Donald Duck is enjoying a luxurious meal under a large portrait of his pioneering grandfather. The narrator notes that Donald's life is significantly easier than his ancestor who had to hunt in order to survive. Donald then sees that hunting season begins the next day and, possessed by the spirit of his grandfather, decides to participate.
When Donald arrives at the hunting grounds that evening, he finds it extremely overcrowded. Local residents go into hiding as vendors set up shop; the deer in the forest, represented by a cameo of Bambi and his mother, leave the area after seeing loads of litter wash downstream.
The precise opening of hunting season that night unfolds in dramatic fashion. The scenes evoke stereotypical war films, depicting trench and tank warfare, amphibious landing craft, and hunters parachuting into the forest. At the end of the day, the discouraged hunters trudge home across a war-torn landscape. Yet the narrator notes that the day was "not without game", as Donald's grandfather presents a cow, taken from a local farm, which had the word "cow" painted on it so the hunters would not confuse it for a deer.
Comparing CinemaScope and flat versions
This short also has a comparison between the CinemaScope and flat versions.
In the CinemaScope version, three bullet holes appear on the sign with sound effects of gunfire at the title card. This does not happen in the flat version.
Director Jack Hannah recorded several voice overs for the cartoon according to one interview. These included a moose who says "Hmm, you're a cute one." According to Hannah, animator John Sibley who worked on the scene enjoyed the way Hannah spoke the line, and Hannah decided to record it himself. It is not known specifically which other voices Hannah recorded, yet several minor roles are uncredited.[3]
Background
The film's satirical presentation of recreational hunting was inspired by director Jack Hannah's own experiences as a child. He once said: "I used to go hunting with my dad when I was a kid and this short was a great takeoff on these hunters and fishermen. They really are this way. They are as dangerous to themselves as to the game they're hunting. I've heard there are more hunters shot on opening day than deer."[3]
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