Reg. season hunting

[stone knife]

I just got done getting organized for next weekends gun season opener. Only this year I'm going to hunt with my .62 smothbore just as much as I can, the only days I'll miss is in the rain. Anyone else hunt the regular season with traditional muzzleloaders? I'm pretty stoked about it because this is the first season in many years that I will be able to do this again (went to the dark side for a while) :redface:

 

[MDK_WV]

Here in WV, I can legally hunt with my traditional muzzle loaders anytime it is firearm season. I have not carried a CF firearm for many years. Some fuss about having special seasons for traditional muzzle loaders, but that doesn't bother me. I have always been able to obtain meat for the freezer it just may take a little longer. With almost 4 weeks of firearm season in WV and the large deer population in my area I will continue to use my flintlock and cap locks to fill the freezer.

 

[Bill Hall]

Back in the 70's when I lived in Oregon, there really wasn't a muzzleloader season, just some muzzleloader areas that were too far away from my home. So I used my T/C during rifle deer season, as it was legal to do. Even toted it around once during elk rifle season.

Back then we had a big deer camp. Got some really strange looks and odd questions about the "musket" I was using. "Do you load that with nuts and bolts? Isn't there like a 5 second delay when you shoot that thing? Can you aim downhill and shoot fast enough before the ball rolls out of the barrel?" These weren't jokes, they were being serious. Bill

 

[jamesthomas]

All I have hunted with in the past 5 years is my flintlock.

 

[ncmtmike]

We can hunt during the regular rifle season with the muzzleloader,which is a good thing,seeing as how muzzleloader all I got. :blah:

 

[Bob J]

I only hunt with traditional muzzleloaders - mostly flintlock.

 

[roundball]

Anyone else hunt the regular season with traditional muzzleloaders?

Flintlock rifles and smoothbores are all I hunt anything with now...for about the past 10 years. If I hunt it it'll be with a Flintlock or I won't hunt it. And after you get your confidence up with Flintlocks in general, your next challenge will be to learn to hunt Flintlocks in light rain / drizzle...taking game under those conditions is a nice reward in its own right.

 

[rabjr]

Haven't touched a modern gun since 2004, hunted exclusively with flintlocks since and even taken a couple deer in the rain...

 

[James Stella]

I have not yet but that is my plan starting next year. I hunted with a muzzleloader for the first time this year and am hooked.

 

[Stumpkiller]

All I've used for deer during regular season since about 2000 is muzzleloaders. Rain or snow as well.

Traditional bow and wood arrows for bowhunting season even longer than that.

Small game has been muzzleloaders or bows almost exclusively as well.

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

Where I grew up in Michigan its a shotgun only area but you have always been aloud to us muzzleloaders or a handgun as well. Until shotguns improved with rifled barrels and sabot slugs you had the advantage by shooting a smokepole because it was more accurate then a slug through a smoothbore shotgun for most people. Now theres inlines, and percesion slug guns so much for the traditional muzzleloader advantage. I still get odd looks from the guys that know me up in deer camp when I pullout a flintlock when everyone else is use modern versions of guns. Its a personal choice to make, I have been in the percession accuracy game for so long in both archery and firearms this is my break from reality to go back to the basics and just go back to having fun again. It has sparked the desire flame within me once again. But in todays times where one gun is a shotgun, muzzleloader, and cf rifle by switchin barrels its just nice to relax sit out in the woods back against a tree and be like yeahhhhhh this is good. My younger hunting buddies talk manure about only having one shot but my modern rifles, and slug gun are single shot bulled barreled as well, and besides after the first shot where I hunt the deer are gone its so thick, and my opinion your sprayin and prayin after that and thats dangerous. One percession shot is all you need and it makes you a better hunter knowing it too. But I am not alone I hunt with a wealthy older gentleman who has some expensive custom made guns of every sort but even he has gone back to shooting an old beat up 16 ga double barrel for everything ducks, deer you name it stating its what I started hunting with and hunting was fun then, and I am havin a blast with it today with a big smile. Do what makes you happy and not worry about everyone else.

 

[Matt85]

i could hunt in modern season here but i would not want to. first of all i dont trust most modern hunters abilities and second i dont like compete with others for deer.

-matt

 

[longrifle78]

I'v been usin flintlocks in our firearm deer season for the last 15 years.

 

[hardtimes]

i could hunt in modern season here but i would not want to. first of all i dont trust most modern hunters abilities and second i dont like compete with others for deer.

-matt

X2 All I have to hunt is public land. Come opening day it looks like a pumpkin patch. I spend most of my time hunting with my black widow longbow and douglas fir arrows and kill my deer before gun season.

 

[VEARL]

Who in their right mind would hunt with a C/F rifle?
I hunt with my BP rifles in muzzle loading season as well as the regular season. I figure that I can prolong my enjoyment, by using my rifles in both seasons.
Twice the chance to make meat and make smoke. Plus you can show all the RAMBOS how it really is done.
Vearl

 

[Black Hand]

...the only days I'll miss is in the rain.

Why avoid rainy days?

 

[RC]

I hunt only with flinters, smooth or rifle all season..have for years..rain sun snow..

the only days I'll miss is in the rain.

. :hmm: ...cows knee..... :wink:

hell it's a thrill even if gun don't go off..!! I dropped the hammer on a spike three times one time...changed the flint and seen him again..course then he was goin about deer6 so no shot, but I'll never ferget it! :haha:

 

[Supercracker]

I can hunt with a ML during any open season. Even small game during deer archery.

 

[wirehairman]

There is no ML season in Montana, so I hunt the regular rifle season with my ML's. I have never felt like I'm giving up any competitive edge and regularly am more successful than many toting around the most advanced (and expensive) CF they can get because I am patient and actually hunt.

The lack of a dedicated ML season has also kept the $ and the lobbyists from the in-line manufacturers out of our states, and the Fish, Wildlife, and Parks maintains a very "traditional" definition of ML's for the ML only areas.

 

[Black Hand]

There is no ML season in Montana, so I hunt the regular rifle season with my ML's. I have never felt like I'm giving up any competitive edge and regularly am more successful than many toting around the most advanced (and expensive) CF they can get because I am patient and actually hunt.

The lack of a dedicated ML season has also kept the $ and the lobbyists from the in-line manufacturers out of our states, and the Fish, Wildlife, and Parks maintains a very "traditional" definition of ML's for the ML only areas.

I am annoyed that the archery contigent has it all locked up. I'd like to see a traditional ML season in MT that extends from Sept to Jan (like archery).