Montana Muzzleloader season

[Greenmtnboy]

Hey any of you Montucky boys know if they are ever have a muzzleloader season up there?

 

[Sunday Mule]

Unfortunatly we do not have a season dedicated to muzzleloader hunting. We do have a couple of hunting districts that are muzzleloader only, but they are few and far between. On the bright side we are able to use muzzleloaders during our 5 week rifle season. Along with your general deer license we are able to buy up to five doe tags. So, between the 5 week season and up to six deer tags it makes for a lot of time in the field. Hope that helped.

 

[Black Hand]

Along with your general deer license we are able to buy up to five doe tags. So, between the 5 week season and up to six deer tags it makes for a lot of time in the field.

This depends entirely where you are.

I can put in for a limited late-season hunt for pistol/archery/shotgun/muzzleloader, but lately the number of licenses have been limited. But, if successful, you can purchase up to 5 antler-less whitetail tags to fill in addition to the general season deer tag(s).

 

[Greenmtnboy]

Along with your general deer license we are able to buy up to five doe tags. So, between the 5 week season and up to six deer tags it makes for a lot of time in the field.

This depends entirely where you are.

I can put in for a limited late-season hunt for pistol/archery/shotgun/muzzleloader, but lately the number of licenses have been limited. But, if successful, you can purchase up to 5 antler-less whitetail tags to fill in addition to the general season deer tag(s).

thanks guys,
my family and I are moving north as soon as well sell down here.
a muzzleloader season in MT in sept like our here in CO would be great!
I know Toby Bridges is pushing for a MT season but with scoped inlines

 

[pab1]

I would like to see a muzzleloading season here too. I would not mind them allowing in-lines as long as the regs were like Colorados. No scopes, no sabots and granulated powder only. I'm sure Bridges would not be happy with that though.

 

[Kootenai]

Montana's bowhunters have successfully stopped a muzzleloading only season for many years. Their argument is our season is 5 weeks long and if you want to hunt with a smokepole you can do it during that five weeks. Any muzzleloading only season they argue would have to come from their season or reduce the main season. Neither of which is going to happen.

Mark

 

[Sunday Mule]

I would like to see Montana do a late season primitive whitetail doe only season say in late December or early January. There are many places in eastern Montana that have a terrible problem with Whitetails damaging crops and hay stacks. I think Pennsylvania has a similar late season. It would also take away the argument that a muzzleloader season would be cutting into the archery season.

 

[Greenmtnboy]

Montana's bowhunters have successfully stopped a muzzleloading only season for many years. Their argument is our season is 5 weeks long and if you want to hunt with a smokepole you can do it during that five weeks. Any muzzleloading only season they argue would have to come from their season or reduce the main season. Neither of which is going to happen.

Mark

Morning Mark,
I had heard that.
Here in CO our muzzleloader season is in the middle of bow season( they run together) I guide all of bow except muzzleloader which I hunt.
There dosen't seem to be any ill effect having some singleshot rifle folks out there during bow season.
Of coarse you might get some grumbling from the bow crowed but as a guide I don't see any issue.
It's not like folks are lining up with repeters.
you get one shot than it's over.
Also bow season goes for another two weeks after muzzleloader at the peak of the rutt(usally).
I do understand the bow hunters "all for us" season but from experance as a bow hunter and guide it's the human numbers that effect game movement not the way it's hunted.
Anyway as a out of stater I don't have much say in MT rules and as a new resident I won't have eather.
:v

 

[Greenmtnboy]

I would like to see a muzzleloading season here too. I would not mind them allowing in-lines as long as the regs were like Colorados. No scopes, no sabots and granulated powder only. I'm sure Bridges would not be happy with that though.

I agree,
Inlines are damn ugly but no better than tradition rifles as long as they have open sites,exposed nipples, lead projectiles etc...
thats Idaho's law

 

[Pete Gaimari]

Sad to see you moving away.

 

[Dphar]

Hey any of you Montucky boys know if they are ever have a muzzleloader season up there?

The push, if there is one, for a ML season is simply a way to increase sales of modern MLs in Montana. I am sure Knight and the other makers of this stuff would think its a good idea and suspect their shills would like to see it.
I have hunted in Montana for decades with traditional ML and never had a problem filling tags. I hunt public land almost exclusively.

Next question is where to put the season on the calendar.
If they were consider a season of this sort I would be at the meetings demanding it be typical of the pre-1830 era gun and patched round ball only. 1830 era percussion or sidelock flintlock ignition.
No scopes, no conical or elongated bullets, no sabots, no plastic stocks.
Anything thing else is just providing a market for "high performance MLs". Its not the states place to increase sales for any industry. MT FW&P job is proper wildlife management not promoting some private industry's products.
Hunting, game numbers, is going to hell with the wolves anyway, we don't need another season.

Dan

 

[Rod Lassey]

"If they were consider a season of this sort I would be at the meetings demanding it be typical of the pre-1830 era gun and patched round ball only. 1830 era percussion or sidelock flintlock ignition.
No scopes, no conical or elongated bullets, no sabots, no plastic stocks."

When the muzzleloader hunters pushed for an ML season in North Dakota, that's the way the regs were written. But, very shortly after that, there was intense lobbying from the inline companies---legislators I know told me of campaign contributions, free 'business' meals, veiled threats of legal action, etc., if the inlines weren't allowed. As a result, ND now allows inlines, sabots, pellet powder---the only thing they didn't crumble on was scopes. Needless to say, those of us that fought for a primitive ML season felt just a bit betrayed.

By the way, the major fight was with the bowhunters, too. Like their season which lasts from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31 wasn't long enough. :bull:


Rod

 

[matt denison]

Bowhunters don't want ML's or any guns in the woods with them because of the hunter orange issue. They would have to wear 400 sq. inches above the waist as in any firearms season. That would ruin their whole camo investment and some say would ruin their abillity to hunt effectively.

Bow hunting elk is a huge industry in Montana. I should include deer hunting too, but Elk is the big draw and the outfitters make a lot of $$ from it. Not to mention the state (FW&P) raking it in from a lot of out of staters buying liscenses. So, you won't see a ML season while the bowhunters and their guides are in the woods.

Personally I like to hunt during the whitetail rut, typically the week before Thanksgiving. I use which ever gun comes to hand, ML, centerfire, depending on where and when I'm going out.

 

[lowcsp]

If you dont mind a little hike or have some pack stock the back country wilderness hunts start the 15th of sept.during the rut and you can use firearms. the last time I guided in the bob marshall was six years ago and the hunting wasnt to bad but the wolves were starting to be a problem down on the south fork.