Muzzleloading hunting declining?

[George T.]

One more point on younger hunters! I had my son shooting and hunting from the age of6. I had never had much luck getting him into traditional muzzle loading hunting. Then he and his son were given a collection of the origional Davie Crocket with Fess Parker and Buddy Epsom. I wish I could take credit but anyway the Grandson got the bug big time. They are now shooting traditional rifles and giving wild hogs fits!

Just a thought if you have any youngsters in your families maybe the Disney series would jump start their shooting sports and head them towards muzzle loaders. I can still remember all of the kids in the heighborhood sitting in front of our TV in a trance. I am sure that it influenced me.

I have been looking for a T/C Senica for a while for the boy as he is 7. He shoots his dad's JBMR from a rest quite well. Geo. T.

 

[Supercracker]

I only got into Flinters when I messed up my shoulders and couldn't shoot a longbow anymore. I think in time there will be a significant overlap between the trad ML crowd and the trad Archery crowd.

I would include a added conservationist attitude. I would call it respect for the game, instead of "whack 'em and stack 'em"

get and read the book "Heartsblood" There's a very good discussion of that outlook and motivations behind hunting in it.

 

[Richard J.]

Already have a group of young people converted to BP. My statement was that hunters hunting with in-lines never seen a flintlock. When I am at a range most of the people will want to shoot it. If given the chance they usually find it fun and a challenge. If they are just hunting for meat I doubt that they could be converted that easy.Dont take this wrong there is nothing wrong with getting some meat,but usually a lot of them dont have time to spend on a range or enjoy shooting. I mold rounballs till I fill a 3 lb. coffee can. The people that I meet sure enjoy shooting the old weapons, and I always have plenty of balls and powder for them. The more people that we bring in the better we will be.

 

[MattC]

I'm kind of in the same boat; when my psoriatic arthritis flares up, i can barely take the lid off of a jar, let alone draw my bow. That is one of the reasons I am so drawn to mz's. It's still classy and historic.

 

[roundball]

Bow hunting was my main-stay for a number of years but a heart attack and sawing my sternum open for a quadruple bypass in the late 90's would keep me from using a bow the following year.
Out of boredom I decided to pick up a used T/C Hawken Flintlock I stumbled across just to tinker around with while waiting for my sternum to heal, got hooked on Flintlocks and never looked back

 

[cynthialee]

I have come to a epiphany I think.
When I pass on I am not going to leave my rifles and revolvers to someone with a knowledge of the guns. (my brother or cousin) I am going to have them given to the young men in my family who have not fired them. (why not the girls? they are anti gun pacifist nuters who think meat comes from the supper market)
Maybe one of the boys will decide his crazy old aunt had a good idea by messing around with them 'primative guns'.

 

[MattC]

Everyone needs a 'crazy old aunt' (or uncle). They provide counterpoint and annoy your parents.

 

[scotsman]

You have asked a really great question, and there have been some really great replies. In my neck of the woods, there are very, very few trad. muzzleloader hunters...heck, there are very, very few who even shoot trad. muzzleloaders. Up here, the cross bow and inline muzzleloader rules, if one can't use a high powered rifle (different rules for different areas in Ontario). It seems that people like scopes, want to try to shoot far and don't really want to mess with learning about traditional muzzleloading, or cleaning and managing such guns. For those of us up here who do shoot traditional muzzleloaders, we envy your numbers in the States and rely on your super muzzleloading suppliers for our stuff. I think that it would be a great idea if the Ministry of Natural Resources of Ontario would establish a traditional muzzleloading season only. It would get things going

 

[cynthialee]

write your MP and local wildlife managment team

 

[scotsman]

I'm already ahead of you. cheers

 

[Roguedog]

I really wish that some states would introduce a primitive muzzleloader season, where only traditional, non-scoped weapons could be used. Heck, if there was simply a non-scope, iron sights season that would probably eliminate a lot of the inliners because they would then lose their advantage.

I use to enjoy looking through the sporting goods catalogs and checking out the cool looking guns. Now days, I don't even look cause they rarely even list traditional style guns in their catalogs. As a whole, a lot of folks have lost track of "the reason for the season". I personally enjoy the tradition, nostalgia, and the extra challenge I get from using traditional equipment. I do my bowhunting with an old Bear recurve and shoot instinctively. Love that too. I guess as long as people are into looking for shortcuts and the easy way out, the manufacturers will certainly cater to them.

Jeff

 

[Roguedog]

On a final note, those that search for the easy way out will never know the intense joy that they are missing out on. When you have to become one with your equipment and work hard to accomplish something, the rewards are so much greater. All I can do is try to convert people when I get the chance. Very similar to teaching people the word of God. Get'em where you can and keep trying.

