Holy Season in Michigan

[Peg Herring]

The joke here is that the first day of deer season is a holiday, and in truth it's pretty close. Schools are closed. Businesses that are sole proprietorships are liable to be locked up, at least until noon. And vacation time is hoarded all year long so that hunters can have The First Day off and as many afterward as they can afford.
Those who don't hunt don't get it. The chance to be cold sitting still for hours. The chance to be dirty in a camp with other dirty men and no plumbing. The chance to shoot something that requires dragging, hanging, gutting, cleaning, and sectioning. Many of us shudder and opt for heat, showers, and meat packaged by the people at the market instead.
Whatever you think of hunting, its pull is strong on many. Some primal urge leads people--no, it is not just men--to pit themselves against the creatures of nature. Is it fair? I can't say. Is it necessary? It depends on whom you listen to. One might descry the pack mentality, the stone-age urges, and the hedonistic tendencies. But those same things operate in shopping excursions, teenage parties, and most corporate operations world-wide.
At least the hunters are getting some fresh air.