Hunting Tactics for Muzzleloaders

[Dadof8]

This November will be my second year to hunt deer with a muzzleloader. (I have a .54 cal percussion GPR, so I am legal on this forum.)

My question is what tactic do you use to deer hunt? Do you sit on the ground, a stool, a tree stand, a ground blind? Do you still hunt?

I am in the process of getting a climbing stand because I also archery hunt, but I wonder if these long rifles are maneable in a treestand?

I like hearing everyone's method, so please respond with your preferred method for deer hunting.

Thanks,
Dadof8

 

[XXX]

I find that deer tactics are local/regional and even then change as the season progresses. Much seems to be made of distinguishing between bow and gun tactics, but I find that a good hunting plan is a good plan regardless of the weapon and that includes Muzzleloaders. The main exception to this is that Bows are not that useful on a deer drive, But I don't hunt that way anyway. I guess what I am saying is there is nothing to prevent you from following the advise found in the typical, "Bowhunting Trophy Whitetails By John P. Famous type book and sitting in a tree stand with a longrifle.It is a bit more awkward due to the weapons length, so I typically will take my Hawken with a sling when I treestand hunt and if I plan a stillhunt I take the longrifle. The stocks on longrifles are intended for offhand shooting anyway, and they feel much more natural on the ground, (at least to me).

 

[bigbore442001]

My preferred method is to use a treestand. I have found it to be the most successful way of taking deer in southern New England.

 

[Slamfire]

Sit still, walk slow and quiet, git in close, aim small. :winking:
Avoid buck fever. :shake:

 

[shortjack]

Scouting an area to find out where deer feed and bed is always a good idea. I don't own a tree stand so I wouldn't know what the advantages and disadvantages are. Usually I position myself between the bedding areas and the feeding areas, depending where they are I usually sit against a tree and watch and wait. If i don't see anything I start to move toward the bedding areas. When I get close to the bedding areas I slow stalk. If I'm hunting private property then I'll crawl thru the bedding areas, depending how big the land I'm hunting this takes pretty mch all day.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I make myself a tree seat out of 1/2" plywood and a 1/2" polyester rope.

At first light I'm sitting near a natural funnel near heavy cover that I have spotted deer sign at in pre-season scouting. I get in an hour before daylight and sit until 10:00AM. Usually the morning coffee is restless by then. I'll then hang the seat over my shoulder, under my left arm (under my haversack) and still-hunt into the wind S L O W L Y. Take a step. Count to ten and look around for parts of deer (You seldom see a whole deer initially). Take another step.

I consider my muzzleloader a slightly longer range stick-bow and hunt accordingly. I try to find cover spots where the deer hold up. That's because I prefer a motionless target rather than a deer that may be passing through.

By 2:30PM or so I find a spot and sit again until sundown (we can't shoot in NY before the defined sunrise or after the defined sundown - boy, do I hear that regulation broken regularly :nono: ).

The tree seat makes a great shooting rest if you have a chance to swing around and kneel beside it facing the direction of an approaching deer. You'll want to scrape the leaves and twigs away from the sides for that reason.

I use it for sighting in and it's the closest thing to a benchrest I've shot from in probably 15 years.

With whitetail you have to be flexible and have a few methods in your bag. If one method isn't working try something else. More than once I've run like a nut to get an angle on a fleeing deer that was spooked but may not have seen/scented me. Usually it doesn't work out, but if the deer stops to look back . . . Sometimes a loud whistle will make them stop. Sure wish I could produce a loud whistle. I use the same loud, puckery squeek I use to stop squirrels.

Remember, a deer can see movement better than you and they smell better than you (that is, their noses work better :haha: ). Your best bet is to have them approuch you. Play the wind and be aware of what it is doing at all times. On calm days it blows towards the south faces of hills in the morning (down the north faces) as the sun warms that air packet and it rises.

 

[oneshot]

Last Season I killed one Deer with my Hawken from Treestand.Two from setting on the Ground.

