# Deer Season 'practically a national holiday'; who knew? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 22, 2010, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-season-practically-a-national-holiday-who-knew/561544 "2010-11-22T16:35:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-season-practically-a-national-holiday-who-knew/561544/1 "2010-11-22T16:35:01Z")
I’ve only lived in WV a little over a year. So I was quite surprised to find out that, in these parts, the opening week of deer season is “practically a national holiday” (which is how my plumber put it!) First, I heard a commercial on the radio for a local car dealership. The upshot of the commercial was that the manager of the dealership wouldn’t let his salesmen take time off to go hunting until they sold more cars! “Our salesmen won’t get no bucks until they save _you_ bucks!” :smack: Then, I was surprised my middle-school daughter gets _all this week_ off from school for Thanksgiving break. Back in Maryland, they usually went on Monday and Tuesday, then had off on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. But I was informed by one of the teachers that in reality, they get all week off because it’s the start of hunting season! Which brings me to my handyman. He came out to give me an estimate on some work I need done to my apartment building, but informed me that he cannot start on the work until week after next because they’re taking the week off to go hunting! Seriously, I like venison if someone gives me some. I know how to make a decent roast or stew. But I do _not_ get the appeal of deer hunting. It’s not “shooting Bambi” that boggles my mind, but rather the whole “Let’s just stand here stock still for hours, hoping to get a shot at a deer”. I don’t get it. Color me 😕 Mundane? Yep. Pointless? You bet. But I thought I’d share anyway. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-season-practically-a-national-holiday-who-knew/561544/2 "2010-11-22T16:40:35Z")
I remember living in Michigan back in the 70’s when the Japanese were breaking into the American car market, and people having to explain over and over again to the nice Japanese visitors that no, you CAN’T have a meeting during deer season. No one would come. Yes, the place just about shuts down because everyone is off in the woods looking for deer. Yes, even some of the women. In some places in the US yes, deer season is a definite extended holiday. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-season-practically-a-national-holiday-who-knew/561544/3 "2010-11-22T16:41:45Z")
Sounds more like a regional holiday to me. 🙂 But important, nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-season-practically-a-national-holiday-who-knew/561544/4 "2010-11-22T16:43:51Z")
The more rural areas of Pennsylvania (i.e., most of PA) are like this, too. We didn’t actually close our schools in Altoona, but there was generally an amazingly thorough rash of absences at the end of November. Almost always excused with no questions asked. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-season-practically-a-national-holiday-who-knew/561544/5 "2010-11-22T16:48:51Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Sounds more like a regional holiday to me. 🙂 But important, nonetheless. Well, I certainly agree that it’s ‘regional’ not ‘national’! But I was talking to the plumber this morning, trying to schedule some work I need done, and he said “Well, we’re closed Thursday and Friday; but even up 'til then, I’m short-handed. Lots of my crew took off to go deer hunting. Around here, it’s practically a national holiday!” ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-season-practically-a-national-holiday-who-knew/561544/6 "2010-11-22T16:49:59Z")
It’s not much of a holiday for the deer. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-season-practically-a-national-holiday-who-knew/561544/7 "2010-11-22T16:54:32Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > It’s not much of a holiday for the deer. True enough. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-season-practically-a-national-holiday-who-knew/561544/8 "2010-11-22T17:06:20Z")
We lived near the trailhead for a popular hunting spot, and used to watch all the guys bring back their deer Thanksgiving week. We found it pretty amusing that most of them were wearing 1) Camouflaged clothing and 2) bright orange vests. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-season-practically-a-national-holiday-who-knew/561544/9 "2010-11-22T17:13:37Z")
I took a whole week for deer hunting this year. Wanted to catch the tail end of bow season and the beginning of modern gun. Spent another week earlier in the year hunting feral hogs because they were destroying our feeders. ('Round here, we hunt down other animals because they’re _interfering_ with deer season :p). Yep, it’s a big deal here. The good news is, my freezer’s full, and I’ve still gotta fly back next week to pick up one we left to be processed. ---
**Author:** ![davey77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@davey77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davey77)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-season-practically-a-national-holiday-who-knew/561544/10 "2010-11-22T17:26:12Z")
Grew up in Southeast Ohio, where students were allowed one excused absence from school during deer gun season. Didn’t stop some country boys from disappearing the entire week. