less hunters.
 

How many here hunt with a ML just because there are fewer hunters in the hunting grounds duringML season?

:) Al

RE: less hunters.
 

I do

RE: less hunters.
 

I hunt with an ML because it is an extra season with a firearm... in IL you get 3 seasons, 2 firearm (total of 7 days) and 1 ML (3 days). I hunt with it during firearm as well... ML is more accurate than a sluggun

RE: less hunters.
 

alleyyooper

Dat's 1 of da reasons...but there are lots of others,,,

RE: less hunters.
 

sabotloader

Snap out of it.......your talking funny...........this is the wrong forum. :D

I agree though. There are many reasons.

RE: less hunters.
 

While fewer hunters is always a bonus, it is far from the main reason I hunt with a muzzleloader. In fact I hunt my own property almost all the time, so there are no other hunters (or at leastthey better hope I don't run into them.) Even in our modern season you will see me hauling around one kind of muzzleloader or another, much to the jokes and kidding by my good friends. The fact that I only get one shot does not worry me. Even with center fire rifles, how many actually needed that second shot? How many center fire shooters take that second shot more in panic, only to later discover, they really did not need it as the first was fatal.

The area I hunt now also is about custom made for a muzzleloader. Ranges are short, normally under 100 yards, shooting situations are such that a quick shot is seldom encountered unless you like to sleep and have the deer wake you (as a friend of mine is famous for), and the bone breaking power of a muzzleloader is a real plus when you need to plant an animal to stop it from running into the brush. I've had just as many, or more deer run off for short distances, from hits with a center fire rifle as I have a muzzleloader.

I also like the challenge. I really have gotten to the point in life that while I enjoy the meat, and everyone wants to shoot the monster buck of the woods, if I don't get a deer that is all right too.They sell lots of beef, pork, and poultry in the store to keep me fat. I've shot a lot of deer, but the ones I have taken with a muzzleloader just seem a little more special. Even a simple does at fiftyyards that I had to wait out for twenty minutes for that perfect shot is just as rewarding as a buck I took with a 7mm Mag shooting400+ yardsacross a cornfield.

None of us hunt with a muzzleloader because we want to hunt with a rifle easy to maintain, has near positive ignition (yes even inlines will fail), and cleaning at the end of the day is not necessary unless you want. We all have different reasons why we hunt with muzzleloaders just as we have different preferences in the kind of muzzleloader rifle we pick. The easy thing is to accept each of us for our differences in reasons, and enjoy the outdoors.

RE: less hunters.
 

I know there are lots of reasons. Next question was going to be.
Do you hunt with a Muzzle loader for the extra season?

:DI do because I can.

RE: less hunters.
 

I don't. I hunt with a muzzleloader to the exclusion of all else.

RE: less hunters.
 

I hunt with a ML because of my misspent youth. I made mistakes when I was younger. One of them resulted in a felony conviction. 22 years ago. I deserved the punishment I received and I'm still paying for it and will for the rest of my life. The only guns I can hunt with legally are sidelock MLs. I hope I didn't alienate anyone with my honesty. I am not the same man today I was back then. And that is something we can all be grateful for.

RE: less hunters.
 

I BEGAN huntin' w/a ML because the peak of the rut in VA hits during early ML season. Then when I realized how much fun the stinkin' things are to shoot I began hunting more and more with them. Now I just hunt with them because of the challenge and rarely take a centerfire to the woods anymore.

RE: less hunters.
 

I have not hunted with m/l yet, but plan to this year because the property that I hunt is usually crawling with people during modern rifle season. And the lengthened season around here with m/l is a big bonus too. Not to mention, after purchasing the T/C Hawken I have found that I love the whole feeling that comes with shooting the darned thing.

RE: less hunters.
 

I hunt all 3 seasons here in MO with mine, (firearms during peak rut, muzzleloading late Nov-early Dec, and anterless mid Dec). I do it because it's just plain fun. 1 shot is all you have and you'd better make it count. I also like the smoke thing also. As far as seeing less people I would have to disagree, as newer in-lines come out I think more people are buying as I have seen more and more people hunting with muzleloaders during all seasons and it happens each year. The time I never see anyone is during bad weather which is when I'm out and usually see the biggest deer.:D

RE: less hunters.
 

I started using it to get an extra season, like many people, but now love it more than any other hunting. I dont quite have the patience for bowhunting, and feel like high power is too easy because of the areas I hunt (many deer) and also illegal except for 10 days in January.I live in Iowa.

You get one shot, but should be all you need. When I hunt with my .270I make decisions differently knowing that I can shoot 5 moe times and take a 300 yd shot if I spook the ones in my area.

RE: less hunters.
 

I used to hunt with a muzzleloader because of the additional challenge and a sense of "doing it the old way". Now Ionly hunt with a muzzleloader because I enjoy it. Like Cayugad, harvesting an animal isn't much of a priority for me these days. But I truly enjoyshooting the rifles year around (in good weather and when IFEEL like it, Cdad ;)).

The "take two pellets and a PowerBelt" mentality upset me a little at the onset, as did the marketing hype and packaged product that made shooting a muzzleloader seem as simple as buying a .270 and a couple of boxes of shells - but the resultant influx of newborn muzzleloader hunters has produced a certain percentage of newer users that want to know more, that love to experiment, that have come to appreciate some ofthe challenges, and that fill these forums withtheir own good input and advice. The opportunists will fall by the way as they lose interest. Where I used to see no oneelse in the hunting woods during muzzleloader season, I will now occasionally encounter another hunter - and that encounter is always friendly.

RE: less hunters.
 