Year before I killed 3 Deer with Crossbow setting on the Ground.Two from Treestand with Muzzleloader.And one Still Hunting with Muzzleloader.

I would say though I like setting on the ground anymore.

oneshot

 

[jethro224]

My question is what tactic do you use to deer hunt? Do you sit on the ground, a stool, a tree stand, a ground blind? Do you still hunt?

Yes! But not much in the treestands any more. I'm more comfortable on the ground and I like the mobility. Also, I never heard of anybody falling out of the ground.
I do still occasionally climb up in a treestand.

My favorite way to hunt, gun or bow, is from a small 3-leg folding stool/chair with a backrest and a shoulder strap. I strap a bowquiver on it using the velcro strap that holds it in a folded position and carry it like a back quiver. I carry the same stool during gun season but without the quiver.
As soon as I hit the woods I can stop and sit comfortably for as long as I like, just about anywhere I like. I'll sneak along for a while until I find a place with good sign or where I've seen a lot of deer, then I'll sit for a while.
Sometimes there is a logpile that makes a good blind, sometimes a bush, a ditch, some round bales at the edge of the woods. There are several places where I have laced dead branches together to make walls for a natural looking blind. Sometimes I use the stool, sometimes not. There are even a few trees I like to sit in that don't even have stands.

Last evening I had 5 deer within 25 feet of me all at once. A doe and a fawn both came within 8 feet. There were 5 more, all antlerless, within 75 yards. This lasted about a half hour before they took off. A couple of em got spooky and then they all left. The spooky ones flagged but the rest just kinda wandered off. I don't know what spooked 'em.
I was sittin' on the ground, in a bush with my recurve.
I don't really need the meat right now or I coulda got one for sure. I'm just out for the woods time (it's what keeps me sane)and hoping that the monster bucks will come.

Good luck this season however you choose to hunt! :hatsoff:

 

[Dadof8]

Stumpkiller,

I like the looks of this tree seat that you have. What are the dimensions front-to-back and side-to-side. This concept looks simple and lite.

Thanks,
Dadof8

 

[CrackStock]

My question is what tactic do you use to deer hunt? Do you sit on the ground, a stool, a tree stand, a ground blind? Do you still hunt?

I do all of the above.

I have carried a pair of cross sticks and a ground cloth to sit on the ground in high grass;

I have carried a Civil War era folding stool which I set up concealed in vegetation or a cloth blind and

I use an Ole Man tree stand.

If you use a tree stand, practice with it until you are sure that you are safe. Find a way to protect your gun from the sharp edges of the stand. Particularly cover up hex bolt heads which ding your rifle when in the stand or carrying it.

When using a long gun in a tree stand, moving onto the target is tricky. I prefer to keep my back to the likely area of deer approach and set so that they cross behind me and set up for a strong side quartering away shot. Sometimes the deer do not follow the plan, but this increases my odds by putting me behind the tree where I am less visible and placing me where my need to move to take a shot is minimal. I shot one with an early Lancaster flintlock last year by simply waiting for the deer to move along the trail into the sights.

I have also found that rather than placing my back to a tree, I can commit to one side and face the tree. It will be very hard to adjust to the other side, but I am very well set this way. It depends on how sure I am of the direction of approach.

CS

 

[KyFlintlock]

Standhunting, stillhunting, leaning up again' a tree, etc. It all depends on what the weather/wind and the deer are doing and if they are running SKEEEEEEEEEEERED or not.

Good luck
wes

 

[Stumpkiller]

Stumpkiller,

I like the looks of this tree seat that you have. What are the dimensions front-to-back and side-to-side. This concept looks simple and lite.

Thanks,
Dadof8

Wide as your butt and long as you're . . . asking I went out and measured my favorite one. 14" deep x 12" wide with a 2" deep groove for where the tree fits. I found too small a cut-out is better than too wide as it will grip the tree better. I believe I used the lid of a tin of Denmark sugar cookies for the curve. I got all fancy and sliced a piece of high pressure steam hose and nailed it over the tree end to protect the plys and grab better on the bark (and prevent squeeks).

