Ah, but which one! Over a very short period we will have had Bear Season, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday (which also shares the day with our local major holiday) First day of deer season and the beginning of Christmas.
Also to be included in this time frame are the Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving, also known as “If you try to feed me any more leftover turkey, I won’t be responsible for my actions days”. At this point, even the dog isn’t interested! This is when pizza, chinese, mexican and even McDonalds becomes somewhat appealing! Just anything but turkey…
People who become acquainted with our area area amazed to learn that schools actually close here as well as some businesses for at least the first day of the antlered deer season, better known as the First Day of Buck. In 1987, a well known local National Bank ran an ad in the local paper to say they would be closed for the First Day, but MAC would be open to serve 24 hours a day. To many who have spent their entire lives here and some who haven’t, this is as important “holiday” to them as Memorial Day, Labor Day, the 4th of July and Christmas itself. Well, maybe not Christmas, but close, very close…
Actually, the hunters are doing those of us who live here a service, although most don’t see it that way. The more deer that are “harvested” mean less deer to run into on our well built, high visiblility roads. If you have ever hit a deer with your car, you know what I mean.
Anyway, we have made it through Bear Season, Thanksgiving and Black Friday and are anxiously waiing for the start of deer season and for Santa Claus to appear.
It’s a great time to be in Susquehanna County. Let’s welcome the hunters, let them harvest the deer while we harvest their wallets. We should really appreciate these days. As the county gets built up, there will be less and less areas for hunters to go. This will eventually mean less and less hunters which means less and less tourist dollars spent here over the course of the year. Of course, we do still have around 15,000 acres of State Gamelands in Susquehanna County. As Manny Gordon would say “Enjoy, Enjoy”
While some dislike the influx of hunters, traffic and other things similar, the side that many fail to see is the influx of dollars spent at the local restaurants, bars, stores, and other retail establishments throughout Susquehanna County. For this, we should be thankful, even if a few deer are sacrificed in the process.