Question For Muzzleloader Hunters

[WV Hunter]

My honest answer is maybe, leaning towards probably. I started with an open sight percussion sidelock, to add addl hunting time to my season. So I guess I probably would if that was the case. I have shot flintlocks a few times, but I've never owned one. Maybe some day I will, but right now its not on my radar.

 

[Muley Hunter]

1. Have you ever shot a flintlock?

2. Do you often shoot just for the fun of shooting (plinking/target shooting), or pretty much primarily just for sighting in and taking game?

1) Yes and i dont care for them at all

2) Of course, that is why i have a 11+lb rifle that i never use for hunting. Its lots of fun on the bench and requires very little cleaning when im done shooting.


BTW you will NEVER get the archery crowd in my state to share ANY portion of their season (before or after firearms) with flinters or any ML. It would never ever happen here. Also, ML tags and firearms tags are the same here. You will never get another buck tag here unless you take it with a bow. Conservation Area hunts being the only exception and those are lottery only.

I'm sure the bow hunters feel the same way here. They get the whole month of Sept to hunt for deer/elk. The muzzleloader season in right in the middle of of Sept. Your bow hunters would have to do the same if it was the law. Hunters don't make the laws.

 

[richdeerht]

Heck yes. Here in PA we have a flintlock only season. My first muzzleloader was a TC Hawken flintlock back in 1976.

 

[toytruck]

There never would have been inlines if there was no season for them.

Not true Pete....I have to disagree on that one. Looking back at some of my old muzzleloading books, "the Germans had a flintlock inline as early as 1738. Sam Pauley used a inline system in 1812." Taken from Bryce Towsley book Muzzleloading Essentials The "modern inline" was reintroduced by Doc White and Tony Knight and Thompson Center of course.

Even if all this hadn't come about, and I'd dare say all of us only have experience with modern inlines and flintlocks, I would have used a flintlock if there was a season for their use.

I do agree tho that states will never go back to a flintlock season only due to the money involved and political pressure.

 

[Muley Hunter]

I don't think we'd have the modern inline if no state had a season for it. Do you think guys would buy one for rifle seasons? They might do that now, but they know the option is there to use it in ML season. I do that myself. I hardly ever hunt the ML season.

I don't think the manufacturers would have any interest in making a gun that doesn't have a legal ML season to use it.

The early inlines don't really apply. They didn't go anywhere.

 

[GM54-120]

My state never required a flintlock at anytime. At one time it was sidelock, 40cal or larger and only iron sights. No PRB requirement. The current CA hunts for primitive are labeled "cap and ball", iron sights only. Beyond that its pretty vague.

I could be motivated to use a sidelock that can shoot large conicals well.

It all seems pretty silly to me though. There are several CFs with similar sub 100yard performance as a 50-58cal PRB. Why should someone that chooses to use a PRB get special treatment? He is more than welcome to use his weapon of choice during the firearms or current ML season. I share my current "ML" season with handgun hunters too and it does not bother me in the least.

Should we give shooters that choose to use a iron sight single shot straight wall CF a season to themselves also?

Hunters don't make the laws.

Actually they do, with their $$$$$ and lobbyists. When a state does not sell enough tags for a given season, that season fades away quickly. Plus as i said, we have a 1 "buck" tag limit with any type of firearm. Our ML tag is the exact same tag as for firearms season. Atlatl hunters don't even get a separate tag.

 

[ENCORE50A]

.................... Why should someone that chooses to use a PRB get special treatment? He is more than welcome to use his weapon of choice during the firearms or current ML season. I share my current "ML" season with handgun hunters too and it does not bother me in the least.

Honestly, I wondered how long it would be before that came up. I happen to agree. I can care less that everyone in the regular season is using a CF in the area and I'm using a muzz and they certainly don't care either.

 

[Semisane]

Why should someone that chooses to use a PRB get special treatment?

I agree. So I ask - why should someone who chooses to use a bow get special treatment? I used the "flintlock during bow season" proposal to make a point.

As far as I'm concerned, there should be one hunting season for all, with each participant using the weapon of their choice - be that bow, crossbow, sidelock, inline or cartridge gun.

I happen to be one of those who use a muzzleloader during our cartridge rifle season just because that's what I like to hunt with.

 

[BuckDoeHunter]

I agree. So I ask - why should someone who chooses to use a bow get special treatment? I used the "flintlock during bow season" proposal to make a point.

Because we are special

The only time bows and guns are allowed in the same season in Iowa is the late muzzleloader season and not many carry a bow during that time, I haven't seen one yet on public ground. During the shotgun season, bow season shuts down.

Bow hunters aren't required to wear orange in iowa, gun hunters are required.

 

[GM54-120]

What's real influences opinion. One size does not fit all. In this case my opinion reflects the reality in my state. There are over 90 managed CA hunts in my state. Way more than half are for some type of ML or bow. Some have tight restrictions but have the best chance of success vs the regular seasons. All the firearms/ML CA hunts start before our firearms season.

Example: crossbows are NOT allowed during our bow season and i doubt they will ever be allowed. They have been voted down many times BUT many of the CA hunts allow crossbows during the managed "bow" hunts. I really don't care either way on this one BUT if they were allowed, i might just buy a crossbow since a bow tag also includes two turkey tags along with the additional deer tags. Turkey is restricted to shotgun only during firearms turkey season and i no longer have a shotgun.

