I wish we could get this topic back on track. By the sounds of some of the comments, it's no surprise we are where we are with all the bickering between what some people like and don't like. It's starting to sound like an old fudd who archery hunts with a trad bow and doesn't think guys should hunt with crossbows. If ya don't like the modern stuff then too bad, some of us do and will continue to do so with great results .
Modern MLs
- Thread starter reomack
- Start date
in BC we don't have a shotgun only season but do have areas that are shotgun with shot only and the reason is for safety because of houses not too far away. I tried to have the provincial government class muzzle loaders with patched roundball included in those areas with no luck and perhaps in part rejected because of a series of magazine articles about shooting game at long range using a scope sighted inline with saboted elongate slugs. Where nearby houses are not a concern, I would think that shotgun and/or muzzle loading seasons would be similar to the rationale for archery seasons; based on the limited range of the firearms. Inlines with saboted slugs would be counter to that rationale
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cheers mooncoon
Typically, they're allowed to have an extended season with less pressure on the wildlife. Similar with the bow hunting season.
My max ethical range with my .54 cal Great Plains rifle is ~100 meters on standing animals. I wouldn't even dream of taking a shot on a running animal.
This simply limits the effectiveness of the hunter and creates less pressure. When you then get inlines, as some people say, that outshoots cartridge guns, well, then suddenly the pressure greatly increases. Sure, it's still one shot only, but that shot can be taken at a lot longer range.
As for age/eyesight issues, I highly recommend trying peep sights.
They could exclude them by make it open hammer side locks with no inline ignition.
Cat
Licensed to kill
CGN Regular
- Location
- Peace Country Alberta
From what I understand, often ML and shotgun seasons are combined into one. Not always of course but some here have stated that this is how it is where they are. Where they are combined as a single season, since they have little in common, I would like to know the rational for their game departments creating a season that includes both. Its not difficult to imagine why a ML season might be created OR a shotgun season, I am interested in the rational of the combined season that has been mentioned here.
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Licensed to kill
CGN Regular
- Location
- Peace Country Alberta
While I have advocated a similar approach, for simplicity sake, the fact is that, for the most part, as an act type, side lock vs inline is only a cosmetic difference. Sure an inline type of action has a few MINOR advantages,, most notably an enclosed ignition system better protecting the primer from inclement weather, but this is a reliability advantage and there is nothing wrong with being more reliable.
The biggest issue as I understand it however is that modern inlines are much more accurate and powerful to longer distances than traditional muzzle loaders , and this is why they are not allowed in many black powder areas. I personally have never done any chronograph or accuracy testing , but have read this quite often . I never did have any interest in modern inlines and scopes, I have always been a traditional cap lock and flint lock shooter.
Many primitive areas Stateside do not allow them, but then some do not even allow caplocks or compound bows in their Primitive seasons ( stick bows and flinters only), as both are not considered " primitive" which is okay by me.
Cat
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The shotgun/muzzle loader season is another ball of wax for sure, when you take into account guns like the Savage bolt action shotguns, the only common denominator being a shotgun shell!
know my father was always musing about what would happen when some idiotic lawmakers decided to " make things safer" by outlawing them and rifled shotgun barrels if they ever realized just how much accuracy and powder those bolt action shotguns have.
Cat
If they ever decided to limit the muzzle loader season to patched round ball and no scope it would virtually kill off hunting with inline muzzleloaders for a lot of guys.The thing is though the reason a lot of provinces have these seasons is that they bring in extra revenue and if hunters with inline guns were eliminated from hunting the special season would there be enough traditional hunters to keep having the season profitable
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Licensed to kill
CGN Regular
- Location
- Peace Country Alberta
I don't now how these special seasons work, I was under the impression that you hunt under your regular rifle license but buy a special tag, in addition to your regular rifle tag, for the ML/shotgun season.If this is so and it is about revenue, they could just allow guys to buy a second tag in the regular rifle season or have a second tag on draw (to limit numbers) and would make more money from the fees for applying. Is there more revenue generated than just the price of the tag?. Still looking for some insight into why ML's and shotguns are the same season in some places when they have so little in common.
I know of nowhere that you cannot hunt with a bow or muzzle loader or shotgun in a regular rifle season, but I may be wrong.
I think the reason they are often lumped together is the thought that shotguns are only a short range firearm.
At one time they were, but with the Hastings rifled barrel, and the newer advances in bolt action rifle shotguns, that is no longer true, as well as the newer inline black powder guns, progress being what it is.
Cat
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In Nova Scotia ML season is about a month before regular season and a week after.Of course you can hunt with a muzzleloader during regular season as well .Here centerfire shotguns are not allowed for hunting deer during the ML season.There is also a special stamp you need to purchase to hunt with a ML here as well.
