Anyone purposely skip opening day?

[Weldor]

We only get 7 days for rifle hunts. You bet we are out there on the opener. Archers get a little longer, so that might be a maybe. Let the weekend warriors head out on Monday.

 

[Triple T]

Never have missed opening day during gun season . Archery yes usually wait till I know all the bucks are out of velvet . Just doesn't interest me to shoot one still in velvet

 

[TaperPin]

It just dawned on me I skip multiple areas every year on opening day. There always has to be a backup area and a backup to the backup, and a backup to that backup. Either of these really good areas can produce, but they may not be needed. Sometime they get hunted a few days into the season, or the last day, and sometimes they are a single ridge or knob along the drive home that can be hiked in a few hours. There might be a half dozen backup spots across the state and just as many near home. Hunting can be thought of as playing the best odds, and sometimes a hunch in low quality areas turns out to be a jackpot. I’ve learned to trust my gut even if it doesn’t make sense to anyone else.

 

[mtwarden]

I rarely hunt opening weekend of our big game season; helps that it’s a five week season and I’m retired

 

[3325]

No, but if I were annoyed at the number of people out there and considering skipping it, I’d split the difference and skip opening morning and focus on an evening hunt.

 

[EastHumboldt]

I only do pack in hunts in wilderness areas, so it’s not a zoo like Eastern whitetail hunts or crowded public in the west. So no.

 

[Coveyleader]

Antelope opened Friday and my waterhole is getting crushed, but waiting a bit.

 

[BadDogPSD]

Yes, I have skipped hitting opening day several times.

 

[sambo3006]

I've skipped the archery opener many times, mainly due to hot temperatures. I've never missed the firearms opener since my first one in 1984. There have been a few years when I was hunting in another state on our opener, but still out there. One year, work obligations meant that I drove almost all day on the opener to hunt another state, arriving about an hour before the end of shooting time. I braved a flat out blizzard with 40 mph winds until dark because I wasn't about to end my opening day streak. I actually saw a few deer, but thankfully no shooters.

 

[Team4LongGun]

MT opening day archery is a zoo. Absolutely skipping it. There are much better times….

 

[rogerdoger]

I will skip it this year, got a limited entry tag and it’s a decent drive, can’t use general tag anywhere else unless I go for a cow.

 

[COJoe]

Nope, only five days for my 4th season elk hunt in CO. I'll be there a day or two early.

 

[Boarmaster]

I hunt in two states and never miss opening day.

 

[Laelkhunter]

My guided outfitted hunt (Colo 2nd rifle, OTC) is only 5 days so it might not be fair for me to participate. I will definitely be hunting opening day. Skipping opening day would reduce my hunt to 4 days.

 

[Fatcamp]

Yes and we will this year as well for rifle deer. 90% of the people will be gone and we can look for animals without them getting run all over.

High hopes. My wife has an any deer tag for a unit we have hunted extensively and have time to hunt. I have a whitetail tag as well.

Need to convince the kids to go with to carry packs.

 

[cuerro viejo]

Yes kids school… dumb

 

[Rifleman86]

MT opening day archery is a zoo. Absolutely skipping it. There are much better times….

Yeah we’re hunting Montana for the general season this year.

I’ve been there for 3 openers. It’s certainly worked out a few times, but after the last hunt I no longer felt it was worth It. Minus exigent circumstances, I’ve always managed to find elk later in the week that were less pressured. No rut to help out for the general, but those first two days are almost wasted days unless elk get pushed to you out of luck/chance.

 

[lukegorham13]

I usually hunt the whole season for archery and skip the opener for rifle. The opener for general season here in MT is when everyone goes out so I let the crowd die down a few weekends.

 

[missjordan]

Yes I’ve skipped opening day and didn’t regret it. But I’ve also hunted opening day and didn’t regret it either


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[signing off]

MO gun opening day is busy. To judge certain properties, I have drove and observed the pressure on them rather than hunt.
Time well spent to never show up on the circus properties.