Hey everyone, happy early Thanksgiving! I'm leaving town tomorrow but just wanted to post before I left. Thanksgiving to me always meant the opening of firearm season was right around the corner. My dad started me hunting when I was 12. We lived in NJ and belonged to a club in PA. After years of having my dad go up there for a week and me waiting at home in anticipation of his stories, I was finally "invited." I loved it and thought it was the greatest thing. I remember the 4 hour drive up on the Sunday after Thanksgiving (opener was always monday), football on the radio and excitement in the air. We'd stop at the same Burger King every time. When we arrived, we met the others from camp and I was treated as one of the guys. Listening to the game plans made it hard to sleep at night. Dinner was always at a small town bar and grill called Franks. The big buck contest board was up on the chalkboard and the place was a buzz. It was the greatest thing to this 12 year old.
I'm 32 now and live in Maryland and am in another 10 person club. Emails started today going over gameplans, stand selections etc. We all agreed on our usual meeting spot for lunch for those who leave their trees. The best is now I invite my dad to come and fill him with anticipation at what we've been seeing and what to expect. This is only time of the year to hunt now and he makes a 4 hour drive to be with me on opening day.
Much has changed from the time I was 12 to the present but that bond of the upcoming season can't be broken. I love it.
So I ask, what are your opening day traditions?
PS- I have been a member here since 2007 and have never pushed or asked for anything. I just set up a website, its days old. I won't be competing with Huntingnet in fact, I want to link their page to mine. I have an idea for a hunting blog site. I want to post one discussion topic a week. We discuss it in blog format for 7 days and then the next topic goes up. I thought this would be a very cool topic. Site is brand new but first blog topic is up and its the same question as here, Opening day traditions. Please stop by and give it a try. You don't have to register or anything, just post away. It is very basic now but I want to work hard at getting it to look great and need to build a base. The looks may change but the blog will always be there. Thanks for reading.
phantombuck.com is the site name, hope to see you there!