The trees are slowly turning yellow, farmers are harvesting their crops and the hunting season has begun.

ISU hunters said hunting is a pastime that is very fulfilling.

“It’s a part of our heritage, being outdoors and enjoying nature,” said Joshua Rusk, ISU Ducks Unlimited treasurer and senior in animal ecology.

Every year Iowa hosts more than 250,000 hunters, who make 3.5 million visits to Iowa’s 340 public hunting locations, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Web site, www.iowadnr.com.

Story County Conservation director Steve Lekwa said hunting is a tradition and he considers it a “shared experience for untold generations.”

Michael Strauser, president of ISU Ducks Unlimited, agreed.

“It’s not an evil thing,” said Strauser, senior in animal ecology. “Hunters are not out there just to shoot stuff up.”

Strauser said his enjoyment of hunting was passed on from his father.

“Hunting can have a big impact on a child’s view toward nature itself,” Strauser said. “I personally found a love for nature and the use of conservation through hunting.”