a muzzleloader has only one shot! a rifle has more ., cant compare the two!! the way i look at it,. it will be the all mighty dollar$$ ., the state will pass it some day soon ., so that the sporting goods stores,. and the state will make more (there)money? look what happen with the recurve and the long bow ., before you know it they went with compound with sights and release aids?

I still think they should only allow scopes on rifles if at all. Possible a special permit for red dots for those that really need them. but to just allow scopes for muzzleloading to just do it is a little far fetched.

I ate a 136 dollar muzzleloading tag this year for being a non resident and I am not upset about not harvesting a deer at all. A scope would have not helped me one bit at all.

I see your point about archery as well with the use of compound bows. I think that some of these bows they have been coming out with is insane. It doesn't take as much skill as it used to shoot a bow. I can remember hearing stories from my Dad and his Buddies how they use to shoot 900 rounds with 40% let off and still score in the 880's or 890's.

I shot a 900 round and scored almost 850, and I have only been shooting for a couple years... where has the skill factor gone? have we all gotten this lazy that we need everything to be about ease of use?

Well everyone I know buys the all season tag. So they are already hunting in late Nov and Dec. So the thing about beeing to cold is out. I say start rifle Thanksgiving Sat and run it for 9 days state wide. That will run into the first few days in Dec. Start Muzzleloader around the 15th of Dec and run it for 2 weeks.

I like that idea TeeJay, you get my vote if you are campaigning in the coming years.It just seems like they really need to get the season later in the year at least as long as this strange weather trend continues. I kind of enjoy frost on the nose syndrome, kind of makes you feel alive. Although for the rifle season we stay in my friends cabin very toasty, for next years ML season my other buddy tents it. He says that way you don't mind staying in the woods every minute of the day mostly because there is no place to go get warm. That will be my first attempt at Winter camping, I am already getting the cold weather camping gear list together. Cabela's will be loving me! I don't think the 2 shell idea could be enforced very easily. Although it sure would make a person make the first shot count. That is exactly what makes Muzzleloading and archery so attractive. You will just have to practice that idea on your own I'm afraid. We were doing that this past season instead of going into the woods with a clip full of ammo, we just took 4 bullets with for the day. I was shooting a bolt so you kind of need to make the first shot the one that counts anyways.

Mike

I agree that it would be hard to enforce a two shell limit. The people who make the first shot count would probably be the only ones who would obey the law. All the deer that I've shot in my life have only taken one shot and the farthest one ever went was 25 yards. It just makes me mad on opening day it sounds like a war zone out there. People shooting machine guns.

bowhuntnd ., i do agree with you ., maybe it is cause im dealing with poor eye sight then im used to ., i have never had a problem shooting with the gun untill this year, as far as my sight goes., glasses? yes i have them but i think i might have to get them redone or something ., i have to ask you ., how does your state do the buck tag? do they have a in state buck draw? (for the gun season)and if they do do they give out alot? i bowhunted out there last year and somethis year and the buck you have are awsome, i guess this post is to try and come up with a good idea so that our state can have bucks like that to., we have to do something with all the hunting pressure that we have!

The rifle season has a lottery for Buck tags. I have applied 5 or 6 times and gotten a buck tag every time. everyone I have hunted with in ND has gotten buck tags. THe non resident tags in this state are a joke. My dad lives in MN and I live in ND. for us to go hunting together it is expensive as hell. The last time I rifle hunted in ND was my dad's first ND buck tag in years, I think he said that he applied every year for 6 years. and he finally got one that year. I have not rifle hunted in ND for atleast 4 years. This is actually my first year bow hunting in ND. I am looking forward to many years of bowhunting be it in MN or ND.

Some areas here in Wi.have no deer at all.They used to have LOTS! Back in the 70s when i was younger id see 50 every day of the seasion,and not a buck anywhere.When you did shoot a buck,150#or better(meat-not bone)it was usually a fork at best.
Now the deer seam to be on private land.They wont go far from the food.I think all the deer feeders and food plots have caused a shift in the way people need to hunt.Private land is still holding alot of deer.Just a thaught.
I dont have any trouble with the weather here in Wi. unless its too warm like this year.I think the deer move arround less and you see fewer of whats there.

how about starting rifle season same as the bow hunters? No party hunting, any firearms-no restrictions. Any deer. As much baiting as one could afford.Perhaps if bigger antlers taste better, one should pass up lesser bucks. Are we all asking what WE want or perhaps whats best for the vast numbers who hunt? While we all would love to shoot that trophy to go on the wall, it all comes down to personal satifaction of the hunt,be it a doe,spikes, or 8 pts or better. Who are we to judge what the regs should be. The DNR manages the deer population like they do fish ( quantity and not so much quality). They are making improvements with fishing regulations-what do you hear from the ones who used to go to Mille Lacs.Antler restictions don't work-period. They have been tried in many other states already. A older age group of hunters must need to have a different mind set- shoot more does to get herds into check- Like someone else already wrote-zones need to be broken down smaller and more micromanaged to reflect a better deer density. Enforceing it would be difficult as to what zone the deer was legally taken, though. I'd love to see a deer season months old-like in some of the southern states but its not neccessary. What about moving ML season to the first part of October instead of after rifle season? I can only imagine what the bow hunters have to say about that suggestion. I really don't understand the logic of having it after the rifle season-especiaaly if scopes aren't allowed. I guess that was the way the DNR gave in the growing numbers of ML hunters. Or how about the first 4 weeks of deer season for bowhunters, next 4 weeks ML and the next 2 weeks for rifle? I'm sure this will stir the pot alittle. No baiting at any time by anyone during any deer season. Must go as I'm off to to try again to stick an arrow into a doe before season closes. Yes I do bowhunt- predominetly.

Kaily I dont understand your xconcearns with baiting. It is illeagle now. I have no problem moving rifle hunting ahead. Just get it out of the rut. You say they are going places with their fish regulations actually making headway. Is this not from the slots? This is different from antler restrictions how?