Change to Oregon Muzzleloader Hunting Regs in 2019

[biliff]

ODFW made a change to the muzzleloader regs for 2019. It removes the bullet length and jacketed bullet restrictions from the regs. Only thing prohibited now are sabots or any thing with plastic on it. Change is in bold/italics. If you have a fast twist rifle like a Gibbs the change makes it workable in Oregon now.

"Muzzleloader
During muzzleloader only seasons and
600 series hunts where there is a weapon restriction of shotgun/muzzleloader only or archery/muzzleloader only:
It is unlawful to:
• Use scopes or sights that use batteries, artificial light or energy except for visually impaired hunters with a permit (see
page 23). Open and peep sights are legal, including open and peep sights with fiber optics or fluorescent paint on them.
• Hunt with or have in possession while hunting, sabots or bullets with plastic or synthetic parts. Cloth, paper or felt patches are allowed.
• Hunt with centerfire primers as an ignition sources; the muzzleloader must have an open ignition. See definition on page 87.
• Hunt with pelletized powders or propellants. Granular (loose) black powder and black powder substitutes are the only legal propellants.
• Hunt with a revolving action muzzleloader.
During centerfire firearm seasons, hunters may use muzzleloaders with any ignition type (except matchlock), any legal sight, any propellant, or any bullet type provided the weapon meets caliber restrictions for the species."

 

[BillinOregon]

Nice. Now if ODFW would just recognize that a 500-grain .460 caliber bullet out of a Volunteer, Gibbs or Whitworth is suitable elk medicine ...

 

[russellshaffer]

I can't find an actual 2019 regulation book yet. I did read that the "open ignition" requirement was going away. Still no centerfire primers allowed though. Inlines have already been allowed but have to have the Northwest open ignition modification which just involves some holes so the cap is visible. Kind of silly in my opinion. It's muzzleloading but hardly traiditional. Just my opinion of course. I wasn't consulted on the regulations.

 

[biliff]

Link to the 2019 regs:
http://www.eregulations.com/oregon/19orhd/

As I posted above, the only change to the muzzleloader regs is what I highlighted. Open ignition is still required.

There was a year long input period on all the proposed regulation changes (there's a number of them, especially in archery). Guess you missed it.

 

[russellshaffer]

Thanks biliff

 

[bigted]

Just curious concerning my TC Encore. If i changed the 209 primer system to a musket cap system, would this meet current reg's?

 

[biliff]

Sending a PM so as not to violate Forum Rule #7.

 

[yellowlab]

Im a little late on this post but was looking for clarification on use of scopes during Oregon muzzleloader seasons. In 2017 and for some years before that the regs. stated that Scopes(permanent and detachable). and sights that use artificial light or energy are not allowed. In 2018 the wording was changed to "Scopes, and sights that use batteries, artificial light or energy are not allowed". In 2019 and 2020 they read "Scopes or sights that use batteries, artificial light or energy ". Notice the comma is missing behind (Scopes) also or/vrs and . Does this change the meaning so that I can use a scope as long as it does not use batteries, artificial light or energy ? Am I being a little too critical here or does anyone else read this the same way?

 

[Kestrel]

Scope? Buy a center fire and be done with it. Kind of sacrilegious.......

 

[eugene nagel]

Scopes do not belong on muzzleloaders.

 

[biliff]

Im a little late on this post but was looking for clarification on use of scopes during Oregon muzzleloader seasons. In 2017 and for some years before that the regs. stated that Scopes(permanent and detachable). and sights that use artificial light or energy are not allowed. In 2018 the wording was changed to "Scopes, and sights that use batteries, artificial light or energy are not allowed". In 2019 and 2020 they read "Scopes or sights that use batteries, artificial light or energy ". Notice the comma is missing behind (Scopes) also or/vrs and . Does this change the meaning so that I can use a scope as long as it does not use batteries, artificial light or energy ? Am I being a little too critical here or does anyone else read this the same way?

Scopes are NOT allowed. I'm not an English major but the regs should be read as "It is unlawful to use scopes" followed by "It is unlawful to use sights that use batteries....."

Yes, I am aware of the exception for visually impaired hunters with a permit.

 

[yellowlab]

sorry ,I should have said "could someone put a scope on their muzzleloader". I do not think scopes, sabots, fiber optic sights, in-lines or rifle/pistol/shotgun primers should be allowed during "primitive" hunts. In some/most states muzzleloader seasons were started as primitive hunts then quickly evolved into sabot shooting, scoped in-lines capable of 200+ yard plus. Then as in the case of Oregon, bag limits had to be reduced because success rates were too high. I just had to nitpick how the regs were worded.

