Louisiana proposes to replace muzzle loader season

[WOODTICK49]

La. Wildlife and Fisheries Dept. has proposed for the period of 2008-2010
hunting seasons ,a"Primitive Weapons" season .This would take the place of what it is now called Muzzleloader Season.the new season would include the use of single shot breech loading rifles
of a kind or type built and used before 1900,38 cal. or larger,
reproductions or reintroductions of that type of rifle ,with an exposed hammer.
this rifle of a type that uses a metallic cartridge loaded with either blackpowder or
smokeless powder.(factory or reloads) Muzzleloader regs. remain the same.[:@]I don't Like It.

[Indiana SmokePole]

Woodtick49

I don't blame you abit this should fall under the reg. rifle season , if they want to do something like that. JMO

Ron

[WOODTICK49]

thats how i feel about it too.next meeting of the commission is 6/5/08.
I don't know if they will pass it then or not.

[cayugad]

I sometimes wonder how versed some of the legislature people are on hunting, muzzleloaders, and how they operate.

[Semisane]

Mississippi did it a few years back. The main result was a sudden high demand forH&R/NEF 45-70's, 444's and 44 magnums - all legal under the new regulation. It put a few more hunters in the woods during the "primitive weapons" season, but nothing spectacular. On the bright side, it put a bunch of slightly used MLs on the local market at good prices.

[gearheart]

There are muzzle loaders out there already that are anything but "primitive" . It seems like a contradiction to include cartridge rifles and call it primitive at the same time. The only similarity would be having just one shot. Now if it was side hammers only, cap or flint, then you could legitimately call it primitive.

[Semisane]

You're right gearheart, but they had to change the name from "muzzle loading" to something else, so they chose "primitive". I guess they could have called it the "kinda' old gun season".

[WOODTICK49]

[:@]I'd be willing to bet that there is a lobbyist and some cash at the bottom of this pile somewhere.
Certainly ,NO one asked a Sportsman ,in the "Sportsman's Paradise"

[arcticap]

Every hunting season has some kind of arbitrary cutoffswhich differentiates it and sets it apart from other seasons. "Primitive" could be defined as only being smoothbores or flintlocks. But that would be makingitmore restrictive rather than being more open.
Once muzzle loaders went to #209 primers and became just about as dependable as centerfires, there's less of adifference between them and single shot CF rifles.
Many centerfire rifles can't even shoot as accurately as some muzzle loaders do. Plus there's a surplus of deer and not enough hunters in many states.
I'm notfor oragainst the proposal since I don't live in Louisiana, but if they do passitat leasttheir rational for doing itis understandable.

Louisiana also has generous bag limits for harvestingdeer:

One antlered and one antlerless (when legal) deer per day EXCEPT on National Forest Lands and some Federal Refuges (check refuge regulations) where the daily limit shall be one deer per day. Season limit is six, three antlered deer and three antlerless deer (all segments included) by all methods of take, EXCEPT antlerless harvest on property enrolled in DMAP and LADT does not count in the season bag limit for hunters. Antlerless deer may be harvested during the entire deer season on private lands (all segments included) EXCEPT in the following parishesortions of East Carrol and West Carroll. Consult the modern firearms table above for either sex days for those parishes. This does not apply to public lands (Wildlife Management Areas, National Forest Lands, and Federal Refuges) which will have specified either-sex days.

http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/hunting/regulations/deerhunting/

[smokepolehall]

personally i don't see how a modern single shot 44 or 444 41 mag can be primitive at all with smokeless powder. they might as well just open it for all guns and forget the muzzler/primitive aspect.[&o]