Questionable State Muzzleloading Laws

[SGTMAJUSMC]

I HAVE PACKED A REMINGTON 700 MOST OF MY LIFE AS A MARINE CORPS SNIPER BUT HAVE NOT WENT HUNTING IN THE UNITED STATES SINCE I WAS A KID IN LOUISIANA. I LIVE IN GA NOW AND HAVE JUST STARTED HUNTING AGAIN AND WORKING AS A GUNSMITH AT HOME. MY QUESTION IS THIS. I KNOW I AM A DUMB OLD CAJUN BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT A MUZZELOADER IS A PRIMITIVE WEAPON BUT I'LL BE A MONKEYS UNCLE IF I CAN FIGURE OUT WHEN I CAN HUNT WITH MY MUZZLELOADER. THEY TALK ABOUT ARCHERY AND THE DAYS TO HUNT AND REGULAR FIREARMS BUT MUZZLELOADERS SEEMS TO BE A MISTERY AND THEN IT BECOMES DIFFERENT IN DIFFERENT HUNTING ZONES. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP THIS DUMB OLD CAJUN MARINE?

 

[Many Klatch]

They do vary from State to State. In Indiana I always figured that I could shoot a black powder smoothbore during regular shotgun season. If I were you I'd ask your local conservation officer. Some state laws are a little freaky about carrying a loaded but unprimed flintlock muzzleloader at certain times of the day during season.

Many Klatch

 

[nw_hunter]

Here is an article I found googling~!

Georgia Primitive Weapons Season Nears
posted October 1, 2008

The weeklong primitive weapons
deer-hunting season begins Saturday, Oct. 11. During the primitive weapons season, hunters may use archery equipment (including crossbows), muzzleloading shotguns (20 gauge or larger) and muzzleloading firearms
(.44 caliber or larger).

Last year, more than 61,000 muzzleloader hunters harvested approximately 16,133 deer, increasing both the number of hunters and the number of harvested deer from the previous year.


The Department of Natural Resources' John Bowers says, "Our primitive weapons deer season provides hunters the opportunity to hunt with traditional or inline black powder firearms or to continue hunting with archery gear. Hunters are allowed to hunt either-sex deer during this weeklong opportunity. Primitive weapons hunters have a wide variety of options depending on their personal choices and needs without being burdened by complex regulations."

Participating hunters may harvest deer in counties open for firearms deer hunting. The season bag limit remains at 10 antlerless deer and two antlered bucks. One of the two antlered bucks must have at least four points (one inch or longer) on one side of the antlers.

All of Georgia's public lands open to hunting are mapped out as a line map, topographical map and a color infrared map (with many larger areas divided up by tract for easier viewing) and now are easily accessible online at www.gohuntgeorgia.com . Search for maps by their geographic location or alphabetically by the name of the Wildlife Management Area, Natural Area or Heritage Preserve. These newly updated maps should serve as an excellent resource for hunters looking to plan their trips.

All hunters, including archers, must wear at least 500 square inches of
daylight fluorescent orange above the waist during the primitive weapons
season. Scopes and other optical sighting devices are considered legal
for muzzleloading firearms and archery equipment. Georgia hunters must
possess a primitive weapons license and a big game license to hunt deer
during the primitive weapons season. To hunt in a wildlife management
area, hunters must possess a WMA License.

Hunters may purchase licenses on the Internet at www.gohuntgeorgia.com
or at one of the more than 1,000 license agents.

 

[SGTMAJUSMC]

THANK, GOD
I was beginning to think I was really a dumb SOB(SON OF A BUDDIST). I am being held captive in GA by my wife of 40 yrs and since getting here, I've needed an interpreter when reading GA LAWS. I love it here and don't plan leaving so I will have to learn to speek Georgian.

 

[tg]

"The season bag limit remains at 10 antlerless deer and two antlered bucks"

Now that has got to be considered a reasonable bag limit, I don't care what anybody says...

 

[catman]

If you think the written hunting regs. in GA are tough you should read the regs in AR and be a hillbilly and try to understand them. They change something to something else a little different every year. :cursing:

 

[Otter]

. . . you should read the regs in AR . . . :cursing:

I've lived in AR for over 6 years and can't figure out the regs. I by-pass all that and buy a non-resident tag back in Nebraska . . .

