opening day traditions?

[Robhuntandfish]

any opening day traditions that just must be done before hunting or it wouldnt be the same?  I have a pancake breakfast at the house for me and a couple buddies for the gun opener.  And opening day of trout season I have a budweiser longneck on the stream in remembrance of my Dad.  Dont really have one for bow yet, except it officially ends lawn mowing! lol  

[Core]

I listen to trance on the way to the stand, including at least one track from Blackmill for good luck. Normally fried eggs, sometimes will great a sausage egg mcmuffin on the way. If I'm lucky, I woke early enough to have some tea and get "get the morning's duty" out of the way 

[Swamp_bucks]

Wife makes me  and my buddies a big pot of chili, and since my granny passed 6 years ago my mom now makes her donuts and apple pie for me and my cousin for opening day of bow.  Thanksgiving is always drive day. Another tradition we have is after deer season we all get together and do some trap shooting and just tell stories of the season.

[BigVal]

Do the Dance with no pants the night before. 

[NFA-ADK]

ADK rifle: Huge sandwich of ham turkey cheese and some chips and soda, nothing like being miles from anything starving then sitting down to that.  Otherwise it is a prayer to thank the lord for getting me back into the woods again and hopefully making it home safe.  My new tradition seems to be setting up the tent solo and having a few beers to celebrate being back in the ADK. 

Lost another hunting partner and best friend this year so this ADK trip will have special meaning.  Hope my other best friend finally gets his first buck as this will be our 30th year hunting together. 

Don't really have a tradition for the bow yet.  Unless you think bad luck is a tradition, lol. 

[growalot]

I make sure I do not eat or drink anything then walk around the house a bit and up and down the cellar stairs...Walking "gets me movin!" in lue of that first cup of coffee, lol This assures I can be on stand at least 5 hours..I do drink water on stand.

[Core]

4 minutes ago, growalot said:

I make sure I do not eat or drink anything then walk around the house a bit and up and down the cellar stairs...Walking "gets me movin!" in lue of that first cup of coffee, lol This assures I can be on stand at least 5 hours..I do drink water on stand.

Me, neither, but I drink tons of coffee! 

[Ontario Buckhunter]

I drink a couple of camo cans of Busch the night before. My brother is getting married on Saturday so it will probably be more than a couple this year.

[growalot]

Ya It's the only time of year I envy those with....hhmmmm "Out door plumbing"

[Jeremy K]

No traditions for us but a quick story about them. I was already hunting archery and stayed til gun opener,my dad was meeting me down there that morning. I texted him and asked him to stop at McDonald's in Cuba and grab me something to eat . His walk in goes right past my stand ,he stopped and dropped of my McDonald's at the stand and I told him we should make it a tradition.  We joked about it a couple times si cell then.

[turkeyfeathers]

1 hour ago, BigVal said:

Do the Dance with no pants the night before. 

You know I've tried that on the wife. Said old Indian folklore says it's good luck the eve of opening day of deer season to knock the boots. She didn't buy into it so now I'm stuck with Mila Kunas and Heidi Klum in a 3 way every year. I'll take my lumps I guess. Other than that I just try not to choke on my smile heading in thinking  about I've almost landed in my happy place. 

[ny hunter]

For us it is a big dinner the night before the gun opener..Nothing for yet....

[Doc]

I get up early to make those 6 cold fried egg sandwiches that I take with me for breakfast and lunch. That an making a thermos of very hot coffee will keep me on stand for opening day of gun season.

For bow season, I have a tradition of snapping on the lights on my lighted archery range in the woods and taking a shot at 20, 25, and 30 yards just to be sure that all is well with my shooting. I turn the lights off and head up the hill to my stand. That happens every morning that I go out.

[nyantler]

Not much hoopla these days in the southern tier... but when my father was alive there would always be an early breakfast cooked by my mom, who loved getting up early with us to join in the excitement. Every year for northern tier all the guys arrive at camp Friday night and immediately the old deer stories start flowing ( along with cigars and some adult beverages ) from us older guys, with the younger guys listening intently... the excitement and anticipation of the next mornings hunt can be felt throughout the camp.

[grampy]

Before the first hunt of the year, I get in touch with my Native American side. I will step in the woods, fill my lungs with the scent of the earth. Look up, spread my arms wide and ask the hunting and woods spirits, if they find me worthy and free of selfish thoughts, that they see fit to send me a deer. Then say a few of the "old words" taught to me by my grandmother and  her brother when I was very young. Then, I will make the sign of the cross and ask Him to watch over me.  This I have done for all of my hunting seasons. Just the way I'm wired I guess.

[The_Real_TCIII]

We had a few traditions, all killed by the Saturday opener

[Doc]

12 minutes ago, grampy said:

Before the first hunt of the year, I get in touch with my Native American side. I will step in the woods, fill my lungs with the scent of the earth. Look up, spread my arms wide and ask the hunting and woods spirits, if they find me worthy and free of selfish thoughts, that they see fit to send me a deer. Then say a few of the "old words" taught to me by my grandmother and  her brother when I was very young. Then, I will make the sign of the cross and ask Him to watch over me.  This I have done for all of my hunting seasons. Just the way I'm wired I guess.

Hey, that's kind of neat. I like it.