Opening Day in Northeast Michigan

Schools were closed and a lot people were taking the day off for the opening day of rifle season on Tuesday.

One of the biggest days for northern Michiganders, opening day also brings in a lot of people from down south hoping to bag a deer. For alpena, it can have a positive impact on the local businesses. While Mayor Matt Waligora hasn’t gone hunting himself for years, he understands the importance of opening day for the city and the region. “There’s always an influx of visitors coming from down south for a couple of weeks, and it’s always good for our local businesses and stores and restaurants for sure,” he said.

At Bob’s Gun Shop in Alpena, the day before is always very busy. Seeing all of the customers come in is obviously a big boost for them as well. “Probably the biggest attraction there is in the fall in this part of the country,” said Robert Skuse, owner of Bob’s Gun Shop. “It’s fabulous. It brings a lot of people in. The day before we had so many people come in there was like 15 at a time.”

Regular rifle season runs from Nov. 15-30.