EVANSVILLE — Young hunters who attend McKenna Middle School — and other seventh-graders who might glimpse a deer standing in a field — may never again look at the animals in the same way.

That’s because they recently viewed the dissection of a dead deer to culminate a deer/ecology unit in seventh-grade science at the Evansville middle school.

“It was exciting because I don’t really get to see the organs when I’m out deer hunting,” said seventh-grader Alex Shoemaker, who bagged a buck and a doe during this year’s hunting season.

But not everyone was captivated by the sight and smell of a deer being cut open.

“Two of my friends left. They thought it was disgusting,” said seventh-grader Emily Yoerger.

Overall, Hugh Curtis, retired director of outdoor education for the Wausau School Forest, a nature area run by the Wausau School District, had the attention of students during the deer necropsy.

Seventh-grade science teacher Bruce Curtis, Hugh Curtis’ son, has been scheduling the activity for about 10 years. He gives students an opportunity to pass if they think they’ll get queasy, but typically only a few students opt out each year.

He said it seems natural to study deer since they are a big part of the culture in Wisconsin, even for those who don’t hunt. He has been surprised by how little students know about the state’s official wild animal.

In addition, he figures it may be the only opportunity for many students to see organs similar to those of humans.

Some students wore coats because windows were open to reduce the smell from the recent road kill. But Bruce Curtis said the odor is part of the learning. He said that after five minutes, people get somewhat used to the smell, and when he asked his students if they found that true, most of them raised their hands in approval.

“It’s an ad lib project because when you open up that animal, you never know what you’re are going to find,” Hugh Curtis said in an interview.

Bruce Curtis said his deer/ecology unit includes discussion of animal rights and the views of groups ranging from the National Rifle Association to the National Wildlife Federation. Other teachers at McKenna get involved to create a whole day of related curriculum.