 

[cowpoke1955]

Hi Sgt.,
I'm having some of the same problems. I'm right next door in Alabama. I relocated here last year after a lifetime in California, except for my military time. I really like it here. Stationed here back in 1975. This will be my first hunting season here. I'm using my flintlocks during rifle and muzzle loader seasons. We just have to have .40 cal. or larger. Our season opens this Monday. The forest here is so thick a 60 yard shot would be a long one. Don't feel handicapped at all using a muzzle loader. I had to ask a lot of questions, due to the way a lot of things are worded. Keep your fingers crossed and good luck :thumbsup: .

 

[paulvallandigham]

In most states if you can legally hunt with a breechloader, you can also use a Muzzleloader. In Addition, there are special Primitive weapons hunts, that limit you to useing a MLer only. Sometimes, these are blended with Archery, but most are kept separate.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call the Game Department of the State where you are hunting. Most such agencies put out a printed booklet every year listing the hunting regulations and rules for that year's seasons.

Sometimes, certain season are regulated by the Federal Fish and Wild Life agency, such as Migratory WaterFowl, and you have to get that information at your post office, where you also buy the required Federal " Migratory Waterfowl" stamps that are adhered to your State hunting license to prove you are entitled to hunt migratory birds. That information is not always made available to state agencies in time to be printed in that hunting booklet of state regulations and laws. So, this can be the source of confusion, and a PITA. But, you have to buy the Federal Stamps at a post office anyway, so going there to buy the stamps is an excuse to ask for their flyers or booklet on the season dates, daily bag limits, etc. The rules only change a bit from one year to another for a given area, but the quotas and bag limits can change for different species. So, pay attention to those. That is where the most tickets are issued to hunters.

A word about game code enforcement:
Remember that when you hunt in a different state, the rules and laws can change on everything from how many animals you can take, to how you can transport your firearm. So, read the literature and make sure you understand all the rules. In many states now, you are required to take and pass a Hunter Safety Course before you are allowed to buy a hunting license, even if you are an adult. Any hunter Safety Certificate issued by your home state or Province will be recognized and accepted by any other state, or Province( of Canada), however.

Giving out game code violation tickets is a " Revenue Generating Sport", not much different than operating speed traps was in smaller communities before the days of interstate highways. Some of the officers carry a very heavy badge, and look for out-of-staters particularly to give tickets for violations.( Actually, I was given a speeding ticket 30 years ago by an Ill. State Trooper who parked his car to clock people coming down a series of hills on Illinois Rte. 3, just north of Thebes, that made you have to decide to let the car speed up naturally, or risk burning out your brake pads riding the brakes to hold the speed of the car down. I sent the clerk $35.00 to get my license back, and then forfeited the bond. That should have been noticed to the State Secretary of State office as a " conviction" under Illinois law, but when I renewed my driver's license the next year, there was no record of the arrest or conviction. Revenue Generating sport.

I had one client given a ticket the last day of deer season by officers who went out of their way to create violations, and give tickets to hunters who did not reside in the county where the tickets were issued. MY client's magazine plug was a home-made stick, from a small branch he found the first day, when in preparing his gun for the hunt, the night before, he found that the factory had not provided a plug for his gun! The officer intentionally slammed his test " stick " into the magazine several times, until the stick broke, and then wrote my client up for a violation of the plug rule. He got the ticket dismissed by calling the County Prosecutor, but his admiration for the honest work Game Enforcement officers do took a huge hit from that incident.

My client was finishing his PhD degree in Nuclear Physics, BTW, and he was furious that anyone working for the government would treat people the way he was treated. Welcome to our world.

Thank you for your service to this country. If we can help you in any way to adjust to living back here in the States, just let us know. The rules are a bit different.

 

[flyfisher76544]

First off welcome to Georgia. Things are not all that bad down here, esp with the limits on the deer. A GA license is good for one full year from the date you purchase it. You will also notice that they do not use tags, but have a part at the bottom that gets filled in after you make the kill. Remember to do this once you recover the animal, or they will write you a ticket. If you go to Wal-mart or some of the other places that sell licenses, they will have the regulations for fishing and hunting right there for you, free. Good luck SgtMajor and happy hunting!! :hatsoff:

Yepper, you can hunt with your muzzleloader all year except during the archery season which usually kicks off in mid-September!

 

[Stumpkiller]

NY stopped calling m/l a "primative" season as it offended the Buckskin Rodgers types with their 23 Century techno-blasters.

