BC Muzzle loader Hunting Season?

"Primitive type" muzzleloaders

I agree with what I have read about classifying muzzleloaders under a primitive description. Side lock hammer, percussion/flint ignition, patched round ball projectile only, and NO inlines. I think this is more in the spirit of how muzzle loading seasons got started. The inlines are really just a way of taking advantage of a loop hole.
The ballistics of a roundball and the energy levels of black powder make it no more lethal than buckshot.
I was wondering if rather than overlapping the archery season a 2 week season after the centerfire one is done? This would increase opportunity and not step on any other groups toes.

Steve (Bush Ratt)
 
Maybe we could propose a hunt for turkey in the Kootenais with flintlock only? I think if we got a shoe in the door so to speak,we may be able to broaden our horizons,who knows,elk,deer moose? in the same area? Turkeys are a spring hunt,but securing an area for flintlocks/roundball only may be the start we need.Just a thought.:)
 
Blackpowder Turkey Season

I suppose what you are suggesting is worth pursuing. My original proposal was focused in a "shotguns with shot only" area on Vancouver Island between Courtenay and Campbell River. It borders between the new island highway and the east coast of the island. Enough for the geography lesson for now.... but my point is that I was attempting to do something along the lines of your idea. The problem seems to be selling it to the ministry of environment and the BCWF. If we can convince the latter then we have a chance of MOE giving this consideration (I think...). Perhaps if an approach through an organization (the BC Blackpowder?) to the BCWF may be helpfull.
I have been trying to research BP seasons in the states that allow only primitive type muzzle loaders. If we could get figures on the numbers of hunters involved, revenues generated, etc it might at least help. I suppose that the population densities of hunters in the states compared to those of BC will not be good comparable data but we need to start somewere.

Steve (Bush Ratt)
 
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Jack Brock said:
Gents there used to be one in BC during the bow hunting season and both were classed as a primitive weapons season. Why not put it in with the bow season again?
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The opposition from bow hunters would be huge, just FYI.


Weather your a bow hunter muzzel loader or modern you must identify your target and whats beyond. Inline should be classed with modern so it would be simular to hunting with say a Ruger single shot. Muzzel loading and archery is primitive so it would be Side Lock either percussion or flint. I don't know why they stopped it before, but with all their crap decisions no wonder there are less hunters, less revenue for them, now they infringe on the regular season by introducing a youth season.
In my day my dad took me out and I had like a learners or now the juniors but during the regular season so it didn't screw anybody out of a few more days afield. This Government (Gordns Gang) has their heads up their asses and to let some one off for drunk driving shows you just how bad their thinking is twisted.
Wow that felt good to rant. If you need a name for a petition for a primitive muzzel loading season drop me a line. I am a bow hunter as well, I just like getting out weather its with sharp lil sticks or charcoal.
Jack
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The present BC governemnet is trying to recruit more hunters, just FYI.
 
stevejones said:
I suppose what you are suggesting is worth pursuing. My original proposal was focused in a "shotguns with shot only" area on Vancouver Island between Courtenay and Campbell River. It borders between the new island highway and the east coast of the island. Enough for the geography lesson for now.... but my point is that I was attempting to do something along the lines of your idea. The problem seems to be selling it to the ministry of environment and the BCWF. If we can convince the latter then we have a chance of MOE giving this consideration (I think...). Perhaps if an approach through an organization (the BC Blackpowder?) to the BCWF may be helpfull.
I have been trying to research BP seasons in the states that allow only primitive type muzzle loaders. If we could get figures on the numbers of hunters involved, revenues generated, etc it might at least help. I suppose that the population densities of hunters in the states compared to those of BC will not be good comparable data but we need to start somewere.

Steve (Bush Ratt)
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I think your best tactic woudl be to go after the shotguns w/shot only areas, to allow using a roundball traditional ML. This adds to everybodys opportunity, yet takes nothing away, and does not pose a conservation concern. (safety woudl be the only issue, and you woudl have to demonstrate roundball deadly range vs Buckshot)
 
Why not use a muzzle loading shotgun?

If the area is deemed unfit for use of SG's with slugs, I doubt it would be any safer for BP rifles. Anywhere where slugs are allowed I thing BP rifles should also be allowed.

On a side note. Unofficially. one particular CO once told me he wouldn't care if I used my 58 Kodiak in a SG w/slugs area. Thing looks like a SG. I never tested it though.;)
 
bisonhd said:
Why not use a muzzle loading shotgun?

If the area is deemed unfit for use of SG's with slugs, I doubt it would be any safer for BP rifles. Anywhere where slugs are allowed I thing BP rifles should also be allowed.

.;)
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What sort of range do roundballs have compared to buckshot?
 