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-season-practically-a-national-holiday-who-knew/561544/11 "2010-11-22T17:33:41Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I remember living in Michigan back in the 70’s when the Japanese were breaking into the American car market, and people having to explain over and over again to the nice Japanese visitors that no, you CAN’T have a meeting during deer season. No one would come. Yes, the place just about shuts down because everyone is off in the woods looking for deer. Yes, even some of the women. > > In some places in the US yes, deer season is a definite extended holiday. I lived in Michigan in the late 80’s and in some places the first day of deer season was a school holiday. The Yoopers, a singing group from Michigan, had a local hit with a song called “The Second Week of Deer Camp” _“We drink, play cards, and shoot duh bull/ But never shoot no deer!”_ ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-season-practically-a-national-holiday-who-knew/561544/12 "2010-11-22T17:34:28Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > We found it pretty amusing that most of them were wearing 1) Camouflaged clothing and 2) bright orange vests. Tell me about. Some of the guys on my lease were _wearing last year’s camo pattern_. Another was using a light-colored, stainless rifle instead of blued, this far past Labor day, no less. Heathens, I say. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-season-practically-a-national-holiday-who-knew/561544/13 "2010-11-22T17:43:46Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > I lived in Michigan in the late 80’s and in some places the first day of deer season was a school holiday. > > The Yoopers, a singing group from Michigan, had a local hit with a song called “The Second Week of Deer Camp” > > _“We drink, play cards, and shoot duh bull/ But never shoot no deer!”_ Second Week of Deer Camp Da Yoopers also have another one that featured on Dr. Demento, “Deer Hunter’s Widow”, which wasn’t really quite as funny and apparently is not on YouTube. There IS always Bananas at Large’s Turdy-Point Buck, which is in the same vein and is definitely Yooper in origins, even if it isn’t Da Yoopers in origin. ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-season-practically-a-national-holiday-who-knew/561544/14 "2010-11-22T18:00:17Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > We lived near the trailhead for a popular hunting spot, and used to watch all the guys bring back their deer Thanksgiving week. We found it pretty amusing that most of them were wearing 1) Camouflaged clothing and 2) bright orange vests. Orange camo is easy for humans to see, but not deer. [Cite.](http://6fbd21e64bc817fd097aa54148bd3dab37bc10ee.gripelements.com/documents/Hunter_Orange_Study.pdf)(pdf) > [@](#): > > Although humans have three types of cone cells to provide color vision, > carnivores and ungulates, including deer, have a color vision that is based on only two > types of cones cells.10 This simplified type of color vision would result in a difficulty > distinguishing colors of objects that reflect light in the middle to long wavelengths > (green, yellow, orange, and red.) For a deer observing a hunter, this implies Hunter > Orange would provide no contrast against the surrounding field environment. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-season-practically-a-national-holiday-who-knew/561544/15 "2010-11-22T18:04:41Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > The more rural areas of Pennsylvania (i.e., most of PA) are like this, too. We didn’t actually close our schools in Altoona, but there was generally an amazingly thorough rash of absences at the end of November. Almost always excused with no questions asked. We did close but this was in the 60s and very early 70s. We were also allowed to hunt before and after school leaving our firearms and ammo with the gym teacher and game with the lunch ladies. This was all through hunting season and not just “buck”. Rural northeastern PA ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-season-practically-a-national-holiday-who-knew/561544/16 "2010-11-22T18:06:36Z")
> [@davey77](#): > > Grew up in Southeast Ohio, where students were allowed one excused absence from school during deer gun season. Didn’t stop some country boys from disappearing the entire week. I’m from Zanesville. What he said. Except that if I recall correctly, some years they just gave Monday of Deer Week off to everybody. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-season-practically-a-national-holiday-who-knew/561544/17 "2010-11-22T18:16:28Z")
Growing up in northern Wisconsin, it was that way there, too. One of my former employers had a plant in St. Joseph, MO.; the plant largely shut down for a week at the height of hunting season. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-season-practically-a-national-holiday-who-knew/561544/18 "2010-11-22T18:18:58Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > It’s not much of a holiday for the deer. Sure it is. That’s when they all go to Florida. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-season-practically-a-national-holiday-who-knew/561544/19 "2010-11-22T18:23:16Z")
> [@Trom](#): > > Orange camo is easy for humans to see, but not deer. > > [Cite.](http://6fbd21e64bc817fd097aa54148bd3dab37bc10ee.gripelements.com/documents/Hunter_Orange_Study.pdf)(pdf) Right. Oranges would be indistinguishable from some greens to deer. I will note that all mammals except primates have two or fewer cones, and even some primates have 2 or 1. Most (all?) birds have excellent color vision, so they can see your blaze orange standing out. Jerks. A solid blaze orange vest can however be apparent to deer because it is a solid pattern that rarely exists in nature. I have seen some vests that break up the orange with a black leafy pattern, which in theory should work better. ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-season-practically-a-national-holiday-who-knew/561544/20 "2010-11-22T20:28:14Z")
In Vandergrift, about an hour NorthEast of Pittsburgh, the kids have Monday off from school for the start of Deer Season. Someday I’ll give it a shot. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-season-practically-a-national-holiday-who-knew/561544.md?page=2)