 

[nw_hunter]

Shoot! Regs are a walk in the park in Ga and Ar. Look at our library of confusing courtroom garble type BS here in Oregun. Even the game wardens here don't know to give you a citation or high five you.

It's quite obvious the lefties that write our game regs have never held a gun or cast a lure from a boat.

Since I hunt with a muzzleloader for all game, most of the time, I don't concern myself with Regs for muzzleloaders only.Just stuff it down the tube and go have fun :grin:

 

[BadHeart]

SGTMAJUSMC,

I feel your pain about being captive in another state. I'm a cajun held captive in New Jersey by my wife of 8 years. Now you talk about some strange hunting regs. and gun laws. But the limit is unlimited antlerless and 2 antlered in the zone I hunt.

 

[FV Rago]

SgtMjr,

You will get the hang of it. If you want a good Georgia hunting site, visit www.woodystaxidermy.com

I only hunt with prim. bow or my muzzleloader in Ga., however the muzzleloading season is a very short one. There are prim. hunts on a variety of WMA's throughout the state.

The great thing about using a muzzleloader, is you can use it for small game, including hogs, very big ones at that.

Anyway, welcome to Georgia.

Semper Fi,

Frank

 

[bigbore442001]

Just curious. What is the success rate on some of those special hunts? It might be the ticket for a winter vacation hunt for those on a very limited budget.

 

[FV Rago]

I don't really keep track of the succ. rates, but GON keeps and posts the stats on them in their mag. before the deer seasons.

Places like Ossabaw, Joe Kurz, you need to apply and get turned down a time or two before you get priority.

BF Grant from what I've heard is a good one, so it Piedmont NWR. Most state park hunts are good, as they have all kinds of deer.

But honestly, I've seen more deer in the Chatahooche NF, and big deer at that.

With the possible increase costs of WMA stamps, chances are within the next few years, I won't be hunting the WMA across the street but rather going to the Nat'l forests.

 

[Bountyhunter]

Paul,

I appreciate your candid expose' of the brown shirts. In my area of Kansas, the lowest form of employment you can take is as a game warden. Those positions are reserved for people who neither possess the intellect nor the social skills to maintain employment elsewhere. Our county attorney has notified Fish and Game to just keep their people out of our county, as has several surrounding counties. We just ignore them basically. We own the land, we raise the game, and we harvest it as we see fit. When the public starts paying the taxes on the land, then I'll consider the game as public property, until then,....well, what can I say? I do go buy a deer tag just in case one of the feds shows up, but, then I deduct it as a farm expense also. It becomes crop damage control expense. :rotf:

 

[user 13289]

THANK, GOD
I was beginning to think I was really a dumb SOB(SON OF A BUDDIST). I am being held captive in GA by my wife of 40 yrs and since getting here, I've needed an interpreter when reading GA LAWS. I love it here and don't plan leaving so I will have to learn to speek Georgian.

I've hunted out of Leary--with a guy named Mit (Elliot maybe) of Bull Neck Hunting lodge. Not sure if they're still doing that, BUT--I love the way they tawk down dere. It's 'bout as cool as Cajun lingo--different but I just dig Rural Southernism.

Heckfire-I've been eating boiled peanuts all week...

Call the game fuddies-they'll translate for you. Record the call in case you need it in court. :cursing:

Our local Game Officer is so cool--but they tend to get that way RIGHT BEFORE they retire. Yes he has been soundly cussed for putting new deer cops on us, but we'll break 'em in sooner or later. :blah:

The reality of game/fish rules is that 99% of the time you are your own regulatory agency. It's that 1% of the time that can be drastically expensive.

Enjoy South GA NOW! before it gets hot again. :thumbsup:

 

[AlexFolino]

You should see some of the laws here in PA. You can hunt muzzleloader yes.. but there are specials seasons for flintlock and inline :hmm: :cursing:

 

[Doug Lykins]

At least most of you live in a state that has some kind of season set up for Mlers. Here is a reply to a question given to Wyoming Game & Fish on the G & F web-site. :shake:

Q. "I would like to hunt with a muzzleloader, but can't find much information on muzzleloader seasons. Can you help?"

A. The reason you can't find much info is that Wyoming essentially does not have separate muzzleloader seasons. There are a few deer and antelope areas that have special seasons for muzzleloaders, but for the most part, muzzleloading hunting takes place during the regular gun season. Information on the few areas with muzzleloader seasons along with muzzleloader caliber and load requirements is found in the current deer and antelope regulations.