Is this where muzzleloading is going?!

[Starbuck]

Don't take this the wrong way, but....
These "750 yard" muzzle loaders have been around at least 12 years or so...

Build one yourself, and save a ton of cash.

Then go shoot one at 750 yards... and tell me you're not having a blast, watching your SML stack bullets into tiny groups

I'm not so sure about the save a ton of cash part. With the cost of high end bullets and powder, its $3-5 every time I pull the trigger. You are right about the fun part.

 

[HSmithTX]

I too think a primitive season should be a primitive season, cap and round ball for ML with iron sights (old guys use fiber optic sights) and real black powder. Bring that effective range back to 100 or less. A flintlock season if you want that I could get behind. But where do you stop? No camo? No scent control? No binoculars or spotting scopes? We have advantages that primitive hunters did not. Compound bows in general double the effective range of a bow in my opinion when compared to a recurve or a stout guy with a longbow, 25-30maybe to 50-60 using all the latest super duper gear. Yes, I shoot my compound bow at 100+ but you won't find me flinging arrows at a whitetail beyond 35 maybe 40. I don't see a need to restrict vertical bows but that is just my opinion, getting inside 40 is still getting inside 40 like it was a LONG time ago. I have NO issue with smokeless muzzle loaders, 500fps cross bows, bolt action magnum pistols, range finding gear that gives you dead dials for any of the these tools, etc but let's not pretend it's a primitive weapon. Use them in the rifle season. But, until the season is defined as a primitive season I can't blame anyone for using a tool that is legal for their hunt. I am hoping more states define a real primitive season and place reasonable (to me) restrictions on the tools you can use. That is my opinion and lots will disagree but I am ok with that too.

 

[Rosebud]

Being pushed by the insurance companies to reduce the deer herd…too many auto claims due to deer collisions.

I hunted in a area just north of Auburn Alabama in the late 80 s There was a store there that had over 5 thousand names on paper wanting to kill every deer seen on site day or night because of auto accidents. It didn't make it into law but the average deer strike with a car is around $2400.00

 

[Rick Richard]

I hunted in a area just north of Auburn Alabama in the late 80 s There was a store there that had over 5 thousand names on paper wanting to kill every deer seen on site day or night because of auto accidents. It didn't make it into law but the average deer strike with a car is around $2400.00

I just had one about a month ago and was estimated at 5K. The other frustrating part is I can't get it into a shop until the first week of March.

 

[Starbuck]

I see there is guys converting single shot 45-70's to smokeless ML's. I have a 45-70 barrel for a knight kp-1 that I've been thinking of sending off to have a breech plug threaded in. The ML barrels I have for the KP-1's shoot awesome.

 

[dls guide]

I think these game departments in the East and Midwest should just let deer season open all year for any weapon available. Maybe even full auto machineguns. They seem to be worried about pleasing everybody and could care less about the deer. It is all politics and money. They just want to Kill all the deer.

 

[Starbuck]

I think these game departments in the East and Midwest should just let deer season open all year for any weapon available. Maybe even full auto machineguns. They seem to be worried about pleasing everybody and could care less about the deer. It is all politics and money. They just want to Kill all the deer.

I live in WI. Deer season runs so long that it feels like it's close to that now. There are areas of the state with legitimate overpopulation problems, but many areas in the northern parts of the state have become deer deserts.

 

[Glenn Tullius]

I live in WI. Deer season runs so long that it feels like it's close to that now. There are areas of the state with legitimate overpopulation problems, but many areas in the northern parts of the state have become deer deserts.

I live in MN and hunt Buffalo county WI on our original home farms. The last three seasons in Buffalo county were a waste of time, absolutely horrible for archery and gun. We don't see or hear of any youth hunters. They won't hunt if all they see is a small doe and a spike buck for all of opening weekend! Winona county MN is nearly as bad, the doe genocide, EHD, wolves have reduced the herd size dramatically.

 

[birddog 68]

I live in MN and hunt Buffalo county WI on our original home farms. The last three seasons in Buffalo county were a waste of time, absolutely horrible for archery and gun. We don't see or hear of any youth hunters. They won't hunt if all they see is a small doe and a spike buck for all of opening weekend! Winona county MN is nearly as bad, the doe genocide, EHD, wolves have reduced the herd size dramatically.

Buffalo county used to have a reputation for producing big bucks. I guess that's changed?

 

[CMP70306]

When I grew up in PA there were several seasons for DEER.
Bow season with log bow don't think they had modern cross bows back then.
Pistol Season
Muzzle Loader iron sight Black powder season - everyone used flint lock or caps.
BUCK DEER Season
Doe season with a permit (horns could not be more than 3") if a buck was shot.
Each season was several days to two weeks, No Sunday Hunting.

