By: Ted Nugent
POW! BLAM! Bang! KaBlooey! Boom! Whoomp! KaBlammo! Wham!
Let us celebrate the most beautiful ballistic freedom soundtrack cacophony known to man! The glorious Opening Day of firearms deerseason wherever and whenever this wonderful day may occur is the day of days for American deerhunters across the land of the free and home of the brave!
Lord have mercy how I love the stimulating sound of small arms fire at the break of day!
Back in the 1950s and 1960s Tribe Nuge would head into the big timber deer country wilds of Northern Michigan for the always thrilling November 15 opening day, and I can close my eyes any old time I care to and relive each and every thrilling one of them.
Sitting on the cold, damp ground, leaning up against a big oak or hickory tree as the day came to life, I performed a little ritual each opening day to see how high I could count in between gunshots, and more often than not I rarely got to number three!
This big bang celebration would bang on all morning long for at least the first two or three hours, then one could actually take a few deep breaths in between shots after a while.
Being a die hard bowhunter all my life does not diminish my love affair with the disciplinary aim small miss small joys of firearms marksmanship, and even though I have always deeply cherished my quiet and challenging bowhunting time, that traditional excitement of the firearms opener continues to titillate and thrill as much as ever.
For the last number of years I have been very fortunate to fill both of my Michigan buck tags with my bow, which leaves me somewhat heartbroken that I can’t experience that amazing dreamy buck encounter anticipation that opening day has always provided.
That being said, with abundant doe tags in my pocket, and of course the ultimate hope of killing a coyote or three, I nonetheless get out to my stand well before dawn to take part in this powerful tradition, and never lack any of the excitement that it brings.
With kids and grandkids to guide, there is no question that I get an even more thrilling sensation when they get a crack at an antlered deer.
Typically I would carry my best sniper rifle or shotgun to the stand for the first two or three days, but then I would go back to my bow and many times would have both weapons on hand, just in case!
The biggest kill numbers are always accomplished with the increased efficiency of the firearms season, so responsible deer management demands this methodology to keep the herds healthy, thriving and under control.
So the joyous deerseasons throttle onward my fellow backstrap fever BloodBrothers, and I wish you all much good luck and always the ultimate fun, sport, meat, trophy celebration during this magical time of year.
It is no coincidence that we celebrate the national Holiday of Thanksgiving in November to coincide with the peak of deerseason. We have much to be thankful for, at right near the top of the list of God, family and country, comes our beloved deerseasons.
Isn’t it wonderful how we the people of America live this God given experiment in self-government where we, not the king, own the deer!
Live it and celebrate it like you mean it. Join me at HunterNation.org to see how we can unite to upgrade the rules, laws and regulations of our wildlife management rights for a better quality of life, better quality of wildlife and better quality of freedom!
Aim small miss small and backstrap like you mean it America! Touch a few rounds off for your old Uncle Ted and may your Thanksgiving dreams throttle onward!