Deer Opener Superstitions/essential traditions

[Phunnyfarm]

I know you've got them! What are they?!

My wife suggested trying a different pizza place on the Friday night of Deer opener, different than the place we've always used on Deer Opener Eve. I gently had to tell her that we should stick with what we have always had (without getting into the reasons why!).

[Scott K]

I have always had some beer the night before, seems to work good at our camp! Except last year I drank captain cokes, found that to be unlucky

[bigbucks]

I always take my gun...

Seriously, I always try to buy a different kind of scent than what I've been using during bow season. Of course lately I've hunted nowhere near my gun stand during bow season, but that's what I do. I try to get some Pete Ricards Indian Buck Lure, just because I've used that many times & had good luck. Now I can honestly say I don't think I've ever had a deer follow that scent, but you were talking about superstitions. I've rarely had deer act like they were upset by my scent during opening day though.

[smnduck]

Before I load my gun I kiss the bullet goin in the chamber.

When I see a deer comin towards me I squint my eyes so he won't catch me eyeballin him.

[HunterLee]

I try to make sure i load my gun. But my first morning spot is picked on a whim. I do quite a bit of spotting the week or so before opener, and guess where the bucks might be a sunrise. It seems that if i don't get a good buck the opener before 8:30am, i wait til muzzleloader. Last year nice 9, year before, last day of muzzleloader, nice 10, then it was a couple decent 8's the first mornings, and finally my first big buck was a 140's-150's 10 pointer.

[Coach1310]

Essential traditions.....

lack of motivation at work for weeks prior.....unable to focus on anything but camp and hunting....making a list, checking it twice and still forgetting toilet paper....while easing to the stand perfectly, snapping a twig with your last step that you swore can be heard for miles...telling everyone to "stack 'em like cord wood", ...Friday night around the fire tell the same stories we have for years and they are better everytime...toss and turn so much you're not sure why you are even in bed....try to take a minute to be thankful for the opportunity to spend time with friends in camp and the peaceful time in the woods

[eyecrosser2000]

Yes, Phunny, traditions I have 'em. It starts the week leading up to the opener--I wear the "parade of deer sweatshirts" to work. I had to give up my favorite (a running buck in the crosshairs with the title "Real Drag Hunting Club" on it) after I accidentally on purpose got some gut blood all over the sleeves one year; my wife wouldn't let me wear it anywhere. Then we watch Jeff Foxworthy's Incomplete Deer Hunter Series on Friday & Friday night. I put on the lucky deer socks from Legendary Whitetails. I always take a BEFORE (Friday night) and AFTER (Saturday morning at 4:00 a.m.) picture with a digital cam and put it in our yearly family video. But our best tradition is our morning pre-hunt prayer/blessing before we head out...can't count how many times the guy praying gets a deer, almost to the point guys are fighting over who says it!

I never get bored or tired of all the traditions of the hunt. The hunt and all its shenanigans is one of the few things that has remained pure over all the years.

[Grant Pearson]

traditions at our cabin is laying everything out the night before and making sure we have everything we might need (extra shells, TP, etc), packing it back up, getting the guns ready by putting one last light coat of oil on and try to go to bed. The next morning, we get up and at least two of us will unpack our bags, check to make sure they have everything and repack. At 4:30 in the morning, you can't really remember the entire list, and inevitably someone forgets to repack something. And that something usually is one of the first things needed. Then, when we get dressed, we step outside and no one is allowed to go to the stand until everyone is outside and ready to go. A little ribbing ensues while waiting for the stragglers and we all head to our respective stands.

[Phunnyfarm]

Quote:

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Before I load my gun I kiss the bullet goin in the chamber.

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I don't know why, but I started doing that the first time I went deer hunting too. It's been GREAT luck for me too. Also, if I go out and sit in the stand and don't see a single deer, I'll replace the bullet with another one the next time I go out to try and change my luck.

[TrophyEyes]

If I don't see a deer for 4 hours, I change out the chambered round and put in a "Fresh" one. Obviously because the other round wasn't lucky. Everytime I do that my luck changes. Maybe its because I am awake?

[DonBo]

Quote:

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Everytime I do that my luck changes. Maybe its because I am awake?

