Anyone hunt MT's muzzleloader season?

[hobbes]

I have hunted the traditional muzzleloader season both years now. I would agree that there is a potential for adding stress to a elk during a potentially hard time of year. However, this year it was 40 degrees and very little snow where I was at for the opener. Is that more stress than a hard day in November?

Does montana hunt elk too long every year.....absolutely! Chasing elk from august to end of February is ridiculous. Then we have the crazy shed hunting starting in February. Every location that has big bulls and wintering elk now has guys chasing them every day of the week from late February to May. Shed hunting, in my opinion, is likely the single hardest stressor on elk from us hunters. Especially since they are running low on calorie intake and high on demand with a well developed fetus.

Back to muzzleloader talk. It is damn hard to kill something given the traditional requirements in December. The snow is loud, it is often cold as hell, the equipment struggles to function, and it is just plain hard. Not to mention we have all burned our kitchen passes and it is hard to leave the family again. Will it get popular and become an issue of taking too many animals, probably not in the near future.

Only fools muzzleloader hunt elk in mid December...and I will be one of them again next year.

I could call you a couple names right now, considering my lack of success on deer.

But...... I'll instead congratulate you. More photos?

 

[Dust Rider]

@Legend, that photo is one hell of teaser.

 

[Legend]

I could call you a couple names right now, considering my lack of success on deer.

But...... I'll instead congratulate you. More photos?

Hah! It is a hell of a bull. My best friend doesn't have a good photo, sorry.

 

[Legend]

@Legend, that photo is one hell of teaser.

I guess it worked then...

 

[breaks_mud_man]

I have a hard time believing that the few hunters who elect to hunt the muzzle loader season will have any significant impact on the deer. Its a 9 day season.

The lions and wolves chase them around all winter. On top of the low hunter participation, there is a lot of country that is just plain inaccessible by mid-December in Montana.

I think the shed hunters probably do more damage than the muzzle loader hunters.

The real problem is the guys that chase deer and elk down with their snowmobiles then blast one with their muzzy once the animal is exhausted.

 

[hobbes]

The real problem is the guys that chase deer and elk down with their snowmobiles then blast one with their muzzy once the animal is exhausted.

I've never witnessed or heard this. I have heard of guys doing it to coyotes and I'm completely against that even on coyotes. Have you seen people do this?

There's no way they could accomplish this where I was hunting without killing themselves.

 

[missjordan]

I’ve wanted to hunt the season but haven’t yet. The biggest thing i wish Montana would do is get their muzzleloader requirements more in line with what Idaho or Colorado is doing where they accept inline muzzleloaders with open/exposed ignition systems, keep the open sights with the lead projectiles.

I don’t mind adding another muzzleloader to the gun safe that is compliant to Montana’s regs but i would love to find a .45 cal that has a percussion style ignition and i haven’t been able to find one.


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[Seeknelk]

I've had fun chasing whitetails a bit with my short TC Hawken. Had to sort out ignition issues. Missed one small one last year. Passed on a little one this year. The crunchy snow and them being whitetails made it very tough to get close. I'm not much of a stand sitter, but I enjoyed the couple Saturdays I went last year and this.

In this area , I think most guys aren't going wade up in waist deep snow , up miles of trail or brush busting to get to where the mulies are transitioning thru. A few guys might.
No snowmobiles or any motors are going in those areas. Nobody "running them down" .
Most guys I've seen or talk to just go poke around for whitetails a bit. And there is plenty of them around, in fact they outcompete the mulies in some areas.
I like the regs exactly how they are personally. Don't bother me a bit. It's supposed to handicap you. That includes having issues going bang.
The Red Hot Nipple ( Google that) , is a mandatory swap for a Hawken as far as I'm concerned.