MURRAY, Ky., June 5 — If you love outdoor adventure Murray State University is your kind of college, according to the latest issue of Outdoor Life magazine. In the article “Outdoors U.,” Murray is listed as one of the top 10 colleges and universities in America for students who love to hunt and fish. “Murray State’s proximity to the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area makes it an outdoorsman’s paradise,” wrote John Taranto. “Fish for bass, crappies, sauger, catfish and blue gills on Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake’s combined 220,000 surface acres. Hunt deer, turkeys, ducks, squirrels, rabbits and more in the 170,000 acres of wilderness between the two.

“If you’re heading off to college soon,” he explained, “chances are the thought of leaving the woods, streams, fields and lakes you’ve grown up with is already making you feel a little homesick. Fear not! At these 10 schools, not only can you get a college education, but you can do so while hunting and fishing to your heart’s content. Plus they all have curricula and clubs for the outdoors-minded.”

Other top ten colleges and universities included Auburn University, Colorado State University, Hampden-Sydney College, Montana State University, Oregon State University, Paul Smith’s College, South Dakota State University, Texas A&M University and University of Wisconsin/Steven’s Point. Of the top ten, Murray’s cost was listed as the most affordable.

Outdoor Life singled-out Murray’s B.S. degree in recreation and leisure services, with an outdoor concentration, as a program that would catch the eye of the outdoor enthusiast. It also included a photo of Morgan Hicks, MSU’s 2004 Olympian and now coach of the rifle team, reminding readers that Murray State University has sent more than its share of athletes to the Olympics.

Gaining attention for its environment is not new to Murray. The lakes region of west Kentucky was once chosen by USAir magazine as one of the 10 best sailing vacation areas in United States and Caribbean waters. A special issue of the publication labeled MSU’s home territory as one of North America’s premier locations for a family sailing holiday. Murray’s rural location is more than just beautiful, according to studies done for the book Crime at College. FBI crime data, analyzed by a former police officer and a crime beat reporter, resulted in Murray being rated as the 11th safest location in the nation for college study.