ML HUNTING IN REGULAR RIFLE SEASON

[Alberta Black]

I am weaning my way off of the cartridge guns to full muzzleloading hunting. As soon as my fowler arrives and I get my 12 gauge Mowrey back from the gunsmith I will no longer have an excuse to use a cartridge gun.

We only have a a short muzzleloader season in Alberta plus a two week muzzleloader/shotgun season around the major cities. If you want to do a lot of hunting you have to hunt during the regular season but I don't find myself handi-capped.

AB

 

[ehepp]

I've hunted the Wi regular deer season with my GPR for a six years now. I have a lot more fun with it than I ever had with my 308. At first I was thought of as the :youcrazy: one in camp. Last year there were 4 of us, this year it's five! All sidelocks, I guess this black powder stuff really is contageous :grin:

 

[rabjr]

We have a shotgun season here, they won't let us use our rifled muzzle loaders which makes no sense at all. Not when you can use rifled barrels on a shotgun. We can however use smoothbores of at least 20 ga minimum bore diameter.

 

[Slamfire]

Soon as I can swap off my left handed Savage for a muzzleloadin' shotgun, I'll be out of the supository firearms business, 'cept for home defense. :v

 

[roundball]

This will be my 5th year doing 100% of my hunting with Flintlocks...deer, squirrels, turkey, etc.

Thats what my goal is to hunt with primitive weapons instead of modern.I guess Im just thinkin of my elk rifle as a crutch.I was thinkin about usin the 54 for a couple of days and if I didnt get an elk I would take my 300 out for the rest of the season,but I dont have to have an elk.There is alot of elk in the unit I am hunting in so I have a good chance of getting one in the 5 day season.

And I expect it might be easier to hunt with short range weapons depending on where we live, hunting conditions, etc...where I hunt here in North Carolina, the longest ML deer I've taken was 70 yards down a loggers road through the woods, but year in and year out the average is a pretty close 35-40yds...guys out west probably have it a lot tougher

 

[Slamfire]

I actually found huntin' in the west to be easier than in the east. Out there you take a good pair of binoculars and glass all the really close in stuff. The deer tend to get nervous, then when you are ready to move you drop a rock in the worst tangle, and out they come. Of course you have to shoot them on the run. The toughest target is the stottin' mulie. Just imagine a deer on a pogo stick! :rotf:

 

[roundball]

"...stottin' mulie. Just imagine a deer on a pogo stick! :rotf:.."

First time I ever saw that...'stotting'...was about 15 years ago...December, raining, right at dark and I was in an old abandoned sharecropper shack out of the rain...looking out over a greenfied of winter rye...right at dark Does began slipping out of the tree line into the field...no buck ever showed so before I ran out of light, I shot a big Doe...6-8 whitetails all went 'stotting' off in every direction...had never seen anything like that before...cartoon-ish looking

 

[Stumpkiller]

ML HUNTING IN REGULAR RIFLE SEASON

Yes and no. I use a m/l during regular SHOTGUN season. No centerfire rifles allowed hereabouts. I used to use a percussion with Maxi-Hunters or R.E.A.L.s on non rainy/sleety days. Last few years I've gone to round balls for regular and m/l seasons. We have this lousey m/l season of the one week after the three weeks of regular (which is after the six weeks of early bow) and it's shared with late bow. whoopie. One weekend, and by late December who has vacation left? If you don't use a m/l during regular it's just not worth owning one for hunting. Last year the m/l & late bow was extended to nine days. Progress.

