Dealing with muzzle loader season

[Dillon.Curtin]

Going to be headed out archery hunting in CO same week as muzzle loader. Only week I can get out there…

Any tips on how to deal with that? Any additional safety precautions or dealing with the extra pressure?

 

[Dillon.Curtin]

First time going too.

 

[Hoyt Ag]

If I am hunting in MZ season, I will at a minimum wear some orange on my hat. I have a few from Richardson we made for our guides that are orange on the back and grey in the front.

 

[11boo]

Be aware there are always rifle bear hunters too all season. But it is typically the muzzle guys shooting bow hunters, what, maybe every other year.

I keep a little orange on my pack, and a orange bandanna handy.

 

[CoHiCntry]

Wow... a bowhunter is shot by a muzzleloader hunter every other year? I guess it's up to you wether or not you wanna do a little orange or not. Wouldn't hurt I suppose? I don't and never have. I wouldn't worry about the perceived "extra pressure" from muzzleloaders. I'm sure it varies from unit to unit but in my experience you will see much, much, more pressure from other archery hunters if you're hunting an OTC unit. Just go and have a good time and don't worry about the week you go.

 

[sodaksooner]

I may be out there that week as well solo for a few days waiting on my brother. We've hunted the weekends that correspond with muzzleloader season and have never had an issue. That said the unit we hunt doesn't have many muzzleloader tags so plenty of room to spread out. Actually kind of funny, but we were sitting in camp at lunchtime after a long, week of hunting and heard a bugle really close. Before we could even get our gear together to go investigate, some muzzy hunter shot at the dang thing. All that work we did all week and a muzzy hunter had a chance from basically the road, right out of camp. Elk are where you find them

 

[Ucsdryder]

Don’t get shot..seriously. I would have orange somewhere, maybe a camo orange hat and I’d have some sort of orange attached to the back of my pack.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Carry a muzzleloader.

 

[cnelk]

Don’t bugle

 

[Burnsie]

We go the week of muzzleloader almost every time. I have yet to see a Muzzy hunter in the area we are in.
Actually I haven't seen many people period - but we're in ways with packs.

 

[Anglo-American]

It shouldn't even be an issue if people were actually checking their targets.
To shoot at noise or movement without knowing what you're actually shooting at should come with serious punishment.

 

[shelskov]

I would absolutely wear orange during season overlap. Obviously we all are responsible to know our target and what's beyond, but in the interest of self-preservation you should wear orange while afield during any gun seasons.

 

[Sundy]

I will be out the same week. I'm planning to have some orange with (on backpack + hat or something).

I typically cow call and will have a bugle tube, but likely won't touch it too much. Just be smart - if you're seeing a lot of ML hunters put on a bit more orange.

 

[Gapmaster]

Don’t bugle

Yeah, I’m no expert at calling in elk, but I can pull a muzzy hunter in from 1,000’ below or above all day!! I’m like their worst nightmare. Seriously probably call in 3-4 orange men every year. It’s what I excel at! I’m sure I’m locally hated!

 

[hobbes]

"Every other year"? Is it really that often? I recall one within the last couple years. That one is too many in 100 years, but is it really 1 every other year? I was there 5 years and don't recall any. Has it went downhill that much in the last 10 years?

I was able to find one in 2015 and one in 2021.

 

[MallardSX2]

Wear an orange hat. Don't bugle. During the muzzleloader season there is no telling how many "hunters" I have called in. Oddly enough I hear them talking when they are sneaking in on me 1/2 the time. People don't realize how far a voice carries in the woods.

 

[cogill]

Hunted CO archery during muzzle loader season last year and had a very difficult time getting away from other hunters. Key will be finding an area away from the pressure. Didn't have any safety issues and we didn't wear orange.

 

[5MilesBack]

I don't change anything from one week to the next when I'm out there "in regards to other hunters". I do my thing and they do their thing. Sometimes that overlaps, and sometimes it doesn't. I can't control what they do or where they go.......only what I do and where I go. So that's all I worry about.

 

[11boo]

I’ll be fishing a lot more that week than hunting. Might be a good time to try the tree stand thing.