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Awake is good! I try to stay awake opening morning. After that the tag is filled and I can nap all I want.

[Bassboy1645]

traditions: Lack of sleep for three days/nights before, speak to the rifle, tell the same stories, study maps and air photos some moe, and weather channel before bed.

Superstitions: Kissing the bullet, not cleaning guns fear of oil scent, and knowing your going to have a good hunting day if you can see your breath floating to hunter Orion in the night sky. GOD I LOVE DEER HUNTING!!!!!!!

[BKB]

Hoping to not see any deer on the way to the hunting land or busting one out in the dark on the way to the stand, never been a good sign for me if either of those happen but in the end I always say that if I'm meant to get one I will.

[Tenpoint]

Opening morning I hunt with the old 30-30 long barrel my grandpa gave me when I was 10. After that I use my 06.

[harvey lee]

I really dont have any. I use to have to go to the bar the night before and have a few so I could sleep. Now, I go to sleep, get up and go hunting. I still enjoy deer hunting but I do not get near as thrilled as I once did.

[icecold]

Years ago I would go to the bar and party stay out half the night come home smelling like smoke, sleep a couple hours and go out to my stand, and usally about 7;30 or 8 i had my buck, Now that Im older and married and dont go out and party, in bed before 8 pm on the night before deer hunting ,I havent got a deer the past couple seasons, Maybe I need to go out and party it up and stay out half the night again, and see if my luck changes.

[Bassboy1645]

ABSOLUTELY!! I hunt like 24/7 and bow hunt too but theres just something majical about gun season

[iceman16]

i have alot of the same Superstitions/essential traditions as all of you. changing out bullets after every hunt that i dont bag a buck. kissin it. it used to be opening night crown and water cheer that night but now i dont get to camp tell 3 in the morning because of work. then during the week we head to the neighboring cheese heads shack for dinner to look at there bucks and have a couple smoothies (best old fashions ever) as well. Then the next day they come over to our shack and do the same. not sleepin for weeks before imagining that 10 pointer comin into the clear cut him stoppin pull the trigger and down in his tracks. hmmm cant wait.

iceman

[CanOCorn]

Wear the same blue long sleeve shirt every year for the last 14 years. I was wearing it when I shot my first big buck.

[analyzer]

I'm a little embarrassed to say, but my son and I have a tradition of driving to the nearest movie theatre Saturday evening for a flick... we do every year, and sometimes, the nearest theatre aint that near. A couple times we had to drive 1 1/2 hours one-way. Kinda nuts, but it's tradition.

We always have steak first night.

I always wash our clothes in that scent killer stuff, and then line dry. Well, I stick it on the fence. Have you ever tried to dry your clothes outside in 40 degree weather? (Contact Us Please) near impossible.

I like the one guys tradition. He doesnt try to block his scent at all. In fact, once a week, all year, he takes a sweaty shirt of his, and goes and sticks it near his hunting location (I couldn't do that, I hunt hours away, but I suppose a bow hunter who hunts locally could). His theory is, if his smell is there, all the time, the deer get used to him. Plus they see him coming and going all year, and eventually decide he's no threat. He seems to have pretty good success.

[Kyle]

I know people that also do that. They will even go so far as to take a dump in a bucket in the spring, and then leave the bucket underneath their stand for the rest of the year.

[woody1975]

How many people love to see the blaze orange hangin on the lines and porches on the way to your shack?

We go up Thursday every year and get the stands set-up and have a few. This year we rented a boat (4 boats in the group and we are renting) to try and catch a few walleyes.

Gettin' Pumped up.

[analyzer]

I forgot, we like to go out friday night, NO ammo or guns, with one of those 3 million candle watt lights, and shine the deer in the fields. It's legal before 10pm, and a ton of fun. Really gets the adrenaline going for the next morning.

[TKO_PUNCH]

Friday night we all sit outside and wait for a falling star. The 1st person to spot it gets to pray to the deer gods.

[HuskerBen]

Our essential tradition is the presentation of the traveling trophy. It is given by last year's winner, to whoever he chooses. Last year, it went to my Dad for an outstanding buck he shot the previous year.

After the presentation, we drink beer and talk about football and fishing and hunting and women. In about that order.