This is my first time muzzleloader hunting before Christmas. Anyone else going out? I usually see a ton of deer when I archery hunt this time of year. Now that I'll have a 100 yard range instead of 25 things might be in my favor. I shouldn't count my chickens before they hatch, though, anything can happen.

Scott Meier
White Oak Lodge

Heck yeah I'll be out there, to celebrate the third year of October PA muzzleloading. The temps are bearable and the deer are calm. Ya gotta love this early season, I used 5 days vacation for all next week to do my thing. I'd much rather be out there now filling tags than during December with the "Army of Orange". The past two seasons I used the flintlock to get my doe, but this year I'm doing the scoped inline thing for precision work. I notice this year that the woods are still 90% green out there, kinda looks like August here in southern PA. Shots through the foilage are going to be trickier.

Scoped in-line? Can you use that during the early season this year? If I knew that I wouldn't be toting a flintlock. I'll have to double check the regs. I'm only hunting on Saturday. Not enough vacation days to spare.

Scott Meier
White Oak Lodge

I'll be out Sat. and all next week if need be. I've got two doe tags to fill and haven't taken anything with my bow yet.

Barnes, the way the regs are written you can carry any frontstuffing long gun....

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>Flintlock Muzzleloader Season:
Flintlock ignition, single barrel long gun-, 44 caliber or larger, using a single spherical lead bullet and cloth patch. Iron, open &quot;V&quot; or notch sights only. Fiber optic inserts are permitted. Maxi and mini balls may be used.

Antlerless Muzzleloader Season:
Any long gun muzzleloading firearm, including in-line and percussion sporting arms. Use of scopes and other lawful sighting devices is permitted. Fiber optic inserts may be used.
http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/PGC/faq/deerlaws.htm
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

Man, I wish I knew that earlier. I don't have time to do anything about it now. I guess I blew that one.

Scott Meier
White Oak Lodge

I'll be out for my 1st ML hunt-can't wait!I'll be using a T/C Pa Hunter Carbine .50 flinter.Hopefully I'll get one.Good luck and safe hunting and don't forget your orange!

Well, Saturday came and went. My second year hunting deer alone and my first with a smoke pole. I did my homework, found the trails leading from bedding to close by soy bean fields, 2:30 - close to dark without seeing a single deer. Right before dark i decided that they are probably already out in the fields along the wood plot i was hunting in, and decided to sneak around it and hope to catch one off guard. Well, I caught 3 does off guard but when i shouldered the flintlock. I looked down my sights and couldn't see the sights. So i quickly decided that it was too late. I passed it up and walked out. Maybe Monday after school i'll get out.

&quot;Let the bodies hit the floor&quot;

Yeah kinda the same story. I Had a few bust out of the brush right in front of me (like 10 yards or less) but I couldnt see em it was so thick. I was drivin deer for my buddy but they circled around and I didnt see em for the rest of the day. Heh, I went back to the tree stand later with my .22Rifle and my flintlock and was gonna shoot a few tree rats if they showed up. Im not sure thats too legal, carrying two guns an all.

Curtis J. Graf

I misses the same deer 3 times. All shots hit low. I know this because I saw the 3 bullet holes in the tree behind where the deer was standing. Perfect clover leaf group on the tree. The last shot knocked off some hair but nothing else. I can't believe the deer just stood there while I shot and reloaded 3 times. At 9:30 it started to rain and the fog rolled in. The rest of the day was horrible flint lock weather.

Scott Meier
White Oak Lodge

I saw 6 but really didn;t get a good shot, although i was able to get a good shot in the after noon, i hit a branch infront of it. and missed cleanly, the deer didn;t even spook, it just trotted about 20 yds and kept eating, and then disappeared aback into some thing stuff.