Opening Day Etiquette?

[Mr. B]

This will be the first season that I have actually gone out on the opener. I usually wait and hunt mid week, less people out and about. But this year friends and family want to head out and try it on opener. I will be hunting in the area between Willmar and Alexandria.

Since I will be hunting public land what are the unwritten rules? Some of the WMAs and WPAs are huge, if there is one truck in the parking lot should we just move on? On smaller ones that makes sense. Is it going to be a mad rush to try and find a spot on Saturday?

Any tips would be great thanks.

[gspman]

You will want to try to find a spot early on Sat. Pick an area with lots of WMA's and run and gun. The more ground you cover the better off you'll be. If a WMA is big enough and a truck is in the lot by all means park and hunt. Just try to determine where the other party is and go in the other direction. The unwritten rules are know where everyone (especially other hunting parties) is so you don't shoot at them and also keep the noise to a minimum. Also don't try to beat another hunting party to another spot if they were heading towards it first. Nothing worse than having another hunting party intentionally cut you off.

Good luck and have fun.

gspman

[grab the net]

If you can see the other hunters, a wave to acknowledge you see them is appreciated, don't cut each other off, a little communication goes along way with the vast majority of hunters. Some may even ask you to join them if the group isn't to big. You will run into guys who think they own the WMA, if you do, move on, the hassle is not worth it. Its a long season, no sense in letting that ruin your day. There will not be many places that do not have somebody hunting them all day, both sat & sun. Another post is debating the "pound the public land before we hunt our private stuff." Tough question, depending on what side of the fence you fall on. Hopefully there will be plenty of birds to go around for everyone. Have a safe hunt.