Now there are seasons for every gender, age group, disability, and God only know what firearms are legal, Crossbows shooting 500fps and then XBOWS Bolts shot with air as the propellant

I guess the DNR wants more people to hunt that way they charge more for specialty licenses.

Since I still hunt here I'll give you a recap,

Bow season runs all October till the third week in November then closed for bear and deer rifle seasons. Long, recurve and compound all legal. There was a huge fight over making crossbows legal around 2009 but airbows and multi shot crossbows are not legal. No restrictions on sights or scopes. Reopens after Christmas for 3 more weeks.

Never had a pistol season but we do have an early muzzleloader season for doe only the third week in October, any type of muzzleloader including smokeless is legal. Archers are too focused on killing bucks and not does so they needed to bump the early season doe harvest up. The late season after Christmas is still flintlock only and you can take a buck or doe for 3 weeks.

2 week any deer season after Thanksgiving, huge fight over the opener getting moved from Monday to Saturday and opening 3 Sundays a year for hunting in 2019 and 2020.

They ditched the buck only rifle season around 2000 and made it buck or doe and put in antler restrictions of 3 on one side so spikes and 4 points are not legal to shoot. After a decade of slowly increasing hunter numbers they brought back the buck only season for the first week in 2014 and proceeded to hemorrhage 90,000 hunters (roughly 10%) in the 5 years after the change so they switched back to concurrent in 2019 to try to stop the bleeding.

Doe license are WMU based and you can get up to 6 at a time depending upon their availability but we are still a one buck state.

Firearms are still pretty much the same but they did legalize the use of semi auto rifles in 2017 after banning them in 1907. However the PGC only allows them for small game and varmints, all big game is still banned from using semi autos.

Rifle and a buck tag is included with the license for $20 but Archery, muzzleloader, bear, doe tags and fur bearers are all separate. Total license cost with 6 doe tags is roughly $130 to hunt all seasons and animals.

But but but….they only shoot 200 yards.

Take smokeless out of the equation and they are, just look at the below from top to bottom, Full power .45 Cal smokeless, Mid level .45 cal smokeless, .50 cal inline, .50 cal caplock.

Out past 200 you get substantial drop and lose your effective energy on any of the .50 cal muzzleloaders. The only ones really shooting at range are the .45 cal smokeless builds specifically designed to shoot that far and owned by a very small portion of hunters.

 

[birddog 68]

Archers are too focused on killing bucks and not does so they needed to bump the early season doe harvest up.

Your post is right on the money.
And this quote is true for most but not this guy! Way too many deer in my WMU so I do my part of shooting does. 2 a year is what we'll eat so that's what I shoot with whatever weapon I'm using.

 

[TLC]

I live in MN and hunt Buffalo county WI on our original home farms. The last three seasons in Buffalo county were a waste of time, absolutely horrible for archery and gun. We don't see or hear of any youth hunters. They won't hunt if all they see is a small doe and a spike buck for all of opening weekend! Winona county MN is nearly as bad, the doe genocide, EHD, wolves have reduced the herd size dramatically.

Hi Glenn,
I've had the same issue in both Wisconsin and Minnesota. Nice to hear from you. Take care.
Angus

 

[QuietTexan]

And this quote is true for most but not this guy! Way too many deer in my WMU so I do my part of shooting does. 2 a year is what we'll eat so that's what I shoot with whatever weapon I'm using.

Funny I saw this today. Tis the season, almost at least, I was just out checking everything yesterday so I can stay out entirely until archery season starts. Last year I shot three does and no bucks, this year is shaping up to be the same based on what I've seen. But then again I've always focused pretty heavily on management no matter if I'm shooting rifle bow or ML - probably a byproduct of shooting management animals for the bosses for so many years so the clients could get the big guys.

There is one low fence place we have right next door to a hunting club that leases a ton of land from a timber company.... as soon as they all show up and starting running amok they pressure the heck out of the animals, pretty soon they all start showing up at my place for the good food I leave out for them. Next year will add another 3-5 acres of food plot that was previously a mass of overgrown johnsongrass. Haven't shot a buck there yet, but the population has improved in the last few years of feeding and watching. I have about 40 acres of sanctuary habitat that is never entered, there are must be some big guys hiding in there getting left alone to make babies while the young fellers go out and get themselves shot, because the club seems happy with all the 2-3 year olds they schwack annually. No way the quality is coming out of their lease.

 

[Rosebud]

I'm a lucky guy, at the moment. My property borders what used to be a large army base, now a wildlife Refuge about six thousand acres. That's to the south of me. To the east is cottaquilla girl Scout land. Another three plus thousand acres. No hunting is allowed on either of these properties.I'm hunting the edges of both. Hasn't been legally hunted in 24 years. Some very large bucks show up during the rut. We can kill three bucks per year, at least two must be four points or better on one side. But its a doe a day the entire season. If your after venison it's open season. These were in the yard yesterday.