Traditonal Muzzleloaders In Regular Gun Season ??

ML season starts 11/19 and goes to 1/31 it could be like other states, so black powder cartridge rifles are not a bad thing :grey: they could have take away part of the ML season and give it to black powder cartridge rifles NOW THAT WOULD BE BAD :grey:

Just looked it up in the "REGULATIONS" Book. In WEST VIRGINIA is is totally legal to use a muzzleloader
( PISTOL OR RIFLE larger than .38 caliber) during regular centerfire deer season. The only stipulation is that the muzzleloader must be a single shot......sigh....I guess the swivel barrel will have to stay on the rack.....
So.....I guess this is why they say:
" ALMOST HEAVEN WEST VIRGINIA "

***** WV SCROUNGER ***

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Hey Scrounger if you'll check a little deeper, I believe you will find that if you're using a muzzleloader during reg firearms season that swivel barrel will be legal or a double barrel. It's only during the ML only season that it must be a single barrel ML in WV!
Chuck :redthumb:

Here in Iowa we just got 2 more seasons that a muzzle loader can be used in this year.a 3 day thanksgiving season open to ever thing but high power rifles and extended doe season in the southern countys that allow high powers the second week.If i figuared right i can hunt 51 days in a row with a muzzle loader and the 3 days around thanksgiving.That is if all licesces are bought :front:

Here in Iowa we just got 2 more seasons that a muzzle loader can be used in this year.a 3 day thanksgiving season open to ever thing but high power rifles and extended doe season in the southern countys that allow high powers the second week.If i figuared right i can hunt 51 days in a row with a muzzle loader and the 3 days around thanksgiving.That is if all licesces are bought :front:

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That's great...sounds about like NC...I start with a ML Otober 8th and except for Sundays, can hunt straight through til the sun sets January 1st...a single $40 "sportsman's license" covers all hunting & fishing statewide...6 deer tags, plus bear, boar, turkey, small game, doves, varmints, etc...just wish the season would get here!

you difently have the cheapest and longest seasons ive heard of,you goter made fer sure :hatsoff:

talk about funny laws ,in texas you have to buy an archery stamp for archery season ,and a muzzle loader stamp for ml season ,however neither stamp is required if you use these weapons during the general season :youcrazy:
the state even split the fishing licences ,you have to specify salt water ,or fresh water ,or both(more$$$)
is that nuts or what :shocking:

talk about funny laws ,in texas you have to buy an archery stamp for archery season ,and a muzzle loader stamp for ml season ,however neither stamp is required if you use these weapons during the general season :youcrazy:
the state even split the fishing licences ,you have to specify salt water ,or fresh water ,or both(more$$$)
is that nuts or what :shocking:

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I wonder if that's their way of sizing how may folks archery and/or ML hunt outside the regular season...

Ms Squirrel hunter
I agree 100%, but what are they going to dilute the PW season with next, it seems that every year it is something else. Here in the Delta, most folks don't care a hoot about traditional M/L'ing, just whatever will get them some more time in the woods. When the laws changed to allow scopes, some pawn shops had to stop taking sidelocks in because they were swamped with them. I hunt mostly state woods that are Primative weapons only after archery season and the number of hunters increased considerably when the "advantages" increased. I am wondering if there will be a run on BPC rifles now. If the word gets out about the ranges shot at the Creedmore matches, watch out!!!! What a road hunting gun, a 1000 yd rifle that you can just unload with just a flip of the wrist when you see the gamewarden up ahead.
Just some thoughts
JEB/Ms

Hi, Jeb/MS I am glad to hear from somebody else in MS, first off you said in your post #1(most folks don't care a hoot about traditional M/L'ing, just whatever will get them some more time in the woods) with the adding of crossbows and BPC it did not increase our hunting season any, it just added two more ways to kill a deer, those people that are running around buying crossbows and BPC already have a high powered rifle and a muzzleloader, #2(When the laws changed to allow scopes, some pawn shops had to stop taking sidelocks in because they were swamped with them) I do not believe allowing a scope has caused people to stop using sidelocks, you can mount a scope on a sidelock with a side mount, the inline is what has caused the downfall of the sidelock, I do not know about other states but here in MS there are no laws againist the use of a sidelock, so when you look at this it is not only the inlines but the people that have caused the downfall of the sidelock.#3(If the word gets out about the ranges shot at the Creedmore matches, watch out!!!! What a road hunting gun, a 1000 yd rifle) first off with the right equipment and practise you can take a 243 and shoot a 1000 yds., to end this all up Jeb, I don't believe we're going to walk into a walmart and pick up a SHARPS BPC gun nor or they going to make a mass production of bullets for this gun, I would like to see SHOOTERTOO get into our discussions that way we would have one in the south of MS, you in the Delta and me in the north. Thank You :grey:

WV SCROUNGER,
Correct me if I am wrong (and save me money this year also), I hunt WV and the last few years, I have had to (at least thought I did) buy a ML permit for an extra five or ten dollars (forget which as I haven't ordered my out of state so far this year). I am thinking that it is the same for in-state hunters. Also, I hunt on private property in Monroe County.
Glad you beat me to the Cherokee stock, I would have had to find a barrel for it.