What it comes down to basically is some of us like the challenge of hunting with a traditional muzzleloader and their limitations and history,while the guys with inline s just want to hunt and get another deer and aren t interested in history or the history side of muzzleloaders.There is no denying that saboted bullets ,optic sights,powder pellets and increased range takes a lot of the guess work out of hunting with an inline compared to a traditional muzzleloader.
What it comes down to basically is some of us like the challenge of hunting with a traditional muzzleloader and their limitations and history,while the guys with inline s just want to hunt and get another deer and aren t interested in history or the history side of muzzleloaders.There is no denying that saboted bullets ,optic sights,powder pellets and increased range takes a lot of the guess work out of hunting with an inline compared to a traditional muzzleloader.
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Licensed to kill
CGN Regular
- Location
- Peace Country Alberta
I have never heard of that before either. If you were referring to when I said "I don't now how these special seasons work, I was under the impression that you hunt under your regular rifle license but buy a special tag, in addition to your regular rifle tag, for the ML/shotgun season". I meant that you only buy ONE "license" but then tags for the various seasons, IE, rifle, bow, ML/shotgun, not a specific "license" for each. This stuff you re referring to regarding shotguns is news to me. I know that bolt action shotguns were available (but not popular) decades ago but not anything like what you are talking about. Can't say I am surprised.
Is the North Carolina deer limit still two per day? I hunted down there a few years ago, just to see some different country and have a different experience. or maybe I didn't have anything better to do any it was the cheapest hunt I've ever booked. 
Its amazing just how tiny the deer are there, and at least in the area we were in the hooves were elongated sitatunga style. Never saw that before, and frankly never even heard of it. Never saw does that I could pick up by one leg and hoist it off the ground with one hand either; but I have now.
I've got a couple smokeless savages that I use, for absolutely no reason other than to take advantage of the special season. It wasn't always that way, but I get all the black-powder fixes I need with BPCR and cap and ball revolvers now.
Although I have enjoyed the special season for decades for the typically nicer weather and less pressure, I don't feel like there is a lot of logical reason for their existence at all. Just a personal opinion; but I think the hunting season should be the season, and use whatever you want. Bow, muzzleloader, shotgun, cross-bow, rifle, pick your poison and go.
Its amazing just how tiny the deer are there, and at least in the area we were in the hooves were elongated sitatunga style. Never saw that before, and frankly never even heard of it. Never saw does that I could pick up by one leg and hoist it off the ground with one hand either; but I have now.I've got a couple smokeless savages that I use, for absolutely no reason other than to take advantage of the special season. It wasn't always that way, but I get all the black-powder fixes I need with BPCR and cap and ball revolvers now.
Although I have enjoyed the special season for decades for the typically nicer weather and less pressure, I don't feel like there is a lot of logical reason for their existence at all. Just a personal opinion; but I think the hunting season should be the season, and use whatever you want. Bow, muzzleloader, shotgun, cross-bow, rifle, pick your poison and go.
I have always been of the same ilk Dogleg, I think Alaska is the same, get a license and go hunting with whatever.
There are areas however (such as around Edmonton and Calgary) , that are very populated, and they have restrictions there for certain weapons like archery tackle and muzzle loaders.
This is where it gets a bit complicated with some people using everything available to their best advantage.
There will never be a perfect set of regs. in a situation like that however.
Cat
I hunt the early hunt in a rifle zone, but if I happen not to use my tag I can travel 20 min south into a shotgun/muzzleloader zone for the late hunt and still hunt off original deer license. These southern units are called controlled hunt areas. They limit the number of hunters in the bush at one time so you can apply to hunt early in november or late hunt in december, can't do both. No extra fees to apply to hunt in one but its not guaranteed. These controlled hunt areas have been around longer than I've been alive, gubment used the reasoning of higher population as to why only shotgun/muzzleloader could be used with their limited carry. This was well before the shotguns with rifled barrels using sabots and some of the longer range black powder and smokeless guns were around. The part I don't understand is why only shotgun/muzzleloader for big game but if you were hunting coyote you can use up to .275 caliber. So the safe effective range they imply for populated areas for deer season isn't an issue for the rest of the year.
my memory is foggy but I think it is Washington state where you have to chose either muzzle loader or modern. In the state that I am thinking of, if you chose muzzle loader you get a longer season but you cannot switch to a modern rifle in the regular season. You can however continue hunting with a muzzle loader in the modern season. I think that part of the rationale was that by allowing additional time for muzzle loader, people would use their modern guns in the modern season then switch to a muzzle loader without taking much time to practice with it and develop accuracy and an understanding of its limitations
Relative to only allowing short range guns in semi developed areas, in BC, it is shotguns with shot only; slugs from shotguns are not permitted (except where regular rifles were allowed)
cheers mooncoon