 

[mglampson]

I started out like many others, looking to extend my deer season. Hunted in our muzzleloader season then switched to a center fire. Having practed with the BP rifle I came to realize that I was not really limited too much compared to the modern rifle. Granted the BP is a "single shot" but with the ranges and conditions, that wasn't a huge handicap.
The following season I switched again after the muzzle loader season but this time I felt I had somehow cheated myself.
The third year was the charm. I was determined to use BP until I was successful. Though I took alot of abuse from my buddies, I filled my buck tag in the third week of the modern rifle season.
Since then I have hunted exclusively with BP muzzleloaders and have switched from my sweetheart percussion GPR to a custom flinter. I even like it when my friends joke about my firearm. Ofcourse they never have much to say when I bring in the venison. :grin:

 

[Adirondackman]

This is my first year with blackpowder and I'am hooked.I enjoy everything about it. There is just something magical about shooting a PRB. I like the sound, the smoke and the thought that I have one shot to make good. I have always prefered to get close to my quarry, it's just more fun that way. Yes my centerfires will be collecting dust this fall. I plan to hunt all season with the smokepole! Good luck this year.

PS - I think I'll sell them smokeless things

 

[shmrck1]

CROWHOP,
Don't even own a C/F anything! If I go
hunting anything, it is with a traditional B/P rifle with PRB. Don't even own a slug gun, but
I am thinking of a smoothbore.Any suggestions?
snake-eyes :hmm:

 

Sounds like you guys made my mind up for me. :grin: If things go right next year Ill be archery hunting deer and cow elk with one of my home spun bows,we have an extra archery cow elk tag here and I should draw for muzzle loader elk.So that gives me two full weeks of vacation plus weekends in the woods and no hunting with modern weapons.

 

[shmrck1]

So that gives me two full weeks of vacation plus weekends in the woods and no hunting with modern weapons.

:thumbsup: Friend, it don't get no better than thatIMHO Report back with your success!
snake-eyes :hatsoff:

 

[mountaintrash58]

Up here in Wyoming we HAVE TO hunt during the centerfire season as there is no special muzzleloading season. Doesn't matter though, it's about the "hunt" i.e. tracking, locating, stalking skills anyway. Ain't the tool but the man behind the tool.
Go for it! and good huntin'

 

[FV Rago]

I have a couple old military rifles that just collect dust since the only rifle I use for hunting is the GPR 50. Rain, sleet, nasty weather it goes to the field.

 

[Hoyt]

What got me into flintlocks was building them to hunt with, but I don't do all my hunting with them. I'm more into hunting than flintlocks and will use whichever type gun suits the terrain I'm going to hunt. I do all my spring gobbler and squirrel hunting with .62cal. Virginia smoothbore, flintlock and almost all deer and hog with .54cal. Buck's Co. and now this yr. with .58cal. Berk's Co. flintlocks. However, there will be times I'll take one of my center-fire rifles to hunt a few long range shot areas.
I can say I no-longer have a desire to use my inline rifle or sidelock and modern shotguns..just like my flintlocks better right now.

 

[ldykeman]

I use my sidelock during ML season, but I do use my Encore 209x50 during the regular season, mostly because it has a scope on it and I can see a whole lot better through that than with iron sights. Although it would be legal to put a scope on my Renegade here in NY, I can't bring myself to do it. I don't think that is a bad compromise, as I am using a modern firearm during the regular season and a more traditional one for ML season.
Larry

 

[BrownBear]

You know, using your ML in the regular season is the best way to get new recruits to ML. Especially if you shut up and get your game, then answer the questions of those who don't. The best evangelists lead with their examples and not their mouths.

Sure has worked for me! Three of my regular hunting group now do so with MLs!

 

[szihn]

Yes, I ALWAYS hunt in the regular season. There are very few muzzleloader seasons in Wyoming, and I don't bother. I just get my tags and go hunting.
For Mule deer and Antelope, the flintlock is an extra challenge.
For Whitetail, elk, and moose it's not too much different than hunting with a center fire rifle, because I hunt the thickest timber and brush I can find for them, and shots are almost always close.
Elk and White tail always seek heavy cover as soon as the season starts, and that's where you find most of them anyway.

 

[Halftail]

Does anyone use their muzzleloader during centerfire season?

Yes sir, I sure do. Good to see I'm not alone... :thumbsup:

Centerfire seasons is the only chance I get to hunt.I'm sure not going to waste it by using a Gun that don't load from the front. :v