Opening Day Traditions

[gruntz03]

Anyone have Opening Day Deer season traditions?

My son and I are headed out this opener. In past years, I’ve always wanted to BBQ something in the field from the days harvest. Unfortunately I suck at hunting.

 

[308Scout]

For the archery opener, I have an informal tradition based on the success of the hunt. A successful hunt means I'm having some bourbon and a steak on the grill that evening, no quarry and it's beer and pizza. I missed the opener last year due to a medical procedure, but it's been 50/50 in the last few years. As much as the heat sucks, you can't beat the proximity and number of encounters that you get in September and Early October (until the rut), IME.

 

[Slackdaddy]

25 years ago,, when I really started to deer hunt,, (before I bow or ML hunted)
Opening of shotgun (firearms season) was Sat after Thankgiving.
3-4 of us from Church had permission to hunt a large property.

At lunch time we would gather at the tailgate of a truck around a coleman stove, backstrap medallions, pancakes, eggs and coffee.
Enjoyable times for sure.

Now days I stay on stand all day and let the "lunch crew" push deer my way

 

[geda]

I stole this idea from someone else on another forum.

Save the heart and eat it. I personally get squeamish and dont eat organs , but the heat is just strange shaped meat, so I tried it. In a blind taste test my family preferred the heart to backstrap. Due to the odd shapes it is hard to freeze the heat without getting some freezer burn so it is best fresh. Watch a video on how to cut it up so you dont end up mincing the entire thing.

 

[lazarus]

I stole this from someone else on another forum.

Save the heart and eat it. I personally get squeamish and dont eat organs , but the heat is just strange shaped meat, so I tried it. In a blind taste test my family preferred the heart to backstrap. Due to the odd shapes it is hard to freeze the heat without getting some freezer burn so it is best fresh. Watch a video on how to cut it up so you dont end up mincing the entire thing.

Heart and onions is really good.

You can always mince it and put it in sauce.

Venison heart stroganoff with minced heart would probably be excellent.

On a personal level since I started bow hunting I’ve taken them day off to go hunting that Friday. Except for my first two years I’ve had success every time. Though last year I took a longer shot on a deer around 11am with the wrong equipment (it was a mechanical bow head on a fast crossbow…) which lead to several hours of tracking before I finally found and killed the doe. A long, frustrating and HOT day.

This year I am just going to work. I am super busy right now between work and personal life. I just got my tree stand up yesterday and secured. Just started throwing out some corn in my side yard where some of the deer funnel along past that tree stand. That’s also where I’ve usually setup a blind.

I do plan to probably hunt in a few weeks before September closes. I don’t like waiting till much later in the season now that I bow hunt. I am rural residential and I get tons of deer by. However their patterns change up a lot pushing mid October. Lots of chances for success, but it changes from “you WILL see several deer within easy bow range from the right spot every day during shooting hours” to “you might see several deer” to “you might go a day or three and then see a bunch of deer several days in a row and then not for a few days again”.

Mostly it’s the rut and then they settle back down some more in mid December.

Anyway, I’d rather wait till it’s a little cooler. I’ll probably hunt from a ground blind again for a chip shot (it’s usually 15-20yds). I’ll likely save the tree stand for the second half of early muzzleloader season when I am more likely to get decent sized bucks moving around down by my creek starting to cruise a bit.

Is still like to do a late season hunt out on the eastern shore. I might try a western hunt again if my buddy and his son want to do it. If I am reasonably lucky I am going to need to find people who want venison (or donate).

 

[Harrys]

For me the bow season is too warm. The only tradition I have is I cook the heart cut it up in strips and pickle it. It is so good and I generally save one piece and eat it on opening fire arms day.

 

[gtodave]

Opening day I'm usually on a beach, not thinking for one second about hunting

 

[Derwood]

Geda -- Eating the heart may have come from me! But it's certainly not an original idea haha. I eat the heart of every animal I take. Nutritious and delicious. I usually boil it for a few minutes to get the blood fully out, then slice thin and fast fry in butter with some salt, Old Bay, garlic, onions, peppers and whatever else I may have on hand. Sometimes I'll scramble some eggs and eat the whole thing with toast.

This will be my second year hunting on my own property for opening day in Virginia, so I'm especially excited about that. My county in Virginia opens on Saturday 9/3, so I'll be out then,. Then most likely at my spot in Maryland next Saturday. I'm always alone for the bow opener, so my tradition usually involves bringing my climber stand (and a deer of I'm lucky) and drinking a cold beer back at the truck (or now my house) ...and then having a second beer when taking a shower to make my mosquito bites feel better. Also, in recent years opening day has been on a Friday, so I've never been able to hunt in the morning since I've had to work. I'm looking forward to watching the woods wake up this early in the year.

Tonight I'll do a final gear inspection and laundry for my hunting clothes and then the next couple evenings I'll practice shooting my crossbow to make sure it's still dialed in.

 

[Growler215]

A tradition among the men where/when I grew up:

Shave in the morning on opening day. Then don't shave again till you get a deer.

 

[Archeryrob]

Opening day I am usually working and not burning vacation for times I can evening or Saturday and Sunday hunt.

Heart you need to trim all the white stuff off the outside and make steaks with a hole in them or chunk and make fajitas or similar. Cook no more than medium or chewy might be in your future.