Jeff

 

[roundball]

I really wish that some states would introduce a primitive muzzleloader season,

Actually, they already did that...one of the problems decades ago was that the only muzzleloaders that existed, that people knew about, were traditionally styled MLs, so most states simply called the seasons "Muzzleloader Season" instead of "primitive weapons" seasons...not realizing that choice of wording would create a loophole that could be exploited later.

Knight saw a huge $$$ market opportunity and began making what have essentially become centerfire equivalent rifles that happen to load from the muzzle. That met the legality of the wording "Muzzleloader Seasons" so they were lawful to be used in what were really intended as "primitive weapons" seasons. The states had their chance to catch / stop the direction things were heading but they didn't...and now they can't.

But setting aside any emotional / parochial slant on it, the good news is in reality, it really doesn't matter what anybody uses to take a deer. It really makes no difference to me that some guy on the next farm over shoots a deer with a scope mounted high power rifle (that loads from the muzzle) while I'm shooting a deer on the property I'm hunting with a Flintlock, etc.

 

[scotsman]

I love that phrase "reason for the season". It really says it all. The spirit of a muzzleloading season,initialy, incorporated tradition, the "oldendays", pioneer life,etc. I say keep the muzzleloading season during which inlines can be used, but enrich the hunting with a season restricted to traditional firearms only.

 

[roundball]

I say keep the muzzleloading season during which inlines can be used, but enrich the hunting with a season restricted to traditional firearms only.

Unfortunately, IMO, if that were to take place now...after all the work that dedicated individuals put into getting early special seasons established decades ago...the states would just tack on the last week of overall hunting season as primitive when deer have mostly been shot and heavily pressured nocturnal.

 

[gordy]

After reading th posts on this thread , Most everone who posted has made a valid point that they feel has a poor effect on the hunting situation .
I would have to bring to your attention that the decline in hunting began when the small family farm was driven out of existance by Fed . State , and local regulations . For many years most folks in the outlying areas enjoyed hunting without infringment by most urban folks.
The first harsh reality came with the highway systems making it posible for urban folks to reach areas of states in a few hours instead of an entire day or more . Also as the small farms went by the way , Big time developers played their magic and converted those "farms " to housing projects etc.
I certainly may b wrong , but it seems that there may be a slight decline showing up. lets hope so .
:hmm:

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

In order to have a primitve or any other type of hunting season we must bond together and put our personnel hunting styles aside. Lets enjoy the sport our way and not force our views on others, and they not force their views on us. I have always know it as gun season pick the gun style thats legal that is right for you and go have fun. Same with archey season pick your style thats right for you according to whats legal and go have fun. Getting all but hurt because some one uses an inline during muzzleloading season because you dont feel its a "true" muzzleloader this pointless when you can dump as much/ or close to the same amount of powder down your sidelock, use, a scope, and a sabot as well. You choose not to thats your choice. Percussion guns can use a 209 nipple as well. I get it people here hate or dislike inlines roger got it. I grew up in a shotgun/muzzleloader/pistol only hunting area in Michigan so until I joined the Army I never really hunted much with a centerfire rifle. I grew up shooting muzzleloaders (sidelocks) because they gave ya a slight advanatge over the shotgunners, then rifled slug barrels became the rage, and inlines. I would rather have a hunter shooting an inline rifle accuratly and kill the deer humanly then spraying and praying buckshot throughout the woods. I am a HUNTER I hunt the way I want and how I decide to hunt. Complaining about how others hunt is uncalled for especially during firearm/gun season. It like yelling at the guy who still hunts for walking around and spooking the deer while you sit and wait. Let him do his thing his way, and you do yours your way. Hunting is still hunting regardless of the way you choose to hunt. Thats all I have to say on that.

 

[Matt85]

im all for a traditional hunting season. if you made early muzzleloading season traditional and late season for inlines, then the traditional market would boom again!

-matt

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

It makes sense but would you be ok if you were told you CAN'T hunt with your traditional muzzleloader during regular gun season or the inline only season. Since you now have your own season I wonder how many in here can say they would be ok by being limited to using on tradional muzzleloading equipment during a primitve season only for say a week long. Think about what you are asking for.. Just stating the possible outcome might not be what you want it to be, and in fact you limit yourself to less hunting time.

 

[fyrfyter43]

It seems to me that the number of ML hunters has declined here in NJ since the crossbow has been allowed for anyone during archery season. Now guys can hunt from early September through late February with only one day closed (Christmas day) without the effort of learning to shoot a bow.

On the other hand the only advantage to muzzleloader season now is two days that you can shoot a buck before the regular firearms season. Otherwise, the muzzleloader season mirrors modern shotgun.

As far as small game hunting with a ML - I was hunting pheasant with an old friend a few weeks ago. He was carrying a modern shotgun, and I was using my fowling gun. When a conservation officer stopped us, he didn't know what to make of my choice of weapon. He said he has seen a few folks using sxs percussion guns, but this is the first time he has ever seen someone using a flintlock for pheasant.