Which state is the best for ML?

I wondered this for a while, but after reading the post about Missouri, I want to ask… which state is the best for muzzleloading opportunity? I am just asking about deer specifically. Success? Numbers? Public land?

Washington State, at least on the west side, is terrible. The bulk of the public land is leased by tree growing corporations and are either closed completely or you have to pay for access through a limited permit process that is usually sold out twenty minutes after the listing is posted. Don’t even get me started about the politics!

I doubt I’d ever relocate, but the fantasy is fun.

Florida is the best State for muzzle loading hunting. Florida
has an early season for muzzleloading hunters ,and hunters
can hunt the general gun season with a muzzleloader. The
possession of muzzleloaders is protected by a State
Supreme Court decision. To hunt, a permit is required. Over
a million acres is available for public hunting with a muzzle-
loading gun. Because Florida is pro-second Amendment, you
will find respect and acceptance of all guns ; especially
the historically important muzzleloaders. I nominate
Florida as the best place because gun owners ,
including muzzleloading gun owners, will have their rights, as American Sportspersons respected.

I’ve never been there. The closest I’ve visited would be Georgia and South Carolina.

Is the deer population strong there?

Huge deer population, but the deer are not as big as Georgia
or Northern mid-west deer. Florida is just a Freer State, maybe
matched by Alaska, Texas and Wyoming for hunters.

I’ve always wanted to fish Florida saltwater but maybe a combination trip is a good idea.

Fisherking said:

I wondered this for a while, but after reading the post about Missouri, I want to ask… which state is the best for muzzleloading opportunity? I am just asking about deer specifically. Success? Numbers? Public land?

Washington State, at least on the west side, is terrible. The bulk of the public land is leased by tree growing corporations and are either closed completely or you have to pay for access through a limited permit process that is usually sold out twenty minutes after the listing is posted. Don’t even get me started about the politics!

I doubt I’d ever relocate, but the fantasy is fun.

Click to expand...

which state is the best for muzzleloading opportunity?

Need to define best, to get the answers you are looking for..

North Carolina, plenty of public land, plenty of deer and, you get to hunt where Boone did....

Beautiful mountains, rolling hills filled with hardwoods in the Piedmont, lakes full of bass and crappie and fantastic salt water fishing on the coast...

If that isn't enough, we have those beautiful Carolina Girls as well....

It would have to be a place with otc tags, and a season in Septober.


Is there any place like that?

I love PA, we have a flint lock season and and you can hunt with a flint lock through our rifle season. Public land is pretty plentiful and though it’s not as beautiful as some places it’s got it’s own beauty! Lots of great builders here too so lots of options for new guns!

Well.... Wisconsin has a ML season... sort of. It happens after the regular cartridge gun season so the deer are pretty shy. The early season has been taken over by archers. It took them a long while to get that season and they ain't willin' t' give it up. We do have deer here... lots of 'em, and plenty of record book bucks if that sort of thing interests you. There is quite a bit of public land available, but, as with other places, there seems to be more hunters than deer at times.

In general, stay out of the Peoples Republics of Madison, Milwaukee and Racine, but everywhere else in the state is mostly gun-friendly.

I would say that we're not "the best", but there are worse places to live and hunt.

Dale Allen Raby said:

Well.... Wisconsin has a ML season... sort of. It happens after the regular cartridge gun season so the deer are pretty shy. The early season has been taken over by archers. It took them a long while to get that season and they ain't willin' t' give it up. We do have deer here... lots of 'em, and plenty of record book bucks if that sort of thing interests you. There is quite a bit of public land available, but, as with other places, there seems to be more hunters than deer at times.

In general, stay out of the Peoples Republics of Madison, Milwaukee and Racine, but everywhere else in the state is mostly gun-friendly.

I would say that we're not "the best", but there are worse places to live and hunt.

Click to expand...

^^^^^^
Agree and then some. Our ML seasons dictate good cold weather gear if/when needed.
As was said above, we've tried to get a piece of the earlier season the bowhunters have, but they're a selfish lot.

God's country...Alabama!

Deer: Varying season per zones but generally Mid-November thru Mid- February season for guns with a special ML season 1 week before regular gun season. 3 bucks per season, 1 doe a day thru the season

Squirrel & Rabbit September thru March

Turkey, quail and other game birds: varying seasons per zones

Pigs year-round

Oh Yeah…Gator season!

We have public lands for hunting but I am not familiar with the regulations. I have been fortunate and blessed to have private land available to me.

Weather suitable for hunting most all the time.

Kindest regards,
DanL

Alabama has a 2.5mo. any type gun or bow season with a 5day ML season tacked on the front during the 30day bow season. Several national forests open to the public plus conservation area hunts also open with a permit. I hunt on my own land but there are hunting clubs all over. I killed two deer in the 5 day BP season, and the processor said he only processed 6 deer. So, 2 were mine. BTW: My processor charges $115 for butterflying the tenderloins and grinding the rest into burger. That includes skinning($15) and gutting($25). He can make sausage for more per pound.
Not much interest in an early ML season that runs M-F during the week, but you have the whole gun season to hunt.

One more vote for Florida, *especially* if you have private land. The problem with the WMAs is that they are either quota limited OR they have small mini-seasons that are separate from the general zone seasons.

"How do I get the private land access" you ask? Well... If I had the $ I'd buy a 10 acre lot between me and the gulf coast in Levy county, I see several for sale on my drive through the Lower Suwanee wildlife refuge to go fishing in Cedar Key area. Only paying taxes on 10-20 acres surrounded by refuge and timber properties, you can set up your food plots, etc. and have hunting from late September (bow, ML starts mid/late October) thru mid January for deer including quite a few doe days and a 5 deer limit, late Sept thru Jan 1 for turkey (2 bird limit, must have beard), from late Sept (again, bow, ML in mid/late Oct) thru early March for small game, a second Spring turkey season from March thru April, and year round for pigs and rabbits.

For me, it has to allow muzzleloaders during any gun season. We can do that in Colorado but the crowding is very bad and it needs a different tag for ml and rifle. When I came to Colorado in '63 it was a hunters paradise. Now it's morphed into a nightmare!

If you want big dear, any of the Mid western states are a good choice. WI, MI, IN, IL, MO IA, MN. All have big deer. Bucks over 220 field dressed are not uncommon, does usually go 140-160.

For a not too gun friendly state, New York has a lot of muzzle loading hunting opportunities. Northern zone for deer/ bear from Oct 15-21. Southern zone Deer / Bear Dec.12-Dec 20. Southern zone deer only "holiday hunt" Dec. 26-Jan1.
You can also use your ML during the regular gun seasons.

NC also has a 2 week ML season, between bow (Starts in Sept) and regular gun...You can also use a ML or bow during regular gun season and 2 bucks, 4 does...We love rednecks coming in from other states, as long as you don't tell us what we need to change....

Illinois isn't too bad an option, although general gun regulation is stronger than other states.

You can use a ML during the regular firearm deer season in Nov and there is also a ML specific season. This is how it was last time I lived there 7 years ago. I don't think it's changed.

There's tons of deer and an OK amount of public land in the southern end of the state, which is where a guy would want to live anyway.

I cannot recommend Illinois.

There is not enough public land. Most is private property.