How often do you run into other muzzle loader hunters?

[Greg Blackburn]

Most hunters are, put simply, pragmatic. They carry what's easiest for them to kill game with. Now me, I got into the "method hunter" stage very quickly. Rather like the saying "the journey is the destination" what I hunt with is just as important if not more so than whether or not I get any game.

Most people are not like that. Apparently, we here are not like most people.

If I ever come across another traditional muzzle loader hunter in the field, I'll try and chat with him/her a bit, get a picture with them, and invite them to lunch afterwards.

 

[Treestalker]

Bit harder to really test out my GF as she is a foreign national living 10,500 miles away. She is a great airgun shot (about all she can do in her country without spreading thousands of dollars to rent a real firearm) and has consistently supported my talking about hunting, shooting, carry, self defense, etc. She has many times voiced an interest in shooting, carry, and hunting.

She's a true American and knows it!

 

[Treestalker]

I feel akin to the Lonely Maytag Repairman!

That's OK, some of the best thinking comes during a solitary hunt. I gave up hunting with other people long ago, not that I don't like people, but most can't shut up long enough to see game. If you have any Native American friends who hunt, you'll find many of them are naturally quiet folks, and good to be with. They blend right in with muzzleloading. They also respect animals and nature so I like being with them, I just can't keep up any more. I never did hunt for trophies, just meat, and if it came with horns and claws and fur, I used that too.

 

[Treestalker]

Was out squirrel hunting the other day. On my slow walk back to my truck, I saw another hunter coming up the path. As it was the way out of the woods and back to my truck, I ended up crossing paths with the man. To my surprise, he was carrying a Flintlock. It was the first time I've encountered another small game hunter using a muzzle loader. We talked for a few minutes. I looked over his rifle. It was a southern style 40 caliber Flintlock. It was a very beautiful firearm. He told me he had the gun built for him. Whomever built that gun was an artist for sure. I told him he had one fine firearm. I then left him to his hunt and continued on my way.

You should have gotten his name and contacted him about doing ML activities together. Good ML friends are a great find!

 

[Greg Blackburn]

That's OK, some of the best thinking comes during a solitary hunt. I gave up hunting with other people long ago, not that I don't like people, but most can't shut up long enough to see game. If you have any Native American friends who hunt, you'll find many of them are naturally quiet folks, and good to be with. They blend right in with muzzleloading. They also respect animals and nature so I like being with them, I just can't keep up any more. I never did hunt for trophies, just meat, and if it came with horns and claws and fur, I used that too.

You hunted with other people? The way I was taught to hunt was, the group entered the woods together then spread out, going off on their own away from others. I have never been within sight of a friend when actually "hunting."


When I take my GF hunting, assuming it's hunting season when she gets over here (otherwise she'll be my "wife"), I plan to sit with her but just as support. No talking above a whisper and then not much of that.

 

[hanshi]

98% of my hunting has been solitary, and this is what I much prefer. I like the quiet stillness of a forest with only me and the wildlife to make noise and I don't make noise.

 

[Sidney Smith]

You should have gotten his name and contacted him about doing ML activities together. Good ML friends are a great find!

I thought about that after I had gotten home. Im hoping I run into him again, and I will. Ill make him an offer to come shoot at the club I belong to as my guest. Assuming of course hes not already a member there.

 

[Nessmuck56]

i don’t always run into another ML hunter....but if I do...it’s an in-line guy.

 

[n3wyu]

98% of my hunting has been solitary, and this is what I much prefer. I like the quiet stillness of a forest with only me and the wildlife to make noise and I don't make noise.

I too like to hunt alone. It's not so much getting game it's just being out in the woods and if I come across a big buck I'll take a shot. However just being out is relaxing for me

 

[Greg Blackburn]

We're encouraged to "hunt with a buddy" but I couldn't always do that. In fact, for most of my life, what I wanted to do was so different from everyone, I had to go it alone. And like Magnum PI said (I know hanshi) it's great solitude. Just alone with the breeze, the rattling leaves, the creak of a tree trunk swaying with the wind, the noise game makes. Many times I've leaned back and went to sleep in the leaves.

 

[hunter thompson]

Never have in my part of Texas. But public land suitable for stalking deer in my area is virtually nonexistent. The M.O. of hunters here is to get onto a lease and hunt from a stand/blind/tripod/deer box, within sight of a deer feeder. In that situation, if you tried to stalk deer you'd likely wind up with an extra hole in you somewhere.

