Opening Day of any hunting season holds a special place in the hearts of millions of Americans. It is a date circled on calendars. In parts of the country, businesses and schools close because so many people are “gone hunting.”
I didn’t grow up hunting, but I learned that lesson years ago. My mother, a public school teacher, explained that kids in her home room would come to her before opening day and tell her, “Mrs. Erhardt, I won’t be in tomorrow because I’ll be out deer hunting.”
Mom made the note of their ‘excused’ absence, and covered for them. My mother didn’t hunt, but she understood the importance hunting held in Salem, New Jersey, a small town surrounded by thousands of acres of rich, very huntable, farm land.
When she told me how she covered for her students, it told me all I needed to know to respect hunting’s culture and traditions.
As we head towards Friday’s nationwide opening of dove season, The Outdoor Wire is kicking off a series called ‘What Opening Day Means To Me.’ We’ve asked a number of people within the firearms, conservation and outdoor industry to share what Opening Day means to them, not to their businesses or brands, but the importance it has on their lives.
Every day this week we will offer you a collection of those observations. As you read them, you will see how deeply ingrained the hunting culture is in individuals and families, often across generations. And maybe, just maybe, they’ll inspire you to start an Opening Day tradition in your family.
Paul Erhardt
Managing Editor, OWDN
Opening day means rattlesnakes, West Nile Virus, parched dogs, sunburn, good friends, and long-anticipated upland action.
My anticipation for Sept. 1, opening day of prairie grouse season where I live in eastern Montana, is tempered by some very situational hazards.
Tight-holding sharptails share the shade of serviceberry groves with snout-stabbing porcupines. The cactus flats that can turn up a covey of sage grouse just as commonly produce a rattlesnake. The dirt two-track road that delivers me to a neglected Hungarian partridge spot can become a miring bog after an afternoon squall.
On the liability side of the ledger: clouds of ravenous mosquitoes that carry worrisome levels of West Nile Virus, scorching sun and stifling wildfire smoke, over-eager dogs that temporarily forget commands, manners, and even their name. Companions who shoot too fast and wide.
But for every take, there’s a gift. Weak-flying sharptails that momentarily convince my buddies that I’m a crack wingshot. A heavy mule deer shed or an arrowhead. Cooling dog water in a dust-country stockpond. Friends gently cussing old happy dogs. Tailgate beers.
Opening day starts early, in the cool of a grain-country morning. And it usually ends later than it should, with weary dogs and sunburned hunters. The best openers feature a mid-afternoon siesta, a recovery for the second half, blasting at doves flying from open field to evening roost. It’s a chance to wear our dogs out all over again, and to poke fun at each other for our preposterously bad shooting. The festivities continue after sunset, around the grill, eating the hot, charred, juicy birds that spectacularly connect my homeland with the big sky above it.
As our dogs sleep and twitch, we’ll recall all the near-calamities of the day, and all the previous opening days. If Sept. 1 is a test for most of us, of our summer dog training and our own pre-season conditioning, of gear accumulated over the previous year, and of our own counterbalancing impulses to hunt too fast or too slow, then it’s also a reminder that good days are as perishable as good dogs. Both are revealed only by temporary hardship.
Andrew McKean
Outdoor Writer
Hunting is a popular pastime in Arkansas and a great way for all generations to enjoy the outdoors. For me it’s a connection to my past as well as an opportunity to bond with old and new friends through a time-honored tradition. My father introduced me to shooting sports when I was young, and it became a lifelong activity, so it’s a reminder of the special time I spent with him and the enthusiasm we shared as sportsmen.
Opening day is always full of promise and excitement about the possibilities for the season ahead. It’s also fun to reminisce about previous outings and retell stories we’ve all grown familiar with that are told year-after-year about the ones that got away.
It just doesn’t get any better than duck hunting in Arkansas – getting up early and being out on a cold, crisp, quiet morning before the sunrise as we eagerly await the waterfowl to fly in – it is really unique. The whole experience is so enjoyable and memorable, and getting to do it with friends and family just makes it that much more so.
