Good Luck on Opening Day of Deer Gun Season

November 9, 2018 T. Arthur Mason Outdoors
Mule Deer (Photo via Pixabay)

In the big scheme of things, it wasn’t that long ago that a day like today was pretty much a state holiday— the opening day of the 2018 Deer Gun Season. For some of us, it meant a day off of school during our youth. Friends, family, and the crisp fall air on the landscape of North Dakota, while looking to fill the freezer and maybe put some antlers on the wall— not much can beat that. The memories are precious.

A year ago, I wrote that we may be witnessing the death of a tradition. We’ve seen the population of deer in North Dakota go from a record amount of hunting opportunities to such a decline that some units didn’t even allocate licenses. The many years of record tags coupled with horrific winter conditions, a decrease in the amount of CRP, and some disease wreaked havoc on our deer population. The numbers seem to be on the increase now, but I still wonder how many hunters we lost and the affect on hunter recruitment for young people during those years.

Nevertheless, for some fortunate hunters, today is that magical opening day. We’re hours away from an army of orange descending upon their favorite honey holes across the state in hopes of connecting on that shot and making memories that will last a lifetime. For many of us, it’s more about the experience than it is the kill. And rightfully so.

For me, it’s another year without a license. And yes, it’s disappointing. But life kind of goes that way sometimes. Yet, I have one family member and a dear friend who lucked out in the 2018 lottery. I’m hoping to tag along with them at some point. Because there are indeed still memories to be made— even if I’m not behind the trigger.

So, to those of you who have that tag in your pocket, I wish you the best of luck. Be smart. Be safe. Hunt hard. And may you never forget the privilege that is yours today.

Oh, and if you have any questions about regulations, etc. you may want to visit the North Dakota Game & Fish website here. Feel free to post pictures in the comments of this article if you find success in your 2018 Deer Gun Season.

 

Sources:

  1. https://theminutemanblog.com/2017/11/10/nd-deer-season-are-we-witnessing-the-death-of-a-tradition/
  2. https://gf.nd.gov/news/2724
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About T. Arthur Mason 883 Articles
T. Arthur Mason is a native North Dakotan who has spent nearly all of his life in the Peace Garden State. As the third of four children in Western North Dakota, Mason grew to appreciate family and the outdoors. Some of his fondest memories are annual deer hunts with family and friends. In his early teenage years, faith became a central part of T. Arthur Mason's life. He and the majority of his family attend church together on a weekly basis and find this a fulfilling aspect of their lives. Through the influence of his father, T. Arthur Mason became intrigued with politics. As a boy, he attended political events with his father and enjoyed the friendships that resulted as a byproduct of those political associations. As Mason grew older, he became convinced that the quote often attributed to Thomas Jefferson was true, "That government is best which governs least." Today, T. Arthur Mason enjoys time with his wife and children, an occasional hunt, and an increasingly active life on the political scene. This blog is the fulfillment of a dream to design a web site in the realm of politics and to advocate for the principles of Liberty and constitutionally limited government. On behalf of all those that contribute to The Minuteman, we hope you enjoy your time on the site and will share the message with others.

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