 

[Kestrel]

Sorry, just a very sore subject. I am a longbow and ml hunter and hate what technology has done to our weapons. I have never shot a big game animal over 40 yards. Most have been 25 or less. All are taken by spot and stalk. We have become lazy in this country and no more so than with hunting. Modern optics, ballistics and the gawd awful 4 wheeler/utv. I have the utmost respect for the animals that I harvest to feed my family and am proud of the effort that I have put in to hone my hunting skills. I've eaten a lot of tag stew over the years, but every animal harvested has been a trophy in my book. Traditional hunting is sacred and should stay that way.

 

[eugene nagel]

I agree 100% Hunters,I take that back, their not hunters, they sit in tree stands with their scoped inline & complain about the lack of deer. Keep muzzleloading season traditional.

 

[ugly old guy]

I agree 100% Hunters,I take that back, their not hunters, they sit in tree stands with their scoped inline & complain about the lack of deer. Keep muzzleloading season traditional.

Tree Stands should be banned and/or made illegal for hunting be it with a firearm, muzzleloader, or bow/crossbow.

 

[Nuthatch]

I agree with the idea of keeping traditional things traditional. But different states have different rules for different reasons and with differing amounts of sanity. Here in CA, our lead-free requirements have made hunting with traditional muzzleloaders fairly difficult -- especially for us newer folk. Saboted copper bullets are fairly easy to come by but are better suited to fast-twist rifles. I have to special-order my bullets (Thor) that work in my 1:48. I happen to like OR's rules far more than CA's. At least they appear to be trying to keep the hadicap these special seasons were meant to accommodate. I'm hoping to get a good PRB combo to work at some point. Then, I can try some casting of my own (bismuth alloy). Why CA won't allow lead in muzzleloaders, which don't fragment like modern centerfire bullets, is beyond reason.

But, to CA's credit, our public-land success rates for over-the-counter tags (non-lottery/preference point) on deer are horrible -- less than 10% with most closer to 5%. Seasons are set to perpetuate this. By my reckoning & a couple conversations, CA DFW needs high license sales and low success rates, which is a tall order for a sustainable program, in my opinion. So I'm a bit forgiving of people looking for an edge somewhere and for our DFW for allowing in-lines & sabots. God knows they've given us short odds as it is.

Now, if folks are looking for an edge to hunt whitetails in a state where does and bucks are legal, they can hunt 10-minutes from their house and the seasons are long, I say they probably need a new hobby.

 

[yellowlab]

I don't have an issue with center fires, scopes or sabots. Heck I own a scoped center fire (don't remember when it was last fired) and I also went through the in-line faze (have three of them) they also don't get out of the safe very often any more. I don't claim to be holier than anyone and I don't really have a problem with scoped in-lines with sabots and copper bullets and pellets. Just not during what started out as a primitive/traditional hunt. I would love to see ODFW add some flintlock/round ball hunts but don't expect that any time soon. Doubt there would be enough interest for them to bother. Then someone would figure out how to make a flintlock shoot synthetic powder with pellets and sabots out to 200+ yds. Don't forget to put a scope on that. (Isn't that a Pennsylvania hunter ?).

 

[yellowlab]

I was incorrect about the Pa hunter, Should have been(Traditions Pa pellet rifle).

 

[Kestrel]

I am a "to each his own" kind of guy. I do not hunt over dogs (bear/cougar) nor over bait. Just rubs my ethics the wrong way.
For those who choose different hunting methods than myself. I say good on ya and please support my right to do so as well. When we pick on the minority, through attrition, we soon become that minority.
I am a traditional hunter and always will be. I want to share the field with other like minded hunters, though not to many at one time
During my lifetime, I have watched the State of Oregon literally manage our wildlife into near extinction. Through their bear/wolf/cougar policies, the hunting seasons (or lack there of) and their overall general disdain for the armed citizen.
I stopped hunting 6 years ago as I couldn't bring myself to take one of the few remaining magnificent animals. I still enjoy my spot and stalk, but now, I just harvest the animal with my eyes and thank God for creating them.
Again, "To each his own"

 

[Atticus69]

Tree Stands should be banned and/or made illegal for hunting be it with a firearm, muzzleloader, or bow/crossbow.

I once had a TC renegade that I bought used with a scope already mounted. Never used it to hunt and didn't like trying to clean it. I got rid of it. However, now in my 60's I find that I can no longer see the sight on my flintlock squirrel rifle and had to have a new, bigger sight put on my flintlock Tulle (which I am deer hunting with this week).I can understand that there are hunters or would be hunters with either poor or fading eyesight that have a choice of hunting with optics or not participating in the sport.I would hate to have to give up my muzzleloaders when my eyes reach that point. That is probably a decision I may be forced to consider down the road if the rest of my body holds up.As to tree stands, I don't use them, but live in crowded Ohio where hunters often hunt in armies.Every hunter in a tree stand is one who is not out stomping around, making noise and screwing up my hunting. That said, I have a constant battle with trespassers and poachers sneaking in and putting up tree stands on my property.