Our old lease was 160 acres and pretty flat with very little timber, allowing you to see for several miles from some of our tripods. Opening morning was always filled with several rifle shots, along with the bird hunters too. I can't remember the exact amount but I know we counted one year, and it was easily double-digit rifle shots we heard in the morning since the sound carried so well out there.

I did go on a hunt one time that I got drawn for, through the controlled hunts. It was Lexington WMA just south of Oklahoma City, which has the most applicants applied and drawn for. Sounded like a war zone once the sun came up with shots from all over for that one day hunt.

Used to hunt just north of Junction and have counted over 200 on opening morning.

i have read that 75% of all deer killed in Texas happens on opening weekend.

Back in the 70's and 80's in Freestone county it sounded like a war zone on opening morning every year. That's when it was a one buck county with doe by permit only. But the 'brown is down' culture was strong back then, and Freestone County was one of the most poached counties in the state. Now, same place, I might hear a handful of shots opening morning, and we actually have a decent herd of deer running around the area.

I dont know what the number is but I think the opening day killers are a lot less now than 30 40 years ago. People have been educated to know that sometimes good things can come to those that wait. As well as the journey being better than the destination.

I remember working the gates at Wurstfest on the opening Saturday of hunting season in the early 90's. Little square head with some rural hill country property approached and i asked how his season started. He indicated it was over. He shot 2 bucks and 2 does that very morning.

Opening day in East Texas I would hear a dozen or so opening morning.

Now I hear 3-4 on opening day on my place in the hill country.

Remember that not all shots are on deer. Last years opening morning I shot 5 hogs before getting out of the blind that morning.

Counted 38 a few years ago while I was bowhunting on opening morning of rifle. Lot of pigs in our area though.

Due to lack of leased land here I might hear 1 or 2. Typically one of those is mine. 40 years ago it sounded like a formal declaration of war in all directions.

I'm assuming there are a lot of hunters shooting rifles suppressed now days so silenced shots are happening. I am not one of those guys and still shoot my old ruger 270 or 30-06. Something about hearing those shots on opening morning reminds me of my youth and I enjoy it. I can almost tell the caliber they are shooting and depending on wind can hear the thump of the hit. I always wonder if it was a kid getting their first buck or someone getting the buck of their lifetime. Good times

Proline..to go along with numbers as you found that 75% of deer killed opening day....I have found that 25% does are bred in Oct. and around 50% are bred in November and around 25% are bred in Dec. Just things to know.

Truth. I've usually spent my buck tag during archery season and opening day of rifle I'll be quail hunting.

Opening morning 2011 I heard seven shots from the direction of my dad's stand. They were somewhat spaced out. 5 seconds after the last shot my phone rings. 'Hey, I've got a big buck over here with a doe, but I missed him'!

'Seven times?' I asked.

'Yea, gun must be off!'

No kidding! Fortunately the deer spooked in my direction and about 5 minutes later came by my stand. I didn't miss. 6.5yr old 19" Mills county 9pt.

Back in the 80’s, the Fort Chaffee draw hunt was the Wild West. Not uncommon to hear 100 or more shots on the first morning. The WMA was very overpopulated with whitetails, and seeing 50+ deer on a morning hunt was not uncommon. Not anywhere close to that now. Where I muzzleloader hunt, I’ll hear a handful (5-10) shots on opening morning. Last year, it was only 3-4.

Just South of Bowie; I generally hear a couple of shots opening morning but 25 years ago heard a lot more.

One big factor:
Drought, about 15 years ago, that lasted a couple of years, was hard on all wildlife from lizards to deer. Now in another 4 year long one. I used to plant wheat patches. For the last 4 years, no subsoil moisture in the early fall.

Turkeys were common, now scarce.
Rarely see a lizard, snake or horny toad.
No more quail.
Lot less coyotes heard or seen.
Deer ran in herds. 10 to 15 does we’re normal. We can generally kil a deer but can no longer be as selective as we once were.

At my age, passion to put a big buck down isn’t as strong as it used to be.

One additional possible factor could be grown grandsons and assorted females that bow hunt earlier than I can gun hunt. That’s okay; I’ve always wanted it to be a family place.

I was with my brother in law on a public land hunt in Wisconsin.
At the moment of legal hunting it sounded like a shooting range.

In Comanche county it sounds like D-Day.... Well into the double digits.

I hear lots of shots from my "strictly bow hunting" neighbor.

90% during the first two weeks of the season. They typically catch on rather quickly.

I will often use the sounds of distant shots as an indicator of when deer have started moving. And likewise, you know they're not when you don't hear any.

It's also when you hear people target practicing during any given morning that you know it's time to stay another hour or so to see what might have waited for hunters to leave their stands and ride back to camp on their ATV's.

I took this buck in East Texas one Opening Day morning around 10:30 and about 45 minutes after a convoy of hunters on ATV's passed by in the distance.



This one around 10am late in season just before Christmas during a middle of the week hunt. It might have even been on a Thursday when tracking studies of radio-collared deer have found is the best day of the week to hunt later in the season.