opening day

[redriverhunter]

opening day for rifle deer season was last Saturday. I was surprised that there was not as many shots as i usually hear. may be three at most what was it like where you are at.

[richhodg66]

Our general firearms season here in Kansas doesn't open until the Wednesday after Thanksgiving, later than most states. Because they open it mid week, I take a day off from work and get out, usually don't see many others even on the public land I generally hunt. I try real hard to not be out the firs weekend of the rifle season. Most years it's a mad house, though I spent all day the first Saturday a few years ago out on public land and the only tire tracks in the snow into that tract all day were mine, so some years not bad.

Seems we generally see an increase in deer hunters here every year.

[Ateam]

November 15th for Michigan, falls on a Sunday this year. Fishing and hunting license sales are through the roof here due to the ole wuhan I guess, expect it to be a busy day.

[Treetop]

Here in central Texas, I actually heard more shooting during the week before season than I did on opening day.

And, I don't know why, there were plenty of deer on our ranch and on the surrounding ranches that I talked to.

Our youngest grandson killed his first deer Saturday afternoon with his Colt M-4 in .223. Grandma (Mrs. Treetop) was sitting with him and said that four doe walked out at the same time so he took the biggest one.

The little 60 gr. Hornady took the entire top off the heart, I've never seen that before. We recovered the bullet under the skin on the opposite shoulder. Treetop

[Hossfly]

I usually don’t do any practice during deer season, all before the season for obvious reasons. Can’t hardly wait for season to end so I can start shooting again. Big reason, my target range is also close to my hunting woods. Hunting season gives me time to do more reloading.

[chutesnreloads]

Also noticed more shooting before season opening than opening day. Maybe with the ammo scarcity folks are continuing to use archery?
Suspect it's more a matter of less folk allowing hunting on their land. Know I'm very picky about who we let hunt ours

[firefly1957]

Michigan had poor weather for opener in my area I heard very few shots two were before there was any light at all none were within a half mile by my best guess.

[pworley1]

Our primitive weapon season opened on 11/9/20. There was not much shooting. It was 70+ degrees that day.

[Hogdaddy]

I was in a sweet stand about 35 min. in to the hunt bam, a pack of hogs all over.
I took the biggest sow & fattest Schultz ; ) PS No shots heard
H/D

[RU shooter]

In the areas I hunt there are less hunters every year and also less shots . This is also due to more guys and gals are getting into bow hunting since crossbows are now legal so their tagging out early . In Pa one license allows you one antlered deer if you want a doe you must apply for a doe tag in the area you wish to hunt .

[firefly1957]

December 14 th now Michigan's firearm deer season had been gone for two weeks there are still all kinds of seasons and reasons to shoot deer but there are few to be seen ! I talked to several neighbors the consensus is this deer season sucked!

[cas]

Same for the last couple years, much less in the big picture.

[Deakota57]

Our rifle season has come and gone, a lot of Deer still out there. Flintlock season comes in Dec. 26, love this season. I use A 50 Cal. Hawkins I built I took quite a bit of deer with it.

[Thin Man]

TN opens with a 6 (+/-) week archery season followed by a 2 week muzzle loading season on the 3d Saturday before Thanksgiving. Center fire season opens after the ML season closes (ML gear is allowed during CF season, hunter's option) on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. This year there were normal numbers of ML hunters and an active number of shots fired during the first ML week, many less in the second. Opening day of CF was much quieter than previous years and quickly tapered down to perhaps 1 or 2 shots per day. This is much fewer than previous years all because of changes in the landscape. The property is owned by a paper mill company. They have been knocking down every hardwood tree they find to plant more pines for the revenue. This is my last year on that property. Next year I will be on different land with hardwoods and a higher potential for game present. This year I saw only 2 deer as they were running away, no shot opportunities. This used to be an active hunting area that has completely changed into a desolate waste of time for the hunters.

[WinchesterM1]

I only heard maybe 10-12 shots opening day which I normally hear that the first hour.. I however was the first person to shoot this season.

He was the first thing I saw this year and he was a tough deer he took 2 308s to put down at 130ish yards the 2 RD 165-310shallow hp hit about 1/2-3/4 apart from each other.

The first shot hit him and he didn’t act like he was hit and he started to walk away, so then I grunted and he stopped and I hit him again in the same spot, that time he fell over.
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