What state has the highest hunter success rate for muzzleloading?

[bigbore442001]

Ok. I know this is a really open ended question that can prompt a great deal of responses. I know that some measure success in something personal such as being in a remote area away from people,etc. But I would like some opinions on success at taking deer. Some states have a high success rate while others are in the single digit catagory.

So. In your opinion, what state do you know of that has a high success rate for shooting deer during the muzzleloading season? As an example, I checked on Vermont and I recall reading the muzzleloading season had a 17 % success rate.

Thanks for all replies.

 

[Stumpkiller]

18,773 kills in NY for 2009 - on 98,430 stamps - so 19.07% (seems wildly high).

How do you factor in those of us who used muzzleloaders in the regular seasons?

 

[rabjr]

I would say we probably have a higher success rate compared to most States but we're working with pitifully low numbers compared to everyone else. Last year we had a 20.4% success rate and that actually fell 3.8% from the previous year.

2010 hunting season
Deer harvested, 1412
Permits sold, 6918

 

[crockett]

On PUBLIC LAND a lot of Florida WMA's get 20% hunter success for muzzle loader season- which I think is very good. The Florida muzzle loader season is actually the best time in many years and many of the best bucks are taken with muzzle loaders- plus all the hunters just seem to be a notch higher.

 

[Spikebuck]

From Minnesota Outdoor News:

"St. Paul - Muzzleloader deer hunters killed fewer animals this season than they had since 2002, and the 7,018-deer take was off 22 percent from last year."

"The number of resident muzzleloader licenses sold - about 54,500 - was up by more than 3,000 from last year..."

That would make this year's stat 12.9% for 2011. Looks like it would have been 17.5% in 2010. This is only the late ML season stat as any killed with a muzzleloader during regular gun seasons would not be recorded separately as ML kill.

Keep in mind this is a December hunt after most of the Archery and all of the regular gun seasons, so deer are super spooky by the time late ML rolls around in Minnesota. In addition, the MN DNR has been on a mission for 10 years to eradicate MN's deer herd, which they now say is "at goal" in most areas...probably meaning car insurance companies are happy. If we're now "at goal" and considering we had near perfect weather (well....for Minnesota in Dec)for this year's hunt, I wouldn't expect that harvest number to go up!