The reality is if i want to hunt primitive, i can do it on a managed hunt and have a great chance of being drawn. Those hunts are FAR less popular than the conservation area ive chosen that does allow inlines and scopes.

Change this reality to a state that has very limited "over the counter" hunting tag choices and my opinion would likely be different.

 

[GM54-120]

I agree. So I ask - why should someone who chooses to use a bow get special treatment?

Im not entirely sure but our bow tag includes.

2 deer (either sex but only one buck during first portion before firearms)
2 turkey (either sex)
Small game permit and fur bearers taken by bow
No hunter orange requirement
Roughly 3+ months of hunting time vs 2 weeks for firearms deer.

You get all this for $19 vs $24 if i want to take two deer on a firearms tag. Some counties allow unlimited doe tags for $7 each.

Bow hunters may also hunt the other seasons with a bow IF they buy a tag for that season.

 

[sabotloader]

It happens most often because 'bow' hunters do a very good job uniting and provide constant lobby to the State Fish and Game about their wants and needs. When you speak as a large group with one common voice - you are able to accomplish a lot. And I would add the same thing, only to a smaller degree, happens with 'traditional' ML voices.

Most often in todays world. muzzleloader hunters are not he true ML hunts that they use to be. Game Management people are really using "Muzzleloader" season as more of a game management tool specific areas that require a different management style than 'open' to 100's of rifle hunters but limited to the 10-15% of people that will hunt with a shorter range ML.

Just thinking out loud.

 

[cayuga]

While my muzzle loading adventures did not start with a flintlock, instead a Renegade percussion, if the law had stated flintlocks only, I would be shooting a flintlock. Yes I would have hunted. The only reason it took me so long to get to flintlock usage is, the man who somewhat introduced me to muzzle loading hunting did so with percussion rifles, because they were legal. Had I been introduced to the sport with flintlocks, I probably would own many more of then then what I do.

I remember when the inline was first appearing on the market. My friends and I laughed at the idea. Claiming it would never catch on. No one would give up their traditional rifles for that ugly gun. Boy were we wrong. Now I find I am working backward, away from the inlines. I should sell off my inlines and then my percussion guns too. Stick with only flintlocks. I really like shooting them.

 

[GM54-120]

It happens most often because 'bow' hunters do a very good job uniting and provide constant lobby to the State Fish and Game about their wants and needs. When you speak as a large group with one common voice - you are able to accomplish a lot. And I would add the same thing, only to a smaller degree, happens with 'traditional' ML voices.

Most often in todays world. muzzleloader hunters are not he true ML hunts that they use to be. Game Management people are really using "Muzzleloader" season as more of a game management tool specific areas that require a different management style than 'open' to 100's of rifle hunters but limited to the 10-15% of people that will hunt with a shorter range ML.

Just thinking out loud.

That is "spot on" the way it is here. The rifle hunters got one consolation. They get to hunt at the peak of the rut and bow hunters are furious about it. Every year they complain about it for page after page on the forums. They refuse to budge at all on the first part of the season even if they get the peak of the rut. Even modern inline hunter are a tiny fraction of the overall deer tags sold and they had to open the season to pistols including single shots with rifle calibers.

Our conservation dept. has to balance these grievances with a large enough harvest to properly manage deer numbers. They also need a certain amount of revenue to operate. Push the wrong group too far and both of these numbers plummet.

BTW, thank you for this topic. It motivated me to call one of the CAs that WAS cap and ball only. Now they allow inlines and its much closer to my house than the other one. Success rates are stellar too. Ive always wanted to hunt this area and now ive got some preference points saved up.

 

[moridgerunner]

Bowhunting is #1. If had to choose, the flintlock would lose to the bow. Inlines are just an enjoyable option.

 

[sqezer]

Bowhunting is #1. If had to choose, the flintlock would lose to the bow. Inlines are just an enjoyable option.

I used to think that way but after a serious shoulder injury and 2 neck surgeries the bow was put up and then sold, as soon as Wi. let the CROSSBOW to be used with a permit I got back into Bow hunting. As of 2114 the CROSSBOW was made legal by all to use for hunting here in Wisconsin.

 

[ShawnT]

Another Maybe here too. I started with Percussion side lock too. For us it was not "Just" for ML season as we were limited to ML or Shotgun (Statewide) in the gun season too, until a few years ago and last year gun season opened up to "Some" CF rifles. Lots of us shot ML in gun season. For me the Ml was more accurate that the shotguns with slugs I had. If they added a special ML season for Just Flint, then another Maybe. I shot one and it just never tripped my trigger.

 

[Muley Hunter]

The motive is simple. I see a lot of guys say they hunt with a ML for the extra season. So, I was curious if they just did it, because an inline is so easy to learn, and shoot. Would they do if they had to dedicate more into shooting a flintlock, and also accept the challenge of hunting with one. Just curious is all.

I certainly wasn't suggesting we should all go back to flintlocks. Hell, I just bought a new Accura MR.

 

[Omega218er]

The extra season is precisely why I got into muzzleloading. Currently I have only mild interest in the rifle season and came up with all kinds of excuses to not rifle hunt last year but I was front and center for muzzleloading.

 

[Aquastang]

I would hunt with a flintlock if that was all I could use. I just prefer the one shot - one kill approach.