Which state is the best for ML?

[Travis186]

Texas has a 6 week deer season for gun, but very few counties have a separate muzzleloader season. Nearly every county has 2 bucks and 2 or 3 doe limit. East Texas has some huge National parks for hunting, but most of Texas is private land.
The Nat. Forests are indeed decent, but they're getting more and more crowded finally now that most people who work for a living are completely priced out of private land.
The state has over 100 draw hunts at state parks or WMAs, some only for muzzleloader. The TXPWD website has the details.
Probably have a better chance of winning the lottery. This is my 12th year applying, 12th year with nothing to show for it except monetary donations to TPWD.
The tags, for deer and turkey, come WITH your license and are good anywhere in Texas.

Texas has almost every type of hunting, piney woods, post oak savanahs, salt cedar hill country, high desert, mesquite flats. That is one advantage. I miss hunting here in the hill country. I wish I could afford it.

Texas is okay... we get a lot of time to hunt, but the public is dismal and isn't getting any better. Most of the State PHL is all bow, a few are shotgun/ML. The national forests allow rifles/ML/slug.

 

[Eterry]

Texas is okay... we get a lot of time to hunt, but the public is dismal and isn't getting any better. Most of the State PHL is all bow, a few are shotgun/ML. The national forests allow rifles/ML/slug.

We used to hunt on a 52,000 acre WMA in East Texas. Had a blast hunting there. Also used to put in every year for draw hunts. Most years we got them. Affordable weekend hunts, we had a high success rate.

 

[Rustyiron2]

I love PA, we have a flint lock season and and you can hunt with a flint lock through our rifle season. Public land is pretty plentiful and though it’s not as beautiful as some places it’s got it’s own beauty! Lots of great builders here too so lots of options for new guns!

And you can hunt in period clothing as well.

 

[lbothell]

And you can hunt in period clothing as well.

Yes!! Which is great! Wish more ppl did, if someday ppl dig up our remains they are going to think that in Pennsylvania the T/C hawken rifle was a period correct muzzleloader hahaha!! There are more of those around then Zebco fishing reels

 

[Travis186]

We used to hunt on a 52,000 acre WMA in East Texas. Had a blast hunting there. Also used to put in every year for draw hunts. Most years we got them. Affordable weekend hunts, we had a high success rate.

Just a lot more people now than "back then".

 

[Wisconsin Relic]

Not WIsconsin, either. You can use a ML during the short 9 day general gun season, but there are close to 600,000 hunters in the woods shooting at anything, chasing deer with drives, wounding em. Then, AFTER that, muzzleloaders have 7 or 8 days in December all to themselves. But the deer have been worked into a froth by then and hole up in impenetrable cover and only come out at night. The weather has turned sun-zero quite often. Since 2017, I haven’t even seen a deer during the ML season, buck or doe. But I go anyway, I just enjoy it so much!

 

[Tradbow]

Hunting no good in Georgia. If I wasn’t so old and worn out I’d move somewhere else but five freezers full of meat and vegetables and fish is just too much trouble to move.

 

[Col. Batguano]

I was up in the UP a couple years ago, up near Munising, a little east of there. Stopped in a cool little mom and pop outdoor store and was talking to the owner. He said the wolf population has really hurt deer hunting up there.

So what you're saying is that when hunting season isn't open then poaching season IS!

Makes sense.

 

[BlazingIron]

Texas has a 6 week deer season for gun, but very few counties have a separate muzzleloader season. Nearly every county has 2 bucks and 2 or 3 doe limit. East Texas has some huge National parks for hunting, but most of Texas is private land.

The state has over 100 draw hunts at state parks or WMAs, some only for muzzleloader. The TXPWD website has the details.

The tags, for deer and turkey, come WITH your license and are good anywhere in Texas.

Texas has almost every type of hunting, piney woods, post oak savanahs, salt cedar hill country, high desert, mesquite flats.

