly within shooting distance of Warren. In a matter of seconds, the herd brushed by him, striking his left leg. Falling to the ground, Warren breathed a sigh of relief as he noticed the hogs no longer posed a threat while they scurried off into the cornfield.

“It made for one of the most thrilling experiences of my life,” Warren said.

For Warren, the sport of hunting started as a game his dad invented to keep him entertained and curious as an impatient six-year-old boy.

“My dad taught me at a very young age, so that was always a great bonding experience for the two of us,” Warren said. “He came up with different stories about how creatures would show up to the deer stand, and it was my responsibility to look out for them and potentially shoot them. This forced me to familiarize myself with different animals and made it fun for me at an early age when I didn’t appreciate hunting.”

Now, 12 years since his first kill, Warren still spends time hunting and exploring the outdoors as a means to grow closer with the world around him.

“As I’ve gotten older, I have become more independent when I hunt,” Warren said, “Just sitting in the deer blind at 6:30 in morning just as the sun starts to come up is always really peaceful for me. I really enjoy being surrounded

POSTED UP Senior Klyde Warren and his hunting dog, Gage, sit in a pond at his ranch in Sulphur Bluff, TX after shooting down the bag limit for ducks. Warren and his father spend countless weekends enjoying the outdoors.

by wildlife. I think it is such a unique experience that everyone needs to have, and it gives you a great perspective on the world around you.”

For the Fults family, hunting is a tradition passed down through the generations from father to son. Junior James Fults remembers the first buck he shot with his dad like it was yesterday.

“When I was in third grade, I went deer hunting with my dad,” Fults said. “I missed my first two shots, but on the third I finally hit it. When a deer gets shot, it doesn’t just die; it normally starts running around. This was my first buck, so my dad and I waited around for an hour for it to die. When we went out there, there was a gigantic, three-foot-wide blood trail weaving and zigzagging straight to the deer. Then, I ate a little chunk of the heart for tradition.”

While Fults mostly hunts and fishes in West Texas, two summers ago, he traveled to Argentina with his dad and his brother to explore the South American outdoors and landscapes.

“That was definitely one of the most fun weeks of my life,” Fults said. “We got to go dove and duck hunting, as well as fishing for golden dorados. My dad shot over 4,000 doves in a day. The golden dorado fish, I think, are the prettiest fish in the world. That week was just unforgettable.”

I think I fell in love with hunting and fishing because it goes hand in hand with what I love most –– being outdoors.

James Fults, junior

For junior Henry Piccagli, hunting is more than just killing an animal. After years of the sport, he has learned how to process the meat so that the animal doesn’t go to waste.

“I’m really into cooking and gameprocessing whatever I kill,” Piccagli said. “I eat everything that I kill no matter what. I would never go to Africa to shoot a lion. I think that’s pointless. But when shooting deer, I’ve gotten to learn how to gut it, clean it and process all the meat. When you eat it, it’s super rewarding for all the hours you put into it.”

After learning how to hunt and fish under his father’s guidance, Piccagli says the neverending thrill of breaking personal records is what keeps bringing him back for more.

“There’s definitely a thrill involved with these activities,” Piccagli said. “My dad has been bass fishing his whole life, and catching a doubledigit pound fish is a big deal. He called me last weekend and sent me a photo of a ten-pound bass he caught — the first one he’s ever caught in all those hours of fishing. That’s the reason you do it. There’s always something bigger and better you can go for.”

STORY Peter Orsak, Luke Nayfa, Arjun Khatti PHOTOS Evan McGowan, Courtesy Klyde Warren, Henry Piccagli, James Fults

STALKING PREY Below, junior Henry Piccagli hunts down his prey with a crossbow in the woods.

23 Sports

Wrestling duo

Brothers Tucker Ribman ‘18 and senior Cooper Ribman team up again for Harvard wrestling. Page 24

Return-to-play

Looking at the school’s policies for COVID-19 in sports. Page 25

NCAA return

Talking to gamers about the return of a college football video game. Page 26

In brief

SUPER BOWL LOSS Former President of the Board of Trustees Clark Hunt ‘83 and the Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-9 in Super Bowl LV Feb. 3. Hunt ’83 serves as co-owner, CEO and chairman of the Chiefs. This year was the Chief’s second consecutive Super Bowl after capturing last year’s title. The team will look to retool in the offseason and make a third title run in the upcoming NFL season.

NINJA WARRIOR Sophomore Christan Youst will compete for the title of “American Ninja Warrior” on the upcoming 13th season of the American Ninja Warrior television show on NBC. Youst will travel to Tacoma, WA Mar. 20 to compete in the regional qualifiers in hopes of moving on. Youst looks to prove that the youth competitors can be just as good as the adults, if not better.

FRESHMAN STEPS UP In his first year of high school, freshman Nathan Davis made the Lions’ varsity basketball team. Playing for the 21st ranked team in the state according to MaxPreps, Davis has gotten to improve his skills learning from some of the top players in Texas.

POLE VAULTER COMMITS Senior Michael Vanesko committed to Middlebury College for track and field to continue his pole-vaulting career Feb. 26. Vanesko’s highest official pole vault was recorded at a height of 12’6” in his junior season at the Arlington Bowie 25th Annual Volunteer Relays, but he aims to improve this number even more this season. Vanesko and the rest of the track and field squad hope to have competition this spring, COVID-19 permitting.

COLLEGE ALUMNI The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the fall and winter alumni athletes to lose their season; however, many of the spring athletes’ seasons have just started. Chase Honaker ’19 finished his redshirt freshman season at UCLA as a goalie of the water polo team. Jonathan Taylor ’19 opened his sophomore year at defense for Villanova University with a 16-1 loss against Georgetown but bounced back beating Marquette 16-14. John Gunnin ’18 began his junior year as back-up goalie for Colgate University with a 17-14 loss to Robert Morris and a 15-9 loss against Albany.