Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting PA Deer Season To Open On Saturday

Until recently, you had to be twelve to get your own tags. They came with a hunting license. At twelve you’d get to go to camp. It was a right of passage. The camps of my youth were filled with men who came from every walk of life, each one with stories of places and things you’d never heard of. Many were old warriors who’d fought in the World Wars, Korea, and Vietnam Nam. At camp you got your first glimpse of the world without women in the audience. It was just men. We looked forward to turning twelve and getting to go to camp. It was a big deal.

The world’s changed, but this is how it was. Thirty years later, I look forward to camp all year long—still, with all the hope of an eleven year old boy. You’re right to recognize the difference between twelve and fifteen year olds. Anymore, for lots of kids, hunting is not cool. It’s a stigma. This may even be the case for the vast majority of kids. At the same time, the very notion of manhood is under attack and association with it is a stigma.

One thing I’ve seen come out of these threads is people posting what’s been important to them — posting about what they cherish. Seeing these sentiments published, even if in this most informal medium, is pretty cool. Interestingly, before internet forums, these values were memorialized in holidays and traditions, by the sheer act of repeating them over and over for generations. All is not lost.

As kids we couldn’t wait to go to camp and get to hang with those old guys. Looking back they were mostly average men of their time.
However, to us kids they were “Giants” and for the most part are bigger today than they were then.

Until recently, you had to be twelve to get your own tags. They came with a hunting license. At twelve you’d get to go to camp. It was a right of passage. The camps of my youth were filled with men who came from every walk of life, each one with stories of places and things you’d never heard of. Many were old warriors who’d fought in the World Wars, Korea, and Vietnam Nam. At camp you got your first glimpse of the world without women in the audience. It was just men. We looked forward to turning twelve and getting to go to camp. It was a big deal.

The world’s changed, but this is how it was. Thirty years later, I look forward to camp all year long—still, with all the hope of an eleven year old boy. You’re right to recognize the difference between twelve and fifteen year olds. Anymore, for lots of kids, hunting is not cool. It’s a stigma. This may even be the case for the vast majority of kids. At the same time, the very notion of manhood is under attack and association with it is a stigma.

One thing I’ve seen come out of these threads is people posting what’s been important to them — posting about what they cherish. Seeing these sentiments published, even if in this most informal medium, is pretty cool. Interestingly, before internet forums, these values were memorialized in holidays and traditions, by the sheer act of repeating them over and over for generations. All is not lost.

Well, if you are going to troll,I'll bite.

That is about as ignorant a post as I've seen here in a while. Painting with a mighty wide brush too I might add.

Aggressively ignorant. Well you have that dialed in.

Physically inferior. No shortage of arrogance there either. I spent several years training act 120 cadets in our MMA club. A portion of it in my early 50s. There were some physically superior young fellas that didn't want to get on the mat with me. Be careful what old dude you poke at scooter. You may just get the ever !ovin chit kicked out of you.

What you still just can't seem to grasp,is what battue and I have said. You can't you tube memories. Time shared with loved ones. Or simple respect for those that were here before all the go pro heros. Folks that didn't know how to score a rack. Folks that fed their families when meat wasn't on the table every meal. Folks that dug gardens for ten cents a day during the deptession. Then took the money home and gave it to Dad. Families that shared a rifle. And still managed to kill game . Poor ignorant sonsabitches. No tree stands. No trail cameras. Just woodsmanship.

Disrespect them if you want. I'll listen to their stories. Again. And again. And when they are all gone we will be poorer for it. Sitting in a box blind for a week just doesn't make much of a story. Some even call that hunting. Funny chit.

LOL.That sums it up very well.What young kid wouldn't want to be around a bunch of guys bitching about how great it was to see 50 tiny deer by noon and now the car insurance companies paid the PGC off to kill the deer and ruin hunting.

LOL.That sums it up very well.What young kid wouldn't want to be around a bunch of guys bitching about how great it was to see 50 tiny deer by noon and now the car insurance companies paid the PGC off to kill the deer and ruin hunting.

While that is certainly true,times have changed.Most old hunters that I run into do nothing but bitch and whine about how the PGC ruined huntingI live and hunt in North central Pa and the hunting has never been better on our public lands than it is now.When my son was 9,I dropped him and my one buddy off around noon on the first day of the season at a spot to walk in and I drove around to park and push out a long narrow strip of Laurel that went along a steep ridge.This was a DMAP'd area of public land about 2 miles from my house.It's nothing but large clearcuts and laurel patches with plenty of deer.When I pulled in,there were about 4 trucks parked and about 1/2 dozen guys standing around B.S.ing.I asked them how it was going and they had nothing but doom and gloom.No deer,no shooting and they were calling it a day.Less than 20 minutes later I pushed about 15 deer past my son and buddy and my kid killed a big doe.It wasn't a far drag from where I parked and most of the guys were still there when we loaded the deer in my truck.Not one of them congratulated my son.Most of them stood around but one of them started to run his mouth about me letting my kid shoot a doe.

I just thought about another factor. The Saturday opener may help the overall quality of hunting. Lots of guys wait right after Thanksgiving and go "scout" for 3 days before the old Monday opener, hang stands whatever.

This may keep those guys out of the woods and not educate the deer right befor the gun season starts

This is a great post with wonderful insight.




This is what I grew up with as well.

Same.

When I was 10 I got to miss school for the first time to go to camp on Friday morning. It was still one of the most fun deer hunting trips I've ever had. My dad shot a buck on our way to his stand on opening morning. Right at first light. I was standing next to him. Later that evening he shot a doe... It was the coolest day I'd ever had in my short 10 years. I'll never forget any of it. I remember almost every detail about that day before opener. I could even tell you what magazine my cousin and I were looking at and the beer my dad and uncle were drinking. Hell, I know what we had for dinner after the 2 deer opening day.

The only thing I love more than hunting is God, my wife and kids...So to sit and read you guys bitching about something as sacred as you make it sound makes me shake my head. I don't care if opening day is Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday, or Christmas Eve, I'm going. Traditions are started every day...start a new one on Saturday instead of Monday.

Camp is what you make it. A house, a rented cabin, a tent, a lean-to of pine boughs. Just make it.

Great post T.


Can I make a guess as to what "magazine" you and your cousin were looking at?

Same.

When I was 10 I got to miss school for the first time to go to camp on Friday morning. It was still one of the most fun deer hunting trips I've ever had. My dad shot a buck on our way to his stand on opening morning. Right at first light. I was standing next to him. Later that evening he shot a doe... It was the coolest day I'd ever had in my short 10 years. I'll never forget any of it. I remember almost every detail about that day before opener. I could even tell you what magazine my cousin and I were looking at and the beer my dad and uncle were drinking. Hell, I know what we had for dinner after the 2 deer opening day.

The only thing I love more than hunting is God, my wife and kids...So to sit and read you guys bitching about something as sacred as you make it sound makes me shake my head. I don't care if opening day is Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday, or Christmas Eve, I'm going. Traditions are started every day...start a new one on Saturday instead of Monday.

Camp is what you make it. A house, a rented cabin, a tent, a lean-to of pine boughs. Just make it.