I started carrying my muzzle loader in 2002 during a normal any legal weapon hunt. I just loved shooting that thing and wanted to know what it would do to a deer. Then in 2005, I finally drew my first ml cow elk tag, during September, and realized that I really like hunting during September. Elk is especially fun during that time. Deer tags are on a draw only basis here, so there are a very limited number of people in the field hunting during the 21 daymuzzle loader season. Add to that the time of the year, changing colors, comfortable temperatures, and it makes it all worth while for me. I still put rifle hunts on my app, but those are usually after a couple of muzzle loader hunt choices.

Later,

Marcial

RE: less hunters.
 

I got into ML this last year because my oldest son (14 y.o.) wanted to hunt deer. Of course I didn't have a problem with that. :D

But, I wanted to ML primarily because I felt it would be much safer than hunting with a centerfire. When I was in high school, a guy that was a few years older than me got shot in the shoulder while deer hunting. The guy that shot him, missed the deer and this guy was in the wrong place. It was an absolute miracle that guy didn't die. The doctors said that a fraction of an inch any direction and the guy would have been dead.

One of my best friends was bass fishing on the river and another kid down the river was shooting at a herron. First shot whizzed past my friend. Second shot hit him about an inch from the bung hole. He too was very lucky.

Anyway, I just felt the ML would be safer and safety is number one with me and my kids. But..........I knew nothing about it. Stumbled onto this board and heard Cayugad and sabotloader talking about the Whites. I think they had recently been converted to believers/owners by Underclocked. Wouldn't you know it, sabotloader lives close and was coming to my area to visit his daughter and her family. He had a little time to take Matt and I for a quick shoot of the White Ultra Mag.

I was sold and the rest is history. Matt and I really enjoy shooting them. We haven't given up our other guns yet though. :D

RE: less hunters.
 

i hunt Mling season due to a lot less hunters, sometimes the weather is warmer, hardly a chance of snow. I just enjoy muzzleloading season a lot better than rifle.

RE: less hunters.
 

I do it for less hunTers and the extended season, I go to CO. for ML season as there were too many hunters in CF season,here in Wi. we get an extra 10 days to ML hunt, very few hunters. Now I only have 6 ML's
So I play with them all Winter and Summer. I even have a new White that I haven't fired yet. That has to change
Redclub

RE: less hunters.
 

I use it in Ga becauseit's a better quality hunt, I use it in Indiana because it kicks a lot less than a shotgun slug, yep I'ma whimp

RE: less hunters.
 

TXJourneyman,
I'll hunt w/ ya anytime. Everyone has made mistakes some just never got caught... Besides you haven't missed much the past 22 yrs....

I started huntin for the extra time in EARLY season after bow but before HP rifle season in FL. I now hunt 60% w/ML and 40% w/bow. This has been true for the past 7 yrs. I have only missed one deer to the single shot and that was last yr. I like the challage and the smell of it all.
SHills

RE: less hunters.
 

Ml and bow is all I hunt with

RE: less hunters.
 

txjourneyman


I just read your post and like SHills, I agree. I'd hunt any day of the year with you. I understand the way a young person can make a mistake. You've squared your record in my eye, and are man enough to admit your pastmistakes. To me that says a lot for you personal character.

RE: less hunters.
 

Aolder gentlemen took the time to take me shooting a flintlock and I just thought it was so cool. It became an interestbutI never hunted with a ML till I was 16 or almost 3 years later. Though this was the same time I went gaga for archery sothe bowbecame my early weapon of choice.

I'll be honest the only reason I bought an inline was for hunting. It was at the time when I was working as a guide, so my season was limited. The inline bought me the opportunity to hunt for myself each year a variety of regular and draw game species, as Sept and Nov were right off's due to work. At that time less pressure was a fringe benefit to ML hunting, no doubt about it. Though now it really isn't as much a benefit it seems darn near as popular as rifle here! I like the aspect of the ML and shooting in general. As well reloading has become one of my favorite hobbies and a ML is much like my reloading hobby.The fact our deer ML season is in October my favorite month to be in the field has a lot to do with it still though.Besides deer I've used my ML to harvest moose and bear, I hope to include antelope & elk to that list in the not to distant future.;)

RE: less hunters.
 

I have to admit it was the reason I bought my first muzzle loader.
But now I'm just plain addicted to them

RE: less hunters.
 

The main reason I hunt with a muzzleloader is because I like 'em. Having the woods to yourself is just icing on the cake.

RE: less hunters.
 

For me there's actually more hunters for muzzleloader because we usually hunt on drives for muzzleloader season.

But I just hunt it because it's way cooler.

RE: less hunters.
 

I hunt in all of them except Archery Traditional and Archery Compound, but this year maybe Crossbow.

I enjoy ML, but exclusively!

RE: less hunters.
 

I just want to hunt! Here in AZ, it keeps getting harder to get drawn for elk. I was applying for cow archery for all my choices because I had the best chance of getting drawn...then someone at Game & Fish noticed that many were doing that and took away alot of the archery cow tags, giving them to MLand rifle. They said thatback when the rules were made, they assumed most people would apply for bull for first choice and cow as a back up, but many (like me) just want to hunt, and applied for only cow. So this year I went real radical in my application, and applied for 1st - archery cow, 2nd - ML cow, and 3rd - limited opportunity rifle cow. Hope all my bases are covered! In the past when I applied for bull as my first choice, I didn't get drawn, and I know of people who have applied for bull for 8 years without getting drawn. I just want to hunt!

RE: less hunters.
 

I just love to hunt deer. If there was a spear sason I'd probably be there...

RE: less hunters.
 

Here in Indiana, I don't think the numbers have changed. What we are seeing is more muzzleloaders in gun season. We are a no rifle state. Hunters are leaving the shot gun at home and converting to ML.