Opening Day?

[ZEN]

Who's up early for the opening day of deer season?  Who's set up and in camp the night before?   Or, do you work weekdays hunt weekends?  Any traditions like that? 

I'm going to ask my cousin, who lives in Wisconsin, if he'd be into trying to partially schedule our family travels around the deer seasons here and there.  We're in our 30's and had more of a relationship when we were kids.  Our familoy traditions are changing a lot with us all getting older.  I think it's be a cool way to start our own tradition via our love for hunting.  Otherwise I schedule it way ahead a week or so in and hope to spend a few days hunting. 
 

[bowhuntin]

I usually use opening day of archery to really scout elk more than hunt deer, but that is just me I am sure others have traditions of hunting deer than I do.

[PolarBear]

I dont usually hunt archery deer until November/December.  I dont like velvet bucks and hot weather.  I will hit opening of archery elk though, just day trips.

[boneaddict]

When it was the labor day holiday, I used to always go after the opener.  The woods were always full of folks, and opener of bow isn't anything like modern.  Recently, the permit I really want is modern, so I archery hunt during the modern season.  I am usually in some hole someplace the night before, and enjoy the harvest opening day.

[jackelope]

since about 6-7 years ago, i've been going to my wife's family's land over out of pomeroy to hunt....it's been their family tradition for the last umpteen years and now i'm fortunate enough to be a part of it. every year i think i want to try hunting somewhere new, but can't seem to break the tradition thing. i've been tagging along with buddys on their hunts and have had some good times, but i guess to answer the question...
we all work a bunch and are westsiders who hunt eastside, so usually we end up making the trek the night before season starts, get in too late at night, go directly to bed and get up at 0dark30 to   get out in the woods. there's no such thing as groggy and too early on opening day though...3 hours or 13 hours of sleep the night before. there's just soemthing special about being out there early opening morning.

[Ray]

The high alpine season is sept 15th - 25th. That's on a saturday however my wife's birthday is on the 14th. I think that the 16th - 23rd I would like to see if my buds will be available for an opener. But I will even try to sneak out for a day on September 1st or 2nd a little bit more locally.

[Ridgerunner]

There is nothing like being in camp the night before the opener, telling stories and plotting about how to kill the big one the next morning. Great times,

[Dman]

 I miss our E. Wa. deer camp, haven't had one for going on four years now, though this year in Montana we'll have one and it will be good times again.

 

[wannahunt]

My favorite way to spend the general deer season opener is in the boat shooting ducks. I can wait til mid week.

[boneaddict]

Other than my moose hunts and now my elk hunt, opening night isn't very fun for me.  I'm usually perched on some mountain, or in some hell hole contemplating the meaning of life, or wondering why in the hell I do this.  Lonliness creeps in and thoughts of despair try to creep in.  I build up a bigger fire to let the flames lick away any of that darkness.  Then I crawl into my sleeping bag, and thinkabout my warm bed at home with a gorgeous lady in it.  I am usually exhaustd from the big push to get into the country, every part of my body acheing.  Then the alarm goes of at 3 am and I eat my granola bar and take a sip of water, then head for the top of the mountain.  When the sun comes up I know why I am there.  usually by 10, my buck is on the ground, and reality sets in. 

[Ridgerunner]

Bone-

If you ever want someone to contemplate the meaning of life with or throw another log on the fire let me know, I'd like to have my buck down by 10am on opening morning, that's not a bad way to go.

[elkaholic]

I miss our E. Wa. deer camp, haven't had one for going on four years now, though this year in Montana we'll have one and it will be good times again.

 

Where are you hunting at Montana? I didnt draw this year but have hunted the last 2 years there in the northwestern parts...

[WAcoueshunter]

I think I've hunted opening weekend of the general muley rifle season every year since I was 12.  I'm 33 now.  I've been on better hunts at different times of year, but the general season brings out all my part time hunting buddies and family members.  The location and crowd have changed a few times, but it's always a great time.  Fun to share a few beverages and a fire with those guys you haven't seen since the prior October.  Seems we always stay up too late, but that never slows you down come opening morning.  I'm going to primarily archery hunt this year, but I have the multi season tag so I'm sure I'll be there opening weekend anyway just for the fun.  Wouldn't miss it, regardless of whether I still have a tag to fill.  Happy to spot animals and haul out critters for my buddies that don't hunt as often as I do.  Heck, some of my favorite hunts have been when I didn't have a tag and was just tagging along. 

Zen, your story sounds a lot like mine.  My cousin lives in Phoenix and used to come up every summer to fish when we were kids.  We drifted apart a bit as we got older, but we started trading hunts in each other's state once we got out of school and had our own money to travel.  I've been to AZ for one hunt or another for the past 7 or 8 years.  It's been fantastic.  Now my cousin and I are in near daily contact planning hunts, applications, and just being good friends that have shared a lot of great times together. 

[Dman]

 -We're hunting out of Lewistown. There are three spots we'll likely try both to the south and north of Lewistown that my group has hunted before many times.

[Choclab]

I am not even gonna worry about deer or elk this year. I have been sooo pumped up for dove and early goose I have damn near forgot about the bigger critters....Seems I look forward to killing feathered things more and more each year