What is dumber?

Eric Patterson

Eric Patterson

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Staff member
A season that opens at 12:00 noon or one that opens on Thanksgiving day? Alabama did the former around 1975 and now is trying the later. Is any other state opening on Thanksgiving? Now why on earth would the state choose the biggest family travel holiday of the year to start the season? Seems only the twenty-somethings with no family are happy about it. Sure wish we had a split season with it closed on Thanksgiving day. Maybe next year they will merge the brilliance and give us a 12:00 noon opener on Thanksgiving. Sounds like a winner.
 
Kentucky has opened on Thanksgiving for at least the 12 years I have lived here. I have not been able to hunt an opening day yet. Bad deal in my opinion.

DW
 
Noon still gives you plenty of time to make it to the black "friday" sales that start about supper time on Thanksgivings.
I think Thanksgiving is just about a thing of the past... you can text all your family that you are thankful for them having smartphones and then 'like' a photo of a turkey on facebook.

Tim
 
NJ coastal zone re-opens for our second split on Thanksgiving day. Doesn't bother me much I usually get out for a half day in the morning. All my family lives with in a few miles so not much travel time for me to get to dinner.
 
It is a great tradition for us here in Kentucky. Scratch out a limit in the morning, football by noon, and a full belly by night. The Redneck Layout Boys love the "sacred T-day" opener.

But unfortunately with my job, I work ever other holiday year and this is a work one for me. So McCullough, Special K, and Hardmoney will have to do it without me.
 
But unfortunately with my job, I work ever other holiday year and this is a work one for me.
Click to expand...

I work just about every thanksgiving day. Give my growers a day off,.plus we'll.all.be working Friday and Saturday packing poinsettias...kinda like working retail in a way.

Eric, I can see a thanksgiving day opener as a love it or hate it...if you're at home, love it, hunt, eat, nap...if you're traveling, hate it...
 
I agree with you. Not as much money money to be made as Christmas. So you start pushing Christmas right after Halloween and Thanksgiving is a mere warm-up for Christmas. Sad.
 
I don't ever recall a year when we had a season open at 12 noon. That seems like a very odd time to open the season.
I enjoy hunting Thanksgiving morning. Last year was the first time in years I didn't due to the season opening the day after. This year it opens Thankgiving Day. I have three daughters but only one that enjoys hunting and she is coming home from college for the holiday. Our Thanksgiving morning hunt has become tradition. She has been coming out with me since she was about 5 year old and it is such a joy having her hunt along side the family dog and I.
I can't wait.
 
Richard -

Thats a nice looking tender you have there. Reminds me of some old classic lobster boats.
 
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Great food and drink, and ya dont' have to buy anyone stupid Presents! I hunt almost all Thanksgiving days, half a day. It's a tradition my family started in the 50's.
For many years when I was working, I either worked afternoon, or midnight turn so I could hunt, and have some family time. Worst football games of the year are usually on Thanksgiving.......
and those Cold turkey sangwiches you take huntin', for days afterwards put a lump in yer throat one way or another. Yup - my Favorite Holiday.
 
Like John.....I don't think N.Y. Ever had a noon opener or a opening on Thanksgiving day ....it opened a few days before thanksgiving......in the last 35 years that I have hunted....but I also enjoy the Thanksgiving hunt....I remember when I was much younger ..coming in late morning and the smell of the turkey that my mom was cooking was great...it made you so hungry....good times
 
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We had a noon opener here in Washington back in the 1970's. A state senator's son was killed when he fell asleep at the wheel, trying to make the 6:30 AM traditional starting time for opening day. This was his pitiful, and unworkable remedy for his son's death. Fortunately clearer heads prevailed and the noon start was scraped. All the noon start accomplished was that it gave the state increased revenue from the CO's writing a lot of early shooting tickets, ( it was tough to not pull up on a flock of mallards at 11:30 AM).

Gibby
 
As mentioned by Luke already, our Coastal Zone re-opens on Thanksgiving Day. I don't mind it although it makes us decide between Ducks and Quail. For the past 5 years, we have stayed at home for Thanksgiving. My son and I have made a tradition of hunting for Quail on Thanksgiving morning. It really is a great time. My son and I hunt, my wife and the girls stay home and handle the baking, then when I come home the kids and I do the cooking for dinner while my wife gets to rest. It serves as a great relaxing day with my family. I absolutely love Thanksgiving and love being able to hunt the AM.

Chad
 
Yeah, that is quite strange and a Noon opener is even stranger!

I like to be able to hunt around the Holidays, because it is often when I have days off and family is together. Thanksgiving is my favorite Holiday because of family being together, great food, no presents, and great time of year to hunt, fish, hike, etc....

In Arkansas we normally have 3 splits to our season (does not include the eraly September teal hunt), we open Nov. 23 - Dec 1; Dec 5 - Dec 23; and Dec 26 - Jan 26. I have been told the reason it is closed Christmas Eve and Day is primarily so all of the guides can be home with family and Mothers asked the Commissioners so that Family would all be together for the Holiday. I have young children so I do not hunt on Christmas Day - although I would not mind skipping the whole Christmas presents stuff, it is out of hand these days - and go hunting. Bah Humbug!
 
I hear ya! I will not be out there on the opener but on the plus side most of the "bone-heads" who campout for two days prior will either be gone by day two or at least be sober.
 
My understanding is that Minnesota employed the noon opener for several reasons.

The primary one being to protect locally breeding birds from over harvest by starting the season at a time birds are less active and less vulnerable. Also to prevent "double tripping" (limit in morning and evening) on the day of the year when the ducks are most accessible and the most people are out hunting them.
 
If I recall, years ago PA had a noon opener. It had something to do with, if we took the noon opener, we got a longer season , but that's when duck numbers, and bag limits were very low. I would have to go through my old wooden shell box, as I saved all the regs from every year I have hunted jammed in there.
 
The Christmas duck hunt is a long-standing tradition for me. It's not the focus of the day, family is, but I enjoy getting away from the crowd for a few hours, and I almost always have the marsh to myself!
 
My family has thanks giving at 2 so everyone can go duck hunting in the morning. We are all older now so we are going out for christmas too.

A noon opener is pretty much a waste of a day. Our first day of pheasant makes all other seasons legal time at 7 am, the marsh still lights up at 1/2 hour to sunrise. I have never seen a warden enforce it, they are too busy trying not to get shot in the pheasant fields
 
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