Opening Day...Something Special
Jim Olsson, Mukwonago and Brian Weinfurter, West Bend WI
It’s an unexplainable anticipation, that seems to grow each year with age and there’s no way to stop it. Opening Day of deer hunting. Just hearing the words alone bring a feeling that only comes once a year. And it’s not just that it comes once a year, it comes once a year and it sometimes goes the way you planned it. Hundreds of thousands of people will set out on their journey. Some hundreds of miles away, some out their back door.
Traditions come to life in the blink of a...n eye, stories become more animated, and the shots in the story are always longer on the eve of opening day. Some have their traditional food, some have drinks, some have initiations. But all have one thing in common. We are celebrating the blaze orange army. You see the color and you know you’re part of this genuine dedicated club. Cars passing one another, trailers, car toppers, and they all have a blaze orange hat, a slight nod of the head tells one another, were on the same team.
For 9 days our state has what should be a national holiday and just shut down. Well except for gas stations, restaurants, and taverns. The three necessities for these 9 long, but short days are very important. We eat our breakfast, lunch and start our dinner for the most part in the woods in our stand or blinds. There are no bathrooms, only bottles. No refrigerator, microwave or television, it’s just you and the wild, and your fellow hunters.
I know after today they highway will start to fill up with cargo heading northbound with dreams of filling a freezer, shooting a first deer, or putting a mount on the wall. Every scenario will play out in our minds and how we should handle the situation. It’s in the back of your mind, what if I miss? Don’t think that, just take a deep breath. This memory will last a lifetime, and again it’s time to create great memories to pile on top of old memories. Add to the traditions. Opening day is almost here.
So whether you are at a cabin, in a camper, a motel, or staying at home. Take time to look around and the people that surround you. They won’t always be there, neither will you. Laugh, appreciate the outcomes even if it’s not your lucky year build on these relationships and begin new ones. But most importantly be safe, be proud to be part of the Wisconsin gun hunt.. Good luck to all the members of the blaze orange army. Shoot straight and don’t forget whiskey and beer for camp.