Hello Squirrel Hunter
Sorry it took me so long to get back to ya' on this, but I've was working in Oxford and driving home everyday up until Katrina. That didn't leave much time for things I like to do. We had to send some of our folks to central and south Mississippi so we have been short handed over our way since the disaster and that didn't leave much time either. Now I have time to sit down and drink a cold adult beverage and check out the internet.
I know what you are talking about, Mississippe has a generous PW season and I am mighty glad. My thing, I guess, is I don't see CARTRIDGE rifles as "Primative" and it is hard for me to understand how anyone can. As you said, BPCP'S & crossbows do not give people more time in the woods and that is not what I intended to say, if it did, I'm sorry.What I should have said is that the more modern weapons they include in the definition of what is primative, the more people I will have to deal with in the woods. The easier they make it, the more people that will take advantage of the "extra time in the woods". I am sure that you must have no problem with places to hunt but we are being over run in the Delta with people from Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, & Mississippi buying up hunting leases for exorbitant prices and causing us to hunt what is left
The thing about scopes was an incomplete thought, I guess. Yes, you can go to the trouble and expense of mounting a scope on a sidelock. For about the same cost and no trouble, you can get a blister packed thing with a scope already mounted on it. Once you get the package open all you have to do is buy some of the premeasured pellets, load and shoot a deer. No sighting in necessary (per the ads). Cleaning is no muss, no fuss like with the sidelocks (per the ads), so why not get rid of that old "hard to clean, inaccurate" sidelock?
Now to the thing about the pawn shops. That is from two shop owners, not me. I bought a nice little sidelock for $26 (and a brand new T/C New Englander at Wal-Mart that had been there since 1995 for $60), so I am not really concerned with the reason as long as the bargains keep coming.
The comment about the range of the BPCR's was only ment to be about PW season. The game wardens AROUND HERE will run you in immediately if you are caught riding the roads during PW season with a loaded .243 in your truck, so I am having trouble seeing where that was relevant. I should have said that the inclusion of BPCR's could possibly extend the ROAD HUNTING SEASON, or at least make it easier. And no the local Wal-mart does not have BPCR's, but Bass Pro in Memphis does and I drool over them everytime I go in there. Everyone knows someone that handloads that would load up some BP loads, and beside, who is to know if there is BP or smokeless in the cartridges?
I guess I am paranoid, this could be caused by the fact that I grew up in the 50's and 60's with all the acres and acres of prime woods that I could possibly hunt, and now I am cut down to a small amount of private land and state owned land (that I am awfull thankful for). I have hunted with muzzleloaders since the late 60's and I get a might scared when they go to giving modern guns the same rights as Muzzleloaders. Next year, if enough people whine, maybe you will be able to use your old '94 Winchester with blackpowder stuffed in those cases.
I,m glad things are so good in the hill area of our state that you don't mind sharing your hard earned primative weapons season with modern weapons, they ain't that good here.

JEB/Ms

...and don't forget the really stupid part. Texas' ML season is two weeks after the regular season closes, after the rut is long over. You can shoot ONLY antlerless deer, so your chances of killing a bred doe are pretty good. The ML hunt is really nothing but a cull hunt, but you pay extra just the same.
Packer (Houston TX)

Here in NJ during the permit shotgun you can use a single or double-barrel smoothbore only { no rifles }. Not smaller than 20 gauge not larger than 10 gauge. Buck shot only.

Packer

In Montgomery, San Jacinto and Walker Counties (Sam Houston National Forest). You can also shoot Spike Bucks.

Robert

Here in N Y you can use a smokepole all thru the regular season , and the 2 special ml seasons. You can also hunt with a bow thru the entire hunting season if you prefer.

Just to throw another thing out. If I read the book right in Texas it reads. A muzzlerloader is any gun that loads from the muzzle only. This eliminates cartrige and cylinder loaded weapons. It also has no caliber specks which I think is bad. But you can hunt with a ML anytime the season is open unless other wise noted in the regs. I hunt from early Nov. to mid January with ML's and the only thing I usually hear is why do you use that thing. Until they check the meat pole then it's you got that with that old gun.
Keep'em guessing. Fox :thumbsup:

Illinois doesn't allow muzzleloading pistols , this year. I think alot of it has to do with footpounds at the muzzle.
Double barrel muzzleloaders are allowed. Breech loading black powder cartrige are not.
Weopons allowed are shotguns (20ga. - 10 ga.), muzzleloaders (.45 and larger), and handguns (centerfire, .30 cal. and larger, capable of producing 500 ft/lbs or more).
All legal weopons are allowed during all seasons, except for muzzleloader season. :front: We're not sharing that. :crackup:
Muzzleloading Season used to be only certain counties until just a few years ago.

Muzzleloaders are legal in all seasons in New York.Rifle and shotgun areas.I have not used anything else in quite a few years.

Charlie

In South Dakota ML rifles can be used during regular gun season, but must have at least .44 cal or larger. Cannot use pistols.
Cat9

Another Mississippi hunter getting into the mix here. I was absolutely flabbergasted when the MDWFP announced the BP cartridge rifle thing, but then I got to thinking: it's not going to hurt those of us who hunt any open gun season with a traditional muzzleloader; the only thing it's going to hurt is the inline sales. I think we are probably moving closer to just having a deer season- hunt them with what you want to.
Bill