TRIADELPHIA — While many were in bed sleeping through their Thanksgiving turkey-induced lethargy, a line of hundreds of customers wrapped around the Highland’s Cabela’s on Friday at 5 a.m.

Once the doors opened, shoppers hustled through, some not even bothering to procure a cart before they began hunting for deals.

“They had a gun that was being given away on sale, and when they ran out of tickets for the sale, everybody was yelling about it,” recounted customer Seth Burgdolt, who had already secured the ammo he was searching for 10 minutes after the store’s opening. “There was some drama.”

With this being his first time Black Friday shopping, Burgdolt did not expect the long queue that greeted him and his wife when they first showed up at the store.

“We saw a lot of people when we got here, but the line didn’t look so long from the front,” explained Burgdolt. “Then we started walking around the building, and it kept going and going and going forever.”

Planning on seeing thousands of customers through their doors by the end of the day, Sales Manager Isaac Knight noted they were “all hands on deck.” With every employee on the schedule and the store-opening process beginning at three in the morning, Cabela’s was well-equipped to handle the rush.

One rack seeing lots of attention was the flannels and jackets, as a $10 flannel deal and 25% off hoodies was a bargain many did not want to miss.

In-store-only sales were a big draw for customers. Knight explained that despite many preferring to shop from their laptop or phone, Cabela’s still sees significant in-person business on the big retail day.

“We do a lot of great business online, don’t get me wrong, but we get people here because they like to touch and feel stuff,” added Knight. “A lot of the stuff we sell is hands-on so that draws a lot of customers here today.”

Wake-up times for some customers beat when employees had to clock in, as the Hoak family got up at 2:30 a.m. to make the trip from their home state of Pennsylvania.

“We kind of just took a nap after dinner,” joked father Art Hoak. “We always start at Cabela’s since it’s open the earliest and then work our way back home.”

Having 25 years of Black Friday shopping under their belts, the family judged the crowds this year as beating last year, but were not the largest they had ever seen.

“This year is busier than the last couple of years, but the first year the store opened, it was crazy,” added mother Jennifer Hoak.

“The craziness” the holiday can bring out in people hunting for the best deal is the main appeal of the holiday for Menards customer Douglas Hodgkins.

“I’m from Fayetteville and this is just something me and my sons do every year for about the last 15 years,” said Hodgkins. “There are a few things that we came to get, but mostly, it’s a tradition to get out and see the people and the craziness.”

Over his decade of Black Friday experience, Hodgkins believes the crowds have “shrunk big time.”

“I noticed at stores like Target years ago the line would be all the way around the building, but this year, there were only 10 cars in the parking lot,” explained Hodgkins. “I think it’s with stores starting their Black Friday sales the week before, everybody’s buying online.”

Despite there being less and less “craziness” each year for him to witness, Hodgkins will never opt for online shopping instead, as he enjoys the time spent with his two sons.

While Menards did not match Cabela’s line snaking around the store, the store still welcomed a steady stream of customers at their 6 a.m. opening. Store Manager Corey Curtis cited a retro refrigerator that was “a really good deal” as an item that would be highly sought out in their store today.

“We’ve got everything from toys to furniture, so there’s a lot of stuff that draws people here,” explained Curtis. “We’ll kind of play it by ear on exactly how many customers we get today, but this is a special time of the year when we do a lot of volume.”

Though Friday would be a long day for Curtis and his employees, he was focused on the excitement Black Friday brings, adding that setting up for the event was “a fun time.”

“Menards has been doing this for a long time, so it’s gonna be fun today.” added Curtis. “It’s a great time of the year that helps put people to work and helps the local economy.”