The time has arrived! Sept. 18 is opening day in Minnesota, so the sun is about to rise on another hunting season with mountains of potential. Going into opening day with a game plan is important and could increase your odds of harvesting a buck on the first day. Check out our five tips below for advice on what to do on opening day and you might end up with venison in your freezer on day one.

Conceal Your Scent

Make sure your scent is contained by hunting from one of our Stump blinds. Blocking your scent is one of the easier hunting mishaps to prevent. You can control whether the deer herd is alerted to your scent by using a scent-eliminating spray and staying concealed in a Stump blind. The tightly-sealed windows will help keep scent and sound inside the blind. The windows openly easily and silently, so you can wait until the last minute to open them, keeping your scent in as long as possible.

Talk it Out

If you’re hunting with a partner, it can be very helpful to discuss your observations. The insulation in our Stump blinds helps keep sound from escaping so you can have a conservation knowing that the deer is not likely to hear you. You’ll be able to discuss any signs you’re seeing or even alert your partner of an approaching deer with confidence. This communication can be very helpful in ensuring that neither you nor your partner misses any vital information.

Use Your Cameras

Check your trail cameras consistently from now until opening day to make sure you understand the deer herd’s patterns. Coordinate your hunting times with the times you know the deer are active. If you observe that the deer are coming from a different direction than you anticipated, you can move your Stump blind to a better location easily with the sled base and rigid steel hitch. Just make sure you move the blind outside of peak times to avoid running into the herd.

Observe

Keeping your eyes and ears open is key when hunting. The adrenaline of opening day might temp you to be impatient to take your shot, but stay patient and calm and watch for signs. Our Stump blinds have panoramic windows that will help you see the deer coming from any direction. If you elevate your Stump blind, you’ll be able to see a vast expanse of terrain and will have an even better vantage point of the herd. Our Stump 4 ‘Limited Edition 360°’ blind has eight windows, which will give you and your hunting partner plenty of room to move from window to window as the activity picks up.

Keep Your Feeders Stocked

Your feeders should remain fully stocked all season long. Feeders are just as important to overall herd health in the fall as they are in the summer. Don’t stop filling your feeders just because you’ve already brought the deer to your property. Our Feedbank Gravity Deer Feeders hold up to 600 pounds of feed to help you keep the deer herd on your property and to provide them the nutrition they need as they grow. Having a fully stocked feeder on opening day could help you harvest that buck.

Opening day of hunting season is exciting for many reasons. It signals the beginning of fall, time spent outdoors and the prospect of venison in your freezer all season. If you keep your sound and scent concealed, choose a prime hunting time and stay focused on signs, your likelihood of harvesting a deer on your first day might increase.

Have you ever harvested a buck on opening day? If you have, what tactics did you use? Let us know your tips in the comments below!

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