Monday was the opening day of rifle season for deer hunters.

After a day, or if they were lucky, a few hours in the woods, hunters began bringing their harvest back home to butcher shops like McKruit’s Meats near Cabot.

Here’s a look at the traditions and practices that helped several hunters bag a deer on the season’s first day.

Randy and Darius Stivenson

If there’s something to be said for good-natured competition between father and son, Randy Stivenson of Sarver freely admits that his 15-year-old son, Darius, got one up on him this year.

On Monday the Stivensons were out in the woods of Wayne Township, when something special happened: both filled their buck tags on the same day for the first time since Darius picked up his father’s childhood rifle — a .30-30 — and became a hunter himself.

“He’s already made three shots with that gun that outdo anything I ever did,” Randy said.

Darius, who hunts alongside his grandfather, Bill Hancock, each year, said this year’s shot came at about 80 yards through heavy brush.

“It was pretty spectacular from what I’ve heard,” Randy said.

As they do every year, Darius said, the family hit the woods early and made it to their tree stands about 6 a.m., where they waited for about four hours before any deer appeared.

Five minutes later, Stivenson said, both he and Darius were bagging their deer. He said he’s grateful for a pastime that’s brought the family closer together.

“For me it’s about being able to spend more time with my son,” Stivenson said.

Jason Gaillot

Jason Gaillot of South Buffalo Township, Armstrong County, has been shooting deer on the same property that his father and uncle have hunted on since the 1960s.

Since then, not much has changed besides Gaillot’s father, who has since died, being replaced by his stepfather, Ed, on the family’s yearly outings.

Jason and his brother, John, meet up each year, head into the woods, and at some point split up after wishing each other good luck. That’s the way the Gaillots have always done it.

“We just keep up the tradition,” Jason Gaillot said. “My dad got me into it, and my brother and I’ve just done it every year.”

This year Gaillot, who filled his buck tag on Monday with a large, heavy-racked animal, plans to start a new chapter in the family’s hunting tradition.

Gaillot hopes to take his 11-year-old daughter, Madison, out and give her a chance at filling her doe tag. It will be Madison’s first year participating in deer season.

“I’m hoping everything works out and I can make it happen,” Gaillot said.

Michael and Tammy Thompson

Not many people can make a vacation out of visiting the place they go to work every day, but Michael and Tammy Thompson of Eaglerock Setters in Butler are two such people.

The Thompsons, who breed setters and work as guides for bird hunters who visit the area, take the first day of deer season as their own personal vacation. So unlike many hunters, who make a special occasion out of the day, the Thompsons focus on playing it by ear and staying laid back.

While other hunters get up early in search of their deer, the Thompsons are the exact opposite. For just this once, their trip to the woods is a low-stress affair. On Monday Michael took a small, nontypical buck because of the interesting shape of its rack.

“This is a vacation week, there’s no pressure. If we see a deer, great. If not, great,” said Michael. “It’s kind of nice to get out and do it on our own time. There’s no client that’s paid a lot of money to have everything be perfect.”

Thompson has been hunting since childhood, when his grandfather first took him out into the woods, and said he views the season as a way to keep those memories and his family’s tradition, alive.

“It’s tradition. It’s carrying on a tradition,” he said.

Christopher Sutej

Christopher Sutej of Tarentum has been hunting for 30 years and has yet to bag a buck. But that hasn’t stopped him from filling his doe tags all these years — or passing along a love of the sport to his children, Christopher Jr. and Madison.

“The day I can’t hunt is the day I’m dead in the ground,” Sutej, 41, said. “I love being outdoors. I can handle anything but rain. Nothing good comes of rain.”

As they do every year the Sutej’s got up about 4:30 a.m. on Monday, for a big breakfast at Donut Connection before hitting the woods.

This year the family was hunting in Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County, when they sighted a group of does at long range. Sutej, who calls his son a “crack shot,” said Christopher Jr. dropped his animal at about 175 yards with a .30-30. The boy said Monday that the shot was the longest he’s ever made.

“What I learn, I’m trying to pass on to him,” Sutej said of why he hunts. “I’ve been hunting in that area for about 15 years now, and this is my favorite time of the year.

By 2:30 p.m. Monday Sutej and his son were dropping off their harvest — four does in all — at McKruit’s

“This is the earliest I’ve ever finished up hunting,” Sutej said.

Because Pennsylvania law only allows a parent to supervise one minor hunter at a time, Sutej said he was planning on taking 9-year-old Madison out on another day. The family still has two doe tags to fill, and Sutej said he might buy more.