Oh ya , Gophergunner. I dont think he piped in on this thread.
I didn't read through all the posts. I just check in here once in a while on this thread. I don't know if I ticked anyone off with any previous comments, but I'll chime in here. It wouldn't bother me if they changed the opener to Saturday. Having moved out of the area to states that hunt on Sunday, I think it would help hunter retention numbers to be able to open on a Saturday and hunt Sundays too.
Our camp is one of 7 on the trail we're on. Back in the day, all 7 camps would be occupied for the opener. Nowadays, two of the camps have guys in for the opener. It's a shame to see such a time honored tradition fading away. Many of the crews "aged out" as did our camp, and our good friends across the trail. None of the younger generation took up the torch, or moved elsewhere. A ride around the mountain to visit "the neighbors" during deer season is a pretty sobering experience these days. Iconic camps with names like Bear's Den, Camp Misery, and the Plastered Bastards sit empty, or have been totally abandoned. There's tons of public land in our area. Heck most of Boone Mountain, which is where our camp is, is State Forest.
I really think something needs to be done to rectify this situation. Our heritage just can't afford to keep bleeding like this. I well remember the run to camp before I-80 went through. All those little towns we passed through were beehives of activity. The bars and restaurants were hopping, the motels were booked solid,every camp had a full compliment of guys in, and the gun shops and hardware stores were incredibly busy.
It just isn't the same any more.