Man that is good to know! I am in north central Tx. I am new to hunting and don’t know anyone personally in TX that hunts or owns a deer lease which is pretty much was the only way to hunt deer in TX. I can’t afford those high priced leases. I’ll check out that website for details for next season. Thanks so much! I really love all the info from this forum!!

 

[Eterry]

Man that is good to know! I am in north central Tx. I am new to hunting and don’t know anyone personally in TX that hunts or owns a deer lease which is pretty much was the only way to hunt deer in TX. I can’t afford those high priced leases. I’ll check out that website for details for next season. Thanks so much! I really love all the info from this forum!!

I'm north of ft worth. There's BLM land 35 miles from my door.

 

[Dutch7]

The answer - where ever you are is the best, just go out and hunt.

 

[CapPopper]

Can't say ohio.....Ohio...... I haven't seen a deer in the woods and we only get 12 days 9 of which are regular gun season. Not enough state land for all the gun hunters and since leases became a thing private is nearly impossible unless you wanna fork out a bunch of money. Also seeing as the standard methodseems to be sitting over a pile of corn there's not a lot of reason for deer to move through a lot of areas unless you are shelling out money for your own pile of corn..... baiting has really hurt the deer movement in my area. Before all the land changed hands you'd see deer all the time now that literally everyone around us baits I have no idea where to find them. Oh yeah and the new neighbors are less than pleasant and wont even let up cross their land to get to the state on the back ridge. Oddly enough I feel that modern bowhunting and bowhunting/trophy hunting culture is killing deer hunting. At least in my area.

 

[Doc]

California, not good for hunting or reenactments, BUT if you like or enjoy Rendezvous you’ll love the far northern Ca. and southern Or. area. Within a few hours of driving there’s 20+ Rendezvous going on year round. Not mentioning monthly club shoots Vet shoots or Turkey shoots etc.
Doc,

 

[Ben Meyer]

I'm not saying anything. That could be the case, but I dont know. I've only been to the UP once, and thats what the guy told me. It was a cool little shop though: fishing gear, guns and ammo, trapping stuff.

So what you're saying is that when hunting season isn't open then poaching season IS!

Makes sense.

 

[S.Kenton]

Ohio is terrible!!

 

[Fisherking]

Yes!! Which is great! Wish more ppl did, if someday ppl dig up our remains they are going to think that in Pennsylvania the T/C hawken rifle was a period correct muzzleloader hahaha!! There are more of those around then Zebco fishing reels

This made me laugh!

 

[Eterry]

Just a lot more people now than "back then".

We hunted as much as possible during weekdays. Cut down on Weekend Warriors.

 

[CapPopper]

Ohio is terrible!!

Is around here lol barely get any time to hunt and I've probably got 30 or more full days in the woods and I've seen 2 deer in places I was tripping over them 10+ years ago.... if I don't get special time off work I get maybe 4 days to use a muzzleloader cause our seasons are so short and I don't work a standard 40 hour week.... sure I get a lot of time off but if it doesn't coincide with our very short seasons just right I may get 2 days of regular gun and 2 days of muzzleloader. Keep telling myself I should bow hunt but it just doesn't hold my interest especially since I barely see anything.

 

[lbothell]

This made me laugh!

Between the hawken and a 30-30 I’m pretty sure everyone in pa owns at least one haha

 

[S.Kenton]

Is around here lol barely get any time to hunt and I've probably got 30 or more full days in the woods and I've seen 2 deer in places I was tripping over them 10+ years ago.... if I don't get special time off work I get maybe 4 days to use a muzzleloader cause our seasons are so short and I don't work a standard 40 hour week.... sure I get a lot of time off but if it doesn't coincide with our very short seasons just right I may get 2 days of regular gun and 2 days of muzzleloader. Keep telling myself I should bow hunt but it just doesn't hold my interest especially since I barely see anything.

I take advantage of every season Ohio has to offer, but bow hunting and black powder rifle are my two favorite seasons. I just started a new job with different hours, so we shall see how it all goes. I may not make it out through the week as much but the weekends are mine!