NY Big Game Hunting Seasons - Saturday vs Monday Opener

[bussman]

To be continued

[Corporal Punishment]

The thing that I thought the Saturday opener would cause would be way to many hunters in the woods,but I really haven't seen that.They can open it any day of the week and I will be there.

[producetim]

i like the sat opener its easier for the whole family to get out

[Saratoga Leo]

I thought the intenion of saturday opening day was so chlidren in school could get out and not be missing school?  Either way i dont see anymore or less kids in the woods or adult hunters for that matter.  Either way people heading to the woods to go hunting keeps declining every year.  Moving opening day to a saturday was a great idea but i dont think it did for hunting what the DEC boys had in mind... my 2 cents.

[vivlamored]

me neither i think last year i saw the least amount of hunters than anyother year that i have hunted. Being on a saturday that's one weekend lost up north. After the south starts it is hard to keep people going up north. Then duck and goose season are in play. Its hard to decide what to go after. I love calling in geese and ducks but on the other hand venison fried up with some onions and garlic is in my opinion the best meal in the world.

[adkRoy]

Saturday is definitely better. I can't take time off from work to go hunting on opening day, I'd be docked a days pay.

[OTIS]

Man, I must be hunting in the wrong place.  The past couple years I don't even hunt the opening weekend because of the number of people that are in the woods.  It's been hard to find a parking place where I've been going.  And I'm not comfortable at all with that many people in the woods, knowing that some of them probably don't belong there.

[archbishop]

Man, I must be hunting in the wrong place.  The past couple years I don't even hunt the opening weekend because of the number of people that are in the woods.  It's been hard to find a parking place where I've been going.  And I'm not comfortable at all with that many people in the woods, knowing that some of them probably don't belong there.

im the opposite on that thought, i like to hunt state land (assuming you are hunting public land based on the amount of people you describe) but i get up super early, cruise WAY back into the woods, most hunters dont travel more than 1-200 yards from their car or the road, let all those people in the woods push the deer right to you. scout now and find some kind of corridor or funnel, etc... between where the deer feed and the road, hunker down there way before first light and wear plenty of orange.

[OTIS]

I agree with the opportunity the numbers provide.  But I hate hunting around large groups of people.  I've come across people puking in the woods because they've had too much to drink.  I even watched a guy smash his truck into a tree pulling up to a hunting spot.  He fell out of the truck laughed with his partner, grabbed his gun and stumbled into the woods.  Luckily I was heading out when they got there.  No way in heck I want to be in the woods with anyone I don't know and trust.

[XII Outdoors]

I enjoyed the monday start because it gave everyone an opportunity to get to camp sat. morning.  Saturday night was a let it all hang out night and sunday was for last minute preparations.  I truely miss those opportunities because we all went to the range, had bkfast together, played cards etc.  It was a way for all of the family to be together before the sun up to sun down hunting begins.  Now it is harder for us to get 2 1/2 hrs to camp friday and get ready because the opener is on Saturday.  Thats my personal dilema, not to mention my brother in law gets married this year on the opener, but otherwise I will be in the woods on the opener no matter what day. 

Good luck to all this up coming season

[SilentStalker]

 Where I hunt in the sourthern zone, there are always tons of hunters opening day (Monday or Saturday) but also throughout the season on weekends. To even get a chance at having a piece of some hill or woods yourself, you have to hunt during the week, plain and simple. That's why in the last couple years I have been going north more and more, even though my chances of success are little lower, numbers speaking. I would rather have a large tract to hunt in solitude and safety than a 100yd by 100yd area to hun with guys on both sides of you.

[Inwellb4light]

As a bowhunter i would love to see it go back to the monday opener.  It would give us back those two more days in the with the bows...I noticed last year that the sat opener didnt just rob us of 2 great days of rut activity but throughout the entire week before the sat gun opener i had my evening hunts ruined by gun hunters wandering aimlessly through the woods scouting for the upcoming weekend.  So in reality its really screwing us bowhunters out of the best week we have...i understand the reason for this change was to get more people out in the woods but if it didnt work and the numbers didnt increase change it back.

[adkRoy]

I've always had idiots practicing all around me or worse getting their deer a little early with their guns when the opener was a monday. I like it being on a saturday now. You don't get as much nonsense like that.

[iceplank]

Doing most of my hunting primarily witht the bow I miss that "hot" mid november rut weekend also. but I now spend that time in bow only areas. I can see the gun hunters point of view. I have friends and family who work their tails off to support there families and time off is lost income. It is great for them to get a couple of "free days" without having to get in trouble with "the man" for taking midweek time off.

[hunterbret9]

I understand why they switched it but I always loved the two day gathering at camps that really is a big part of deer hunting.  I miss that now because most people just show up Fri. night.  The deer are moving good with all the people out on Sat. and you have a great oppurtunity if you can hang in there for the day.  The woods are empty come mon. if you are looking for some alone time in the woods.  I hunt both bow and gun and in the ADK's so by the Sat. opener I have already hunted with my rifle a bit.