As game enthusiasts are getting their gear ready for the season, it’s a time to reflect on the importance of preserving our land so we can continue to share our love of hunting and ensure our kids, grandkids and beyond have the same opportunity well into the future.
U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR)
For me, opening day is a time to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and reconnect with nature. It's a chance to slow down, be present in the moment, and appreciate the beauty and wonder surrounding us. It's a time to challenge myself physically and mentally and to push my limits in pursuit of a successful hunt. I love texting my friends and family on opening day for the hunt report. Often, I will text my husband: "See any"? He responds with a short no or not yet. Then an hour or so later, I get the same message, "See any?" Do I tell him what I saw or keep it to myself?
But above all, opening day is a reminder of the importance of conservation and responsible hunting. It's a time to reflect on the balance between our desire to hunt and the need to protect and preserve our natural resources. It's a time to be grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this tradition and to ensure that future generations can experience the same joys and lessons that hunting offers.
So, as opening day approaches, I can't help but feel a mix of excitement and gratitude. It's a day that holds so much meaning for me - a day that represents a connection to nature, a sense of camaraderie, and a reminder of the importance of conservation. Opening day is not just another day on the calendar; it's a day that stirs the soul and ignites a passion that can only be found in the great outdoors. Opening day is the window to the best of times for many months to come.
Amy Ray
Founder, Sisterhood of the Outdoors
Opening day of hunting season is an exciting time for me because it marks the start of my favorite activity- hunting! As a hunter of upland birds, small game, waterfowl, and big game, each opening day presents its’ own set of unique opportunities. Over the decades I’ve learned how to avoid popular hunting spots and public land on opening day. Instead, I’ve learned how to play the “opening day game” depending on the time of year, species, and hunting location. I usually hit public land on opening day of small game season but usually avoid opening day of deer season when hunting public land. The caveat is unless I go deep into areas where many hunters are unwilling to go.
I would say that my favorite two opening days are the opening day of squirrel season and the opening day of deer archery season. Both of these days get my blood pumping and the primal instinct to hunt comes alive. The weather is usually still warm during these times and many hunters aren’t willing to deal with the heat, the bugs, or the snakes; but I look forward to it because the unpleasantness is oftentimes rewarded with a nice doe or fat bushytail squirrel.
Finally, opening day of hunting season means another opportunity to introduce more people to the sport of hunting. There are millions of people that want to learn how to hunt, and I make it a point to take a few dozen people into the woods with me each season. I want others to experience the same excitement as I do when it comes to opening day!
Eric Morris
Host, N.onT.ypical Outdoorsman TV
For most individuals familiar within the scene of hunting, it has been something they and their ancestors have done habitually for generations. In my experience, hunting is viewed by the masses as either hereditary in nature or outlandish and unnecessary. Looking at my life as a whole, one could say I have ridden both sides of this fence.
Before I met my husband, I was always fascinated by the idea of hunting – though my father and the rest of the men in my family were only ever fishermen, harvesting land animals was left as inapposite in the Roy family. In 2018, I met the man I would be married to in 2022 and many can argue this story is one of the reasons why. He will likely deny it today, but that particular year his vetting process of suitable women included a scouting trip for his Mule deer hunt to see if she could not only tolerate it, but enjoy it. Much to his surprise, I hiked with him all day in nothing greater than Converse and helped him scout. I had no idea what I was doing, but it was fun!
After spending two years accompanying various individuals on their hunts, I put in for and drew my first ever Mule deer tag. Being the first hunt for myself – my best friend, her husband and Jeremiah came along. The week was spent camping in-unit where together we all had some of the greatest times we have ever had. Each day we woke up and left our makeshift home before the sun with our cowboy coffee and overheated breakfast burritos in hand. We drove, hiked and glassed all day – not giving a single thought or comment about the life left at home.
On Halloween day, 2020, I harvested my first buck and have been hooked ever since. Opening day has always meant more to me than harvesting an animal. It is a call to an experience unique to only hunting, a getaway and an opportunity to see things not possible anywhere else with your favorite people by your side.
Lacey Polacek
Graphic Designer, Wolfe Publishing Company