How Early is Your ML Season?

[Riley/MN]

I saw the other post asking how late your season is, I was just wondering what states have an early ML season. Is that season open to non-residents, or residents only? I would also love to talk to representatives from the F&G, DNR, etc. in those states as to what impact on and opposition from hunters in other seasons (i.e. archery) they have seen. Thanks for your input guys.

 

[jdixon]

Kentucky - early muzzleloader season is the 3rd weekend in October - open to non-residents. IMO, it needs to be pushed back a week or two, usually still too warm around here on or about October 15th for any decent deer hunting. Mostly does taken from what I have seen.

 

[PaulN/KS]

Here in Ks the muzzleloader season is around the last week of Sept.Too dang hot and buggy plus the bowhunters don't like it since bowseason starts at the beginning of Oct.Down in Ok it was the last 9 days in Oct.

 

[netoleon]

Maryland ML season has an early "week" ( starting C. October 20th + ) and 2 "weeks" later on ( starts c. Nov .20th ). Late period is usually good, some years ( like this one ) it's way too hot even in late Oct. ( gotta stay on that global warming thing).

You can buy a permit as an out-of-stater, but....hope you got deep pockets !

 

[bob1961]

3rd week of oct we have 1 week of anything goes muzzleloader season in PA :shake: ....but flintlock only comes in dec 26th fer a couple of days short of 3 weeks into jan :applause: ............bob

 

[elcazador]

In my zone it starts as early as the last week in september. But the bad thing is, the season is one of the shortest. It's shorter than archery or even spring turkey.

The good news is, you can hunt with a muzzleloader in the general gun season.

 

[longfowler]

up here in the great white north of new hampshire ours is the 11 days before regular firearms season. this year it started oct 29th.it's the best time to be out up here, the deer are just getting active with the pre rut but the weather hasn't turned arctic yet! we actually shoot more bucks during m/l season than during the 26 days of regular season.

 

[JeffD]

In the Piedmont region of South Carolina the season usually runs from October 1st until October 10th, depending on the county. A few nice bucks are taken and I think that it is one of the better times to go if you want meat, buck or doe. Once gun season comes in, the deer pattern the hunters pretty quickly and become almost totally nocturnal.

 

[Two Trails]

Muzzleloader in Indiana starts after firearms season or about the first weekend in December. The nice thing here is that you can use a muzzleloader during firearms season or a shotgun. Firearms and muzzleloader both have a seperate season and require seperate licenses. The thing I didn't like is that now you can use a .410 for deer.
To me this is a no brainer since the rifle is a better choice and I've got the antlers to prove
it.
Two Trails

 

[sfruhwirth]

Iowa:
Our early season this year was in the 3rd week of October. Just a bit early since we still have a lot of corn in and rut is still a ways off. But the weather is great not hot not cold, and the bugs are generally almost all gone.
Unfortunately it's only available for resident hunters. We do have a late season available for non-resident muzzleloader hunters however, December 24 - January 2, 2006.