Steel or deer

Monday is the opener for deer in PA. Danny has to fly back at noon, so for the first time we will not be hunting opening day. I knew this day would come--but what has surprised me is the lack of motivation to hunt. I didn't bother with archery this year.

I plan to spend the opening morning fishing until he has to leave. Then tuesday fish again. Back to work on Wednesday. Weird, but I do not even feel like I am missing anything by not going.

I know that there are hunters and non hunters here, I still love to shoot, but is anyone else fishing the deer opener who used to hunt?  What about just non hunters?

Well I still deer hunt a lot.  Just not so much in the regular firearm season.  Over the years my emphasis has shifted to archery and the muzzleloader seasons.  Started taking more vacation in archery, leaving only 3 days for gun.  The past 2 years I had 2 deer in the freezer before Thanksgiving.  The luster of gun season had already worn off with the aging and depletion of our hunting party and a few other factors.  I'll actually be working on Monday for the first time in my life.

The other truth is that we don't get many bucks in the gun season anymore which has been a detriment to the social aspect.  Not b/c everyone is depressed, but because you don't have a few guys with tags filled to hang-out and BS and help the others get deer, etc.  We also do not have any youth hunters with us to revitalize the group...yet.  So maybe we're just in the downswing part of the hunting cycle where all we need is a few kids to come of age and it starts all over again.

I went to Walnut a few years ago on first day because I did not want to deer hunt in 60-70 degree weather.
Lots of people close to lake but other areas were pretty open.

This was the only day I have ever wore orange fishing-also had hunting license and 629 44mag just in case a buck made it too easy.