Anyone hunt MT's muzzleloader season?

[2ski]

I'm just curious how many people are taking advantage. I would if I could just buy a Thomson Center or something but the requirement of a traditional muzzleloader has me paused. Not that I take issue with it. Just not interested in buying one, all the stuff for it, and then getting proficient.

How many of you hunt it? Are you seeing many people out there while you're out? If you've shot something this year let's see some pics.

 

[Pony Soldier]

Last year, with a cow tag in hand I hunted over 44 days and got skunked. This year I hunted 30 days, filled a cow tag but never saw a bull. I figured if I couldn't find a bull to look at in 30 days of back country, it was pretty much a very limited chance of shooting one in ten additional days. Hence I spent the time feeding the stove and trying to get back the 14 lbs I lost during the first 30 days.

 

[t_carlson]

I have been ready to hunt the season but haven’t had to yet. I keep tagging out before it gets that far.

 

[hobbes]

I hunted deer the last few days with a .50 cal Thompson Renegade. I didn't see anyone else and I hope if they were there they didn't see me because most of what I did was a complete cluster. Not only did I blow it on a muley buck, but I added a whitetail buck to that list too.

The gun was one of my dad's guns and he killed a lot of whitetails with several different muzzleloaders. I wish he was still here to laugh at me, because he would have gotten a good laugh out of it.

 

[Deadfall]

I know some guys that tried it. Luckily snow is deep and weather is bad. Personally I'm against the season.

 

[S.Clancy]

I know some guys that tried it. Luckily snow is deep and weather is bad. Personally I'm against the season.

Yea, this year should be the shining example why we don't keep chasing them till almost January. Deep snow, cold, post-rut is going to nuke muley bucks.

 

[black dawg]

We were in the woods a bunch and went with guy who was hunting one day. Saw way more people than I expected to see.

 

[robby denning]

Yea, this year should be the shining example why we don't keep chasing them till almost January. Deep snow, cold, post-rut is going to nuke muley bucks.

not according to this thread.

Seriously, I get what you're saying and will be curious what harvest ends up being over say a 3 year avg.

 

[S.Clancy]

not according to this thread.

Seriously, I get what you're saying and will be curious what harvest ends up being over say a 3 year avg.

I think we can agree that even if someone doesn't shoot a buck they can absolutely affect the overwinter survival of said buck by pressuring them in these tough conditions. That is more my concern than people actually shooting them. And unfortunately that doesn't show up in any harvest data

 

[hobbes]

not according to this thread.

Seriously, I get what you're saying and will be curious what harvest ends up being over say a 3 year avg.

If my results are any indication of success, I'd guess harvest totals in the single digits. I didn't see a soul hunting last year or this year. Maybe I was just lucky.

 

[t_carlson]

I think we can agree that even if someone doesn't shoot a buck they can absolutely affect the overwinter survival of said buck by pressuring them in these tough conditions. That is more my concern than people actually shooting them. And unfortunately that doesn't show up in any harvest data

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.

 

[Deadfall]

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.

On top of all that stress, there is also still the shoulder season.

The shed hunting thing is a point I've never considered. Not sure that's much stress on ungalates. I wouldn't think it would cause anymore then hikers in spring or summer.

Something to pontificate on anyway...In my head if nothing else.

This is definitely toughest part of year for the men of woods. Trying to put weight back on after ruts...

I'm by no means against a blunder buss season. Just think this is wrong time of year.

 

[t_carlson]

On top of all that stress, there is also still the shoulder season.

The shed hunting thing is a point I've never considered. Not sure that's much stress on ungalates. I wouldn't think it would cause anymore then hikers in spring or summer.

Something to pontificate on anyway...In my head if nothing else.

This is definitely toughest part of year for the men of woods. Trying to put weight back on after ruts...

I'm by no means against a blunder buss season. Just think this is wrong time of year.

Some states have shed hunting “seasons” due to the stress it causes animals. Guys go crazy for sheds. I’ve never understood why. I’m interested on the attached ones.

 

[dieselchessy]

All the disturbances are just that, and they all effect the animals. Even the so called “non-consumptive” uses like hiking and mt Biking, ect… impact the animals.
Seems it’s Colorado that has calf survival issues attributed to non-consumptive uses.

Shed hunting early in the spring taxes already starving animals. Some states and areas have specific restrictions and seasons for shed hunting due to the damage it causes.

We bother these animals all summer hiking, biking, logging, ect… then we chase them from September clear into December. Then first thing in February we start harassing them for sheds, then we disturb them chasing spring bears and turkey, and the cycle continues.

Many humans just have to much play time and there are just to many of us.

 

[Deadfall]

Some states have shed hunting “seasons” due to the stress it causes animals. Guys go crazy for sheds. I’ve never understood why. I’m interested on the attached ones.

I've heard people talk about shed seasons before. Never given it any thought as to why. Makes sense though. Around here when FWP open gates in the spring folks go bonkers trying to get sheds. I went and watched it once. Big spectacle, hung over dudes riding fresh stock...few hundred people racing around.

Recon there's some validity to shed pressure. Weird the stuff a guy overlooks. Why I like this forum, sheds new light on perspectives.

 

[Pony Soldier]

Guess that's why the elk move onto the ranches to calve in june.

 

[Legend]

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.

 

[Erict]

...and will be curious what harvest ends up being over say a 3 year avg.

-Relatively few deer are taken during this "niche" season.
-MT FWP has no mandatory harvest reporting.
-MT FWP does not, to my knowledge, produce or even have the ability to provide harvest numbers specific to seasons like this.

Harvest reporting does not replace other tools, but supplements it. NY has mandatory harvest reporting for deer. The point here is that they produce FANCY REPORTS (page 4-5 are good examples) which breaks down deer take by season, implement, area, etc. Combined with other data, it allows them to more accurately estimate harvests and adjust future "quotas" and seasons. Yes, they have a bigger budget to do things like this, but just showing what is possible.

Sorry to get off topic - good luck to y'all sticking it out with those December smokepoles.

 

[robby denning]

-Relatively few deer are taken during this "niche" season.
-MT FWP has no mandatory harvest reporting.
-MT FWP does not, to my knowledge, produce or even have the ability to provide harvest numbers specific to seasons like this.

Harvest reporting does not replace other tools, but supplements it. NY has mandatory harvest reporting for deer. The point here is that they produce FANCY REPORTS which breaks down deer take by season, implement, area, etc. Combined with other data, it allows them to more accurately estimate harvests and adjust future "quotas" and seasons. Yes, they have a bigger budget to do things like this, but just showing what is possible.

Sorry to get off topic - good luck to y'all sticking it out with those December smokepoles.

Good to know. Thanks

 

[hobbes]

-Relatively few deer are taken during this "niche" season.
-MT FWP has no mandatory harvest reporting.
-MT FWP does not, to my knowledge, produce or even have the ability to provide harvest numbers specific to seasons like this.

Harvest reporting does not replace other tools, but supplements it. NY has mandatory harvest reporting for deer. The point here is that they produce FANCY REPORTS which breaks down deer take by season, implement, area, etc. Combined with other data, it allows them to more accurately estimate harvests and adjust future "quotas" and seasons. Yes, they have a bigger budget to do things like this, but just showing what is possible.

Sorry to get off topic - good luck to y'all sticking it out with those December smokepoles.

If you use the new FWP app, you can't keep from reporting the harvest right down to geographic location. My son's and I have used it now for multiple spring turkeys, antelope, and deer.