Anybody else muzzleloader hunting this year

[tkhuntsman]

Well I drew a decent muzzleloader deer tag in CO this year. Haven't had a tag in my old home unit in quite a few years. I was back down hunting with my oldest son during archery season last year and we saw a lot of good deer. It was reminiscent of what it used to be like back when I was in high school in that unit and it was OTC ( it's sad that crap makes me feel old), but I decided to use some points and and have a nostalgia type hunt. I'm not making this post because I need advice or really need anything just wanted to see who else is hunting with the old smoke pole this year this side of the forum has been a little dead lately. I'm gonna carry my old CVA Hawken since it's a nostalgic event. It's a 50 and I like the 240 grn PA conical over 75 grains of FFF with no. 11 magnum primer. Surprisingly it shoots a 3" group at 100 yards which is my personal limit with that gun and load. It really should be a special hunt and it's not even a premium tag or destination area. I'm looking forward to it more than my AZ deer tag or my other hunts here at home in MT this year.

 

[duckhunt]

I hunt the Iowa early muzzy season every year. Absolutely love hunting with the smoke pole. Planning another Colorado muzzy elk hunt for 2024.

 

[ccc23454]

Waiting on idaho results, if things go as i wish i will be chasing antelope with my kit built hawken that my dad bought me many years ago. I do enjoy muzzleloader hunting and have gotten away from it in recent years, @Stocker last year really helped to get my excitement level high again for hunting with a muzzy.

 

[BoulderBulls]

I'll be out chasing deer in the Colorado mountaina as well with a muzzleloader. Debating if I want to pickup the concurrent muzzleloader bear tag.

 

[Keep on]

I hunt our muzzleloader season every year in PA. Ours is doe only in October, then in January it is flintlock only.

 

[Shangobango]

I bought a new one to go with the 3 I already have. Haven’t muzzleloader hunted in a decade. I will spend a week hunting in Arkansas with it this year. I expect there will be some western muzzleloader hunts forthcoming.

 

[Mallardsx2]

I "muzzleloader" hunt every year in GA.

It's amazing the number of guys who don't hunt muzzleloader in GA simply because they find it to be a pain to clean the gun...

We kill a lot of deer with them prior to rifle season. It's just like hunting with a rifle imho....just a week earlier.

 

[Dave N]

It's all I use!

 

[Stocker]

 

[elkfanatic]

I hunt whitetails with an old no name caplock I picked up fo $50. Barrel was pitted pretty bad but the hammer and trigger were fine. Thought I'd bore it out for a smoothbore shotgun, but somehow it still holds 3" groups at 75yards. I hunt with it more than my tc inline cause it carries and handles way better. Maybe someday it'll stop shooting and I'll have my black powder scattergun!

 

[oilcan]

I’ll be in Nevada this year hunting Elk with mine, should be fun.

 

[DoveEater]

I'm also in Nevada and I just got big into muzzle-loading hunting late last year.

I got some ducks this past waterfowl season with my Pedersoli side by side muzzleloading shotgun, and plan to try it on some doves when the season opens in September.

I recently acquired two new .50 cal side locks, and have been practicing how accurately I can shoot them with their different open sights.

I've so far been able to get pretty consistent to 100 yards with my Traditions Hawken Woodsman .50cal with the stock sights, and 65 grains of 777 FFFG, and a 385 grain Hornady Great Plains conical "Minnie ball".

I was very disappointed I didn't draw any Muzzy tags in NV yet, but as a NV resident I am keeping optimistic something will come up on the First Come First Serve tag program later this year.

I did get a doe antelope tag in Antelope Unit 15 in Wyoming, and since one of the few areas there that can be hunted by the public in that unit is a Hunter Management Area that is restricted to short range weapons such as "non in-line muzzleloaders", that is where I hope to hunt for the antelope this October, but there is a drawing coming up for the limited access to that Hunter Mgt. Area so I'll see if I can get a spot there or not.'

In the pics: 4 of my Muzzy's plus my recurve, and one my muzzy shotguns with a duck I got with it.

 

[Scott85]

All depends on Idaho draw.

 

[JohnCushman]

I drew a muzzy antelope doe tag.

 

[SaskHunter]

Every October in Sasky is muzzleloader month, Yo!

 

[rogerthat]

Yup I have the sled purring. Hoping for big snows and closed forest service roads opening. God bless Montana and its traditions!

 

[perma]

Got a muzzy pronghorn buck tag in CO. Second muzzleloader hunt ever. Really enjoying it.

 

[jbseamus83]

Last year was my first muzzleloader hunt. I'll be back in the same unit in UT again this year. This time, I have a little more experience both in the unit and with the muzzleloader, so looking for a better representative buck. I have a Traditions Buck Stalker in .45.

 

[WildWill]

I will probably end up hunting more with a muzzleloader this year then any other year. I always hunt our muzzleloader deer season here in Oklahoma like @Mallardsx2 said great time to hunt with less competition. Although our season is about 3 weeks before rifle opens this year is Oct 28- Nov 5th. Drew a CO pronghorn muzzleloader tag for September 21st- 29th and a NM muzzleloader deer tag from Oct 28th- Nov 1st. Unless I tag out early in NM I'll probably miss most of season except the last two or three days. Regardless I'll either be hunting with a muzzleloader or traveling to go hunt with a muzzleloader from Oct 28th- Nov 5th.

 

[big elk]

I will be hunting Kansas whitetail deer, NM elk and mule deer this year with my muzzleloader.