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Keene State's Larrimore always on the hunt
KEENE, N.H. 2/14/11 – Keene State College’s Cody Larrimore is always on the hunt. Whether it’s in the pool tracking down a swimmer or in the woods, stalking a white-tailed deer, the senior from Trappe, Md., always has his eye on the prize.
Larrimore, along with his teammates, will be on the prowl for the Owls' third consecutive New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Association (NEISDA) championship this weekend at the Upper Valley Aquatic Center in White River Junction, Vt. But the senior sprinter is also counting down the days when he will be back in the woods.
"Hunting is my escape from swimming," said Larrimore. "I annoy Coach [Jack] Fabian so much on weekends during the season because all I want to do is go away and hunt."
While waiting for the gun at the start of a race can certainly test one's nerves, Larrimore says it doesn’t come close to the moment when you’re ready to pull a trigger or release a bow. “I’ve caught hammerhead sharks and I’ve been skydiving six times, but I can’t get the same rush I do when I’m within 30 yards of a mature whitetail,” he said. “It’s something you have to experience to understand.”
Larrimore’s passion for the sport of hunting began at a young age. Growing up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Larrimore was always outside, hiking, fishing, and playing in the woods. At the age of 12, he jumped at the opportunity to join his dad and uncle on his first hunt.
“I fell in love with it,” said Larrimore, who soon thereafter obtained his license.
Initially going out after duck and goose, Larrimore graduated into bigger prey like quail, pheasant, and eventually deer. He also changed weapons, favoring a bow over a shotgun. “It’s a completely different hunt,” said Larrimore about the difference in arms. “It’s much harder and much more of a sport and a challenge ,and I feed off of that.”
The hunting season in Maryland lasts from Sept. 15 to Jan. 31. There are three hunting seasons – first, firearms; second, bow; and third, muzzleloader. You can always use the lesser firearm during the season.
Because the deer population is large in Maryland, so is the kill. “Back home, the neighborhoods are so overrun with deer that homeowners just want you to get rid of them,” Larrimore said.
Larrimore isn’t lacking the tools of the trade. Based on the prey and the terrain, he will use a wide assortment of stands and blinds that he sets up before the season. Larrimore also has an ample hunting wardrobe and, more importantly, a lot of patience. “People ask if I get bored sitting in the stands by myself for hours looking at trees. I tell them I’m more bored sitting at home watching TV,” he said.
Larrimore shares his love for hunting with his girlfriend, Kaila Umbarger, a sophomore on the Keene State women’s swim team. “Kaila grew up north of Boston, so she’s a city girl,” said Larrimore. “I first took her fishing and later hunting when she came down for Thanksgiving. “She loved it.”
“I didn’t know what hunting was like. I thought you crept around in the woods,” said Umbarger. “Now I have a better understanding of it.”
Although she favors the more social goose chase to the more solitary deer hunt, Umbarger said she is game about doing it again next season. “I don’t think I’d like to kill anything, but I like tagging along,” she said.
Turnaround is fair play. While Cody introduced Kaila to hunting, Kaila in turn brought the country boy into the city. “He’d never been to Boston, so I’ve taken him there a couple of times,” said Umbarger. “I grew up dancing and I love shows, so I also took him to Blue Man Group a few weeks ago.”
Larrimore doesn’t need a meal ticket at the Keene State dining commons. He eats what he kills. After lugging a 200-pound buck out of the woods, he will skin it and butcher it. His freezer in Keene is loaded with venison that he shares with his roommates and Umbarger.
Larrimore will graduate in May with a degree in economics. He is currently applying for jobs in the finance field, but is also considering the Coast Guard.
In the meantime, he will focus on swimming. Larrimore, who qualified for three events at last year’s NCAA championship, has already made the cuts for the 100 back and 100 fly this season. He’s hoping to add to his national race list by lowering his times in the 50 and 100 free at this weekend’s NEISDA meet.
“It would be great earning All-America, but it’s not really what I’m thinking about,” said Larrimore. “It will be the last meet of my career, so I just want to go down there, have fun, and race well.”
This year’s NCAA swim championship will be held at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. “I hear it’s a great hunting state too,” Larrimore said.