Yeah i heard that texas was all canned in the box hunts.Not real hunting to me

 

[rusticbob]

Yeah i heard that texas was all canned in the box hunts.Not real hunting to me

I agree completely, sitting in a blind over bait is not hunting, its shooting!

 

[Sean Gadhar]

I've had game officers seem shocked. . .and they see hunters all day long as their job. So if they don't see muzzleloader small game hunters, their can't be many.

 

[n3wyu]

We're encouraged to "hunt with a buddy" but I couldn't always do that. In fact, for most of my life, what I wanted to do was so different from everyone, I had to go it alone. And like Magnum PI said (I know hanshi) it's great solitude. Just alone with the breeze, the rattling leaves, the creak of a tree trunk swaying with the wind, the noise game makes. Many times I've leaned back and went to sleep in the leaves.

Yep been there done that . I'll tell you for sure. Took some pretty good naps like that. Always wondered how many deer walk past me.

 

[Greg Blackburn]

Oh gosh, once, while hunting with a Lee Enfield that had a worn safety, one that disengaged about halfway through its arc, I shot the thing!

So the weapon is laid across my body, my finger still on the trigger, and I am on the side of a hill, leaning back. I doze off. Ever have one of those "nap jerks" where your whole body tenses up all of a sudden? BOOOOOOOM!

I remember thinking "my gun is going off." I woke up to see the bullet traveling down the hill, just below the surface, throwing up leaves as it goes.

I immediately grab my left foot to make sure it's still all there.

I guess I had bumped the safety and then nap jerked the trigger.

That was the last time I dozed off just depending on the safety! From then on it was unload chamber or lock bolt (the Enfield's bolt can be put into a "lock" position"). Thankfully muzzleloaders have to be cocked first.

 

[Greg Blackburn]

She's a true American and knows it!

She certainly seems to embrace the spirit of what "an American" is. Gosh I hope so! I have dated some very liberal (Leftist) women before and that is not something I want to go through again, much less tie my financial future to.

 

[Cosmo]

I agree completely, sitting in a blind over bait is not hunting, its shooting!

Agreed. When I moved to Texas I was surprised by what passes for hunting. I believe it came out of necessity; every acre of land has someone's fence around it. You have to pay to hunt that land and follow the landowner's rules. Landowners try to put as many hunters on their land as possible. So stalking means you can find yourself in conflict hunters sitting in blinds in a hurry.

 

[JamesT]

Was out squirrel hunting the other day. On my slow walk back to my truck, I saw another hunter coming up the path. As it was the way out of the woods and back to my truck, I ended up crossing paths with the man. To my surprise, he was carrying a Flintlock. It was the first time I've encountered another small game hunter using a muzzle loader. We talked for a few minutes. I looked over his rifle. It was a southern style 40 caliber Flintlock. It was a very beautiful firearm. He told me he had the gun built for him. Whomever built that gun was an artist for sure. I told him he had one fine firearm. I then left him to his hunt and continued on my way.

W

Was out squirrel hunting the other day. On my slow walk back to my truck, I saw another hunter coming up the path. As it was the way out of the woods and back to my truck, I ended up crossing paths with the man. To my surprise, he was carrying a Flintlock. It was the first time I've encountered another small game hunter using a muzzle loader. We talked for a few minutes. I looked over his rifle. It was a southern style 40 caliber Flintlock. It was a very beautiful firearm. He told me he had the gun built for him. Whomever built that gun was an artist for sure. I told him he had one fine firearm. I then left him to his hunt and continued on my way.

Where was this by chance? This might be a strange coincidence.

 

[hunter thompson]

Agreed. When I moved to Texas I was surprised by what passes for hunting. I believe it came out of necessity; every acre of land has someone's fence around it. You have to pay to hunt that land and follow the landowner's rules. Landowners try to put as many hunters on their land as possible. So stalking means you can find yourself in conflict hunters sitting in blinds in a hurry.

givem back to mexico lol

 

[Nameless Hunter]

Yep been there done that . I'll tell you for sure. Took some pretty good naps like that. Always wondered how many deer walk past me.

There's a funny TV hunting video I saw YEARS ago with some guy on a moose hunt somewhere. Anyway, it gets mid morning and the shooter gets sleepy, so he decides to take a nap at the base of a tree. Well, lo and behold a moose comes in while the "shooter" is napping, with the camera guy getting it all on tape. The moose walks up to the guy and nudges his foot with a hoof. Nothing. The moose then lowers his head to just inches from his face and gives a sniff and a snort. The hunter wakes up! Bedlam, and the moose trots off with the cameraa guy just losing it. I've tried to find the video since then but to no avail...