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Zutt-man

45 Cal.
Joined
Feb 12, 2021
Messages
645
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Location
Kansas
With big game application season upon us, I was curious on who all takes their smoke pole out. What big game species do you apply for and what’s states (for muzzleloading seasons)? What species do you generally hunt for, and what do you use?

An additional question: Have any of you taken a smoothbore out for an elk hunt?

Pics are encouraged

I’ve put several whitetail with my .40 in the freezer, including one nice buck. I have opportunities every year, but I’m getting pickier as years go by and rarely pull the trigger in the hot Kansas September season. This Kansas bull is hands down my favorite muzzleloader kill. Borrowed my dad’s .54 cap gun (he only uses his flinter now) for the hunt. Awfully proud of this one
 

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You should be proud of that bull, for several reasons. Not only what appears to be your first muzzler bull, but a very nice one at that.
Any chance of getting the story that goes with it?
Walk
 
You should be proud of that bull, for several reasons. Not only what appears to be your first muzzler bull, but a very nice one at that.
Any chance of getting the story that goes with it?
Walk
I was pretty stoked on the tag and the bull. These Kansas elk tags are hard to draw and a bull tag is a once in a lifetime deal. The stalk went on for just over 2 miles. It was everything an elk hunter dreams of: calling & response, a bull bugling 30 yards from you, & a successful harvest. I just happened to do a location bugle not knowing this bull had 15 cows 100 yds away in some nasty sumac. He quickly rounded up his cows & pushed them on. After 3/4 miles of tracking, I let out some cow calls to simulate him leaving one behind. The bull turned on a dime & bugled right in my face. Unfortunately, I had a primer issue & the gun didn’t fire. Of course this really boogered the situation and he split off from his cows and got out of dodge. I kept after him for another 1 1/4 miles through the timber & got a shot at 100 yds. There was a hangfire on the gun, so I hit him back mid body. I would end up sneaking in to finish him off at 4 yds.
 
Colorado muley, elk, and bear every year.
Spring or fall on the bear? My brother, dad and I are planning on making a trip up to Idaho next year for spring bears. We’ve never been, but figured it would be a fun trip to camp out 5 days and looks for black bears
 
In the fall they're out feeding 20 hours a day to fatten up for winter. That can work against up too. They move around a lot and we need some luck to find one. My units are lousy for bear hunting. Not hardly any natural foods. I try to get a deer and use the gut pile to bring one in.

Still, something to hunt in the spring was fun too.
 
I'm an avid bow hunter and most of out ml seasons fall 8n the middle of bow season. Sooo, I typically hunt elk in the rifle season with muzzle loader. It's application season now for Colorado but at this point I'm only considering Antelope ml even though it coincides with bow season.

Maybe a rifle bear app too. Decisions Decisions. :doh:
 
I'd never hunt the rifle seasons. Way too crowded. You still have plenty of time to bow hunt if you do the muzzleloader season. Then you can hunt the rut with both weapons.
 
I've never hunted anything but deer for large game. Here in Maine bear is already on my lifetime license and I have no interest in going after moose. But muzzleloaders have accounted for a great many of those deer.
 
I hunt Spring bear, fall whitetail, and "late season" December elk with my cap lock. Except for the late elk season all the other seasons are "any weapons" seasons that I prefer to use the cap lock for. Bear and whitetail are done on private property so I don't have any competition from unmentionable hunters...well except for my wife that is. She puts a deer in the freezer about as often as I do.
She likes to remind me of that on occasion.
 
I put in for Mule deer, elk and antelope every year. I normally draw only a deer tag and when I do I hunt bear, wolf, and deer on the same hunt. Last year was my first time drawing a ML bull tag. I can't put in for a bull this year because I got one last year.

EG7ElWF.jpg
 
Started applying for moose in New Hampshire and Maine this year. Probably going to go for KY and PA elk too. Going to start on some western hunts too.I apply every year for elk and bear from my tribe. I’ve only carried my .58 for deer and bear, but haven’t connected yet.
 
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