Gatehouse said:
I think your best tactic woudl be to go after the shotguns w/shot only areas, to allow using a roundball traditional ML. This adds to everybodys opportunity, yet takes nothing away, and does not pose a conservation concern. (safety woudl be the only issue, and you woudl have to demonstrate roundball deadly range vs Buckshot)
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The proposal and statistics are already in for consideration (for a couple of months now). Staff are apparently too busy to deal with it until I am guessing after limited entry is finished with. Will let you know what the outcome is. At least so far there has not been a "no no a thousand times no" response

cheers mooncoon
 
Black powder season

I don't know if anyone caught what I suggested earlier. I wonder if we could get a post black powder opening after the regular season is over. Say 2 weeks after center fire weapons are closed.

Steve (Bush Ratt)
 
B.C. Muzzle Loader season

well steve,
You're getting a fair bit of input into this thread. My wish would be for our own Management Unit for traditional roundball/flintlock only. Pennsylvania had one a few years ago but that went away as the Inline guys #####ed so hard they changed it to a muzzleloading only area. All it did was give those suppository guys an extra season to harvest deer. BTW, it totally screwed up the deer population and for a State that had millions of whitetail,now few are available.The reason I say,"traditional roundball/flintlock Only", is it weeds out any chance of scoped or inline cap guns. The MOE was so pissed off when they seen how our northern moose blackpowder season went that they lobbied the gov't and they(the gov't) closed it. The gov't of the day was the NDP.A gun is a gun kinda thinking.Today,we have to show that flintlocks are very hard to kill anything with(to the Gov't of the day) and it will sell tags which they love and not many animals will get harvested.(so they can sell more tags next year for animals that didn't get harvested this year) Our govournment does not care about conservation,just making money. So show them a way to make money and they will look at a Black powder primitive hunt for us lovers of the sport.My advice,keep BCWF out of it.They'd screw up the Lord's Prayer if they new it! JMHO
 
Bowhunters have the front end of the season sowed up and you won't get them to share it.They hate gunfire. I'd like to see something in the Kooteneys so maybe we could eventcially(sp) get multiple species hunts going.Maybe early to take advantage of elk and deer? Don't get me wrong,I have nothing against traditional bow hunters,it's those pulley cam biscuit wingnut types that make my blood boil. They buggered the Traditionalists just like the Inline sheepdips buggered us. Sorry for the rant!
 
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Rant?

Leatherbelly said:
Bowhunters have the front end of the season sowed up and you won't get them to share it.They hate gunfire. I'd like to see something in the Kooteneys so maybe we could eventcially(sp) get multiple species hunts going.Maybe early to take advantage of elk and deer? Don't get me wrong,I have nothing against traditional bow hunters,it's those pulley cam biscuit wingnut types that make my blood boil. They buggered the Traditionalists just like the Inline sheepdips buggered us. Sorry for the rant!
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I don't know if that was a rant or not. My proposal was to alow smoothbore flintlocks firing buckshot to overlap the archery season. What advantage does this type of weapon have over a modern crossbow? The intrusion would have been minimal as the rate of fire of a musket is slow and the amount of shots would have put a minimum disturbance to archers.

Steve
 
I know it is far too "technical" for gov to respond to but would'nt it make sense to have the regulation define a maximum/minimum projectile wieght and a max velocity? Who cares what launches the lead ? what seems to be the concern is how far the lead travels before gravity makes it part of mother earth. A 45-70-500 launching at 700 FPS better or worse then a 10 gauge SSG?

For my part I will whole heartedly support any regs that create More hunting opportunities.
 
Yep, arrow flingers are NOT a fan of guns of any kind during bow season; and they'll be willing to fight to the death over it, if I'm not mistaken.
 
well, i don't think we need any more special seasons, but i am for allowing so called "traditional" muzzleloaders with roundballs in the shotgun with shot areas.

there is absolutely SFA stopping a guy from hunting sept 10 - nov 30 (give or take 10 days or so depending on the area) in most areas of the province with a muzzleloader right now.
 
As for the comments about round ball vs buckhot in my mind there is no comparison. A decent MZ with proper twist can shoot 2 inch groups at 100 yards.
The special MZ seasons in Sask are loargely due to the work of the Saskatchewan MuzzleLoaders, a group formed when members of many local clubs organized on a province wide basis in order to lobby for the seasons.


Over the years there have been a number of changes in the MZ seasons. When I started a MZ tag was good for all open zones but if one failled to tag out then he ate the tag. Now a person is restricted to a particular zone, just like regular centre fire, but if unsuccessfull he can then use the same tag in the later regular rifle season, at which time he can continue with the MZ or opt for a modern center fire.

There is no discrimination between in-linesand traditional. Years ago some MZ hunters suggested that scopes, in-lines etc be prohibited but after debate it was decided that such choice be made by the shooter. An arguement that scopes for those with older eyes seemed to carry the arguement. It was supported by the fact that traditional MZ shoot well enough to about 100 yards that both in-line and traditional can be seen as more simialr than different as they are one shot guns. Many of the black powder crowd also shoot BP cartridge and repeat shots are not out of the realm of possibility, hence MZ only.
 
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