What is your favorite game hunted using muzzleloaders?

[Brokennock]

Guess I will pick elk. I like to hunt deer too but I like hunting in the country elk prefer.

Squirrels!!! We have a few fox Squirrels in the river Bottoms on the plains, but the very common ones are in the mountains. Here in the west they are called pine Squirrels although where I grew up in the UP we called them red Squirrels (the ones here in the west are a grey color, but the same squirrels in the upper Midwest are red).

These little guys are not hard to hunt when they are active but some Days they are not to be found in the same place that they were everywhere the day before. If you are hunting deer or elk from a fixed location they will raise a ruckus scolding you.
They have a reputation for poor eating since they feed on pine seeds but sometimes I think those with that opinion have never tried them. My grandkids like to hunt them and eat them and I have tried them and found them to be ok eating. They are too small for me to want to bother with though. It's kinda like you might like fish but probably don't want to prep a mess of five inch bluegills.

Ya, we have plenty of those little red alarm systems in the piney parts of our forests. They've been known to bark long enough to annoy me to the point I see fit to arrange for them to feel the bite of my little pet bearcat

 

[Stumpkiller]

My favorite to hunt is ruffed grouse with a smoothbore flintlock (I use a 16 bore). But whitetail deer would have to be my primary prey. But less enjoyable and more focused. It's just generally colder. I don't get to walk as fast and freely, and the drag after success is a lot less fun than stuffing an occasional grouse in the game bag.

Sadly I haven't seen a grouse in over a year. I see more foxes than ever before and the coyotes are a continued presence . . . and now we are getting fisher cats in numbers. I think the poor grouse are under a lot of pressure. I know my chickens are taking heat.

 

[Realwarrior]

My favorite to hunt is ruffed grouse with a smoothbore flintlock (I use a 16 bore). But whitetail deer would have to be my primary prey. But less enjoyable and more focused. It's just generally colder. I don't get to walk as fast and freely, and the drag after success is a lot less fun than stuffing an occasional grouse in the game bag.

Sadly I haven't seen a grouse in over a year. I see more foxes than ever before and the coyotes are a continued presence . . . and now we are getting fisher cats in numbers. I think the poor grouse are under a lot of pressure. I know my chickens are taking heat.

Man, I wish we still had the grouse to hunt.... That's another topic. My favorite game to hunt is the one that's currently in season! You can't beat the excitement of Spring Turkey Hunting. Deer hunting provided me with solitude. Squirrel hunting is just fun and a great opportunity to hunt with friends and family. If you've ever hunted squirrels with a good dog, your ruined for life!

 

[FishDFly]

Rabbits and kangaroos.

Okay, I have to ask, how do you hunt kangaroos?

Deer you can wander around to find one and then stalk it or you can sit and wait on one to come by. After you get one what do with?

 

[Dale Lilly]

Don't hunt anymore. Preferred mule deer but rabbits, sage & blue grouse, pheasant and quail got my attention from time to time. Even at my age, I'd like to pop a hog … hey, I can dream Polecat

 

[Dale Lilly]

Off season in Idaho I loved to shoot marmots [woodchuck] and prairie dogs from my backyard into my pasture. Critters dug holes to cripple my horses … Polecat

 

[Eutycus]

I 've got a friend down the road who informed me that he hunts pigs not hogs., not that his rifle wouldn't handle them. But young pigs are tastier and a whole lot more tender than hogs.

 

[Feltwad]

Do you use a 12 for waterfowling as well?

Here in the UK we are not restricted to a 10 bore we can use any bore size which we require , yes I use a 12 bore and a 10 bore for ducks . Has my age restricts
the amount of wildfowling I am able to do but in early years for fowling I then used 8,6, and the occasional the 4 bore .Has most of my fowling guns are original and Damascus and with the lead shot ban for fowling most of my fowling guns are now pensioned off and now at 82 years of age I only have my reminiscing of a great sport.
Feltwad

 

[Heelerau]

Okay, I have to ask, how do you hunt kangaroos?

Deer you can wander around to find one and then stalk it or you can sit and wait on one to come by. After you get one what do with?

Much like hunting deer. You take the but (hindquarters and tail) joint it out, the tail is like ox tail and makes a fantastic casserole. You get back straps off the loin, and the thighs can be minced or baked, or cut up for stew/casserole.

 

[Stony Broke]

SWEET! Little info on the gun.

That rifle was a .20 ga. smoothbore that I had for years. I have since sold it and moved on to some of my others to hunt with.

 

[FishDFly]

Much like hunting deer. You take the but (hindquarters and tail) joint it out, the tail is like ox tail and makes a fantastic casserole. You get back straps off the loin, and the thighs can be minced or baked, or cut up for stew/casserole.

Thanks was wondering if you ate them. Ox tail here they use for soup.

Okay, one more question, deer here are judged by the size of their antlers, (width, height or number of points). What constitutes a trophy kangaroo? Size, pounds/kilos?

 

[Kev308]

Deer, but theres someting about squirrel hunting with my ml’s that really gets me excited

 

[Newtire]

Doves are one of my favorites. How can you have a favorite though? If it's in season and I get a day outside to hunt, it's a good day for me.

 

[user 36911]

Doves are one of my favorites. How can you have a favorite though? If it's in season and I get a day outside to hunt, it's a good day for me.

I guess elk is my favorite because I love the meat so much. Plus, there's so much of it.

With that said. A mature muley buck is a much harder hunt and I love hard hunts, so it probably is my favorite hunt. However, i'd never give up an elk hunt to hunt for a buck but would the other way around.

So, elk is the winner for me.

 

[bradly_tx]

That rifle was a .20 ga. smoothbore that I had for years. I have since sold it and moved on to some of my others to hunt with.

Thanks my friend. Looking at the pics, the barrel looks to have been shortened. Do you remember the barrel length? And one more, is that steal or brass furniture?

 

[Stony Broke]

Thanks my friend. Looking at the pics, the barrel looks to have been shortened. Do you remember the barrel length? And one more, is that steal or brass furniture?

It was steel furniture, and I had it built with a 24 inch barrel...and a rear sight as well. I had it for probably 25-30 years and finally just decided it was sitting in the safe too long, and sold it ( I sort of get those urges now and then). I mostly hunt with rifled barrel types nowdays.

 

[Heelerau]

As far as I know we don't shoot them for trophies like you might a nice rack on deer and the like. They are just not that sort of animal. Smaller kangaroos are the best eating, the big old man roos are tougher than boot leather. Kangaroo leather makes great boot uppers, and stock whips.

 

[bradly_tx]

It was steel furniture, and I had it built with a 24 inch barrel...and a rear sight as well. I had it for probably 25-30 years and finally just decided it was sitting in the safe too long, and sold it ( I sort of get those urges now and then). I mostly hunt with rifled barrel types nowdays.

Thanks Stony. That’s exactly what I need in these thickets in East Texas for pigs! Going to start shopping. Thanks again.

 

[hanshi]

My favorites are from 62 years in my native Georgia. Always loved to hunt deer and that ranks, probably, at the top. I really liked hunting for varmints and there were always LOTS of coyotes, foxes, bobcats and *****. Squirrel will always be a joy for me simply because I get to shoot a lot with a .32 or .36. Don't care for upland wing shooting thus I shoot mostly patched ball in the smoothbore.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Heelerau, Do not know about Kangaroos but when I am finished butchering a whitetail deer there is not enough meat left on the bones to feed a dog. It is my belief that the animal gave me his life and it is my duty to use as much of his gift as possible right down to tanning the hide, his horns adorn my work shop and if it is the right buck his head will be mounted to hang in my presence to admire and remember the hunt for years to come