“Most of them call in sick, and a lot of them were probably thinking about that (Friday) morning,” he said. “If there’s an excuse for hunting, it’s been used.”

Nance said the buck fever epidemic is very real and its symptoms are mostly felt by local businesses.

“I would imagine there is a lot of sickness that isn’t really sickness,” he said. “You can come up with anything right now, especially with only a few more days. There are a lot of people that really want to go.”

The site www.shotgunworld.com listed these as their best excuses to get out work and into the woods:

• My wife is pregnant, and I need to give her a ride to the doctor.
• I have an afternoon appointment.
• The job has me stressed and I need some time away.