Thursday night’s northbound traffic heading out of Green Bay toward the path around the Falls may not have been bumper-to-bumper, but it was a very steady stream of vehicles loaded down with coolers and other supplies. This was part of the migration toward those many different deer camps “up nort.”
Mixed in the flow were vehicles pulling trailers with four-wheelers to help the hunters get further into the woods. Even though it was dark, one could sense there was a lot of anticipation bubbling in those vehicles.
Much has been written about the economic impact of Wisconsin’s annual whitetail hunt. There is no question that a fair amount of money changes hands in the process. A late Thursday afternoon stop at a major grocery store in Green Bay provided several observations of guys pushing grocery carts and working through lists for deer camp.
For some it would be a several-day escape from civilization, and there were needs for many essentials in order to survive in deer camp. One can work up a strong hunger and thirst after a day of adventure in the great outdoors.
For a number of people in the area, a different kind of opening morning was slated for the day before the whitetail season opened. There were prominent announcements of “Orange Friday” in the previous weekend’s newspapers. This was the second year of the event hosted by Fleet Farm. It was a takeoff on the after-Thanksgiving Black Friday shopping day.
Orange is one of the Fleet Farm colors. Many of its staff dress in orange, regardless of the season. The Fleet Farm orange bags are favorites for reuse due to their large size and strength.
The Orange Friday flier featured a number of sale items for hunters and noted that the first 500 people through the door would get a free hat. Scratch-off discount tickets went to the first 700 people through the door. The doors were to open at 6 a.m.
For 10 years it’s been a tradition to host a brother and his two sons from St. Louis for the whitetail hunt. Even though they were to arrive late Thursday night, Orange Friday would add to the Wisconsin deer hunt mystique, so a trip to the event was scheduled.
Heading out the door a little after 5 that morning, fairly heavy snow was coming down. Roads were a little greasy. Reaching Highway 141 north of Lena, there was a steady flow of southbound traffic. The trip to Green Bay took about 45 minutes, and along the way there were a number of vehicles that had skidded into the ditch. There was some urgency, since the doors would open, and there were only 500 hats.
Pulling into the Fleet Farm lot, it became apparent that parking spaces were at a premium, and long lines extended from both entrances. Apparently that weekend flier had some impact. It was 6:03 a.m. when we reached the end of one of the lines.
We were careful not to estimate the number of people in the line, as there were only 500 hats and one hoped the trip was not in vain. It looked like there were thousands of people in line. Even if there was no free hat, some of those hunting essentials were on sale. The line moved fairly quickly, and people passed the time talking to friends or about the upcoming hunt.
Finally getting to the entrance, there were two management types greeting the customers coming through the door. They had no hats. However, with a quick glance to the right, one could see a staff member dressed in orange distributing those coveted hats. The quest was accomplished.
The store was well staffed, and there were a number of “Excuse me” greetings as people bumped into each other in the sporting goods area. Many of the sale items flew off the shelves, and staff members were working hard to restock the shelves. It definitely was a customer-friendly atmosphere.
By 7 a.m. the aisles were much more easy to navigate, and there were lots of spaces in the parking lot. Unlike some who frequent the Black Friday experience, the early risers who made it to Orange Friday knew what they wanted, picked it up and headed out. Some were at the job site at starting time, and others loaded up and headed to camp wearing great-looking hats.
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