Under the Helmet – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/24/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 24, 2005
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Unlike the raucous Ohio Stadium in which he trods every Saturday, the woods have a muffled silence beneath Doug Datish’s feet. Leaves and undergrowth mute most noises into soothing sounds. Dawn has barely broken and the sunlight scatters through the trees.
The seclusion while hunting is perfect for the Ohio State junior offensive lineman. It gives him a chance to take a breather from a fast-paced life and allows him to get back to nature.
“I like the solitude,” Datish said of his family hobby. “Right now I’m so busy with everything between school and football. When I go hunting, there’s nothing immediate to do. I can just sit there. It’s really peaceful.”
Datish has been deer hunting since he was a kid. After taking a hunting safety course when he was 10, his father, Mike, started to take him out on hunting excursions. Datish learned everything he knows about hunting from his father, a hunting purist. When Datish is not busy with football, father and son go hunting on a regular basis. The excursions not only are a time to bond, but the passing on of a tradition within the males of the Datish family. The family has hunted for many generations.
The Datish family’s hunting trips, as Doug would find out, are not for the ill-hearted.
“We go hunting all day,” Datish said. “My dad’s pretty hardcore. I know a lot of people who will go out in the morning for awhile and then come back right before dusk. My dad doesn’t accept that. It’s all day or nothing.”
The length of his day varies depending on the location of the hunt. Normally, he gets up around 5 a.m. to be in the woods by 5:30 a.m.
“You’ve got to be in the woods before the sun comes up,” Datish said. “It’s when everything is quiet in there.”
A rivalry has never formed between the Datish and his father, for one simple reason.
“He is way better then me,” Datish said. “He gets as many deer in a year that he is allowed to get. He’s out in the woods everyday, no matter what.”
Datish’s hunting time has diminished because of his football schedule,. The optimal time to hunt deer is in October and November. Datish has missed out because of his commitment to the Buckeyes, so he makes up for them in winter.
“There are some good things about hunting in winter,” Datish said. “It’s cold, so you’re not sweating. If you do get the chance to take a shot, you can follow the trail in the snow easily. It’s harder, though, because there is no vegetation so you can’t really hide.”
Datish also extends his hunting season by hunting with both gun and bow. Each weapon has a separate season, allowing Datish to utilize each season to make up for his missed time. During gun season, he usually has only one or two days, but during bow season he at least gets a few days during the holiday break.
Every county within Ohio has separate hunting limits. Some counties limit each person to one deer per season, whereas other counties with deer overpopulation can have up to three. While these different counties may entice hunters to continue to pursue more then one deer in a season, Datish is content to remain around his hometown of Warren, Ohio.
“I like to hunt back home, because I know the area,” Datish said. “Sometimes if you don’t know the area it can be a little scarier. You’re afraid to go to deep into the woods and find a good area because you might not be able to find a way out. So, I think for comfort’s sake, I like hunting back home. Besides, the deer are a little bigger up there.”
The skills he has acquired from hunting have helped Datish on the football field. It has particularly taught him the art of patience.
“It has made me patient,” Datish said. “When you go out hunting, most of the time you don’t see anything. Then there are times when you see a lot of things. It’s like waiting for something to happen and when it does, taking that action. That has helped me on the field because football is similar in the waiting to act. ”
Datish has improved his skills, both in the woods and on the field. His hobby and his sport compliment each other, bringing both solitude and excitement into Datish’s life. In Datish’s family, hunting is a time-honored tradition, much like Ohio State football.