I have about eight feet of rope with mine. The pattern is one I stole shamelessly from Dean Torges (traditional archer) but the knotless and infinate adjustable line system is my idea. He cuts a notch and has a series of knots that slip in from the side. Quicker to set up, but eventually the notch wears loose and will slip out if you stand up. With mine I hold the seat flat against the tree with my knee (curved cut-out facing down) and wrap the line around the tree with the backside loop slightly above where I want the seat to end up. Make sure you come back through the top hole. When the seat is lowered it cams the rope tight. You want the front lip slightly above horizontal (maybe 3") so that when you sit it tightens the line even more. I set the height so my knees are lower than my hips. This takes less movement to stand up than if your knees are level with or higher than your hips. Try it. You have to bend forward to rise if your knees are bent less than 90º.

Sit under a hemlock and it will shed rain.

 

[buttonbuck]

The main thing I do? all the above but it mostly depends on how much ground you have to hunt. I hunt on 11 acres mostly timber but have 3 stands. plan to move a 4 th one eventually but I use big wooden ladder stands with longbow hunting and I shoot a renegade a shorter muzzleloader than the gpr. but it mostly depends on the deer. Deer in central illinois have learned to look up. so a good ground blind may confuse them. I talked to a guy today who claimed that a botton buck came up and sniffed him while wearing those full camo shaggy suits.

 

[Dadof8]

Stumpkiller,

Thanks for all of the detail. I will build a couple of these for my son and myself. I'm really looking forward to my second year of muzzleloading.

Here in Missouri, we can use our ML during regular gun season plus there are additional days in December for ML only.

Thanks again,

Dafof8

 

[Bunyan]

I've hunted out of a treestand, but didn't care for it. I have enough things to worry about without adding falling to my demise to the list! Reloading a muzzleloader on a small platform doesn't add to my desire. So I prefer hunting from the ground. I've had good luck by placing myself behind a tree and looking out on a deer trail. My favorite trees for this are ones that fork into two trunks. I can peak between the trunks with ease. I like using a small stool with a rope to sling it over my shoulder, but that tree seat looks like a fantastic idea! Watching from behind a tree instead of putting my back to it helps mask any movements and covers my outline. You do have to play the wind, but I consider that to be the number one factor any time in the woods. Scent lok suits make me laugh, especially when my gun is still reaking of oil, etc anyway. I haven't read it, but there is a book by a traditional bowhunter named G Fred Asbell or something like that. Its called the groundhunter's bible and based on some of his articles in traditional bowhunting magazines I think It's probably got some very good info out there. I'd love to still hunt. To me its one of the purest forms of hunting, along with spotting and stalking. Still hunting and taking a deer in its bed would be one of my biggest trophies, regardless of antler size. Doing so with a flintlock or recurve would be better yet! Unfortunately its not the safest or smartest idea in my area. Maybe some day I'll get to the Northwoods where I can try that style of hunt!

 

[jan buck]

i hunt out of a pop-up blind or elevated tree stands. with the blind, i put two hay bales stacked one on top of the other for a gun rest. works real well. my brother built nice treated lumber stands on his land. 46 acres. three of my brothers and dad hunt this land and we rotate every year. you can see deer coming a long way off being up in the air like that. the deer are pushed from neighbor to neighbor running for their lives til they're shot. this is in the regular gun season. the ml season is kind of like bowhuntingg. not so much pressure. chopper

 

[bramble]

I concur with scouting and adapting tactics to the situation. A tree stand has advantages, but I've seen a number of deer who step into a clearing and look up directly at me. They do seem to learn. I prefer being on the ground, both in terms of mobility and being able to shift so I'm not taking that awkward over the wrong shoulder shot. as they say, it's all good.

bramble

 

[K-1]

I look for a blow down and sit in that on the ground ... the tree laying on the ground is a natural blind and gives many places to shoot from with a rest.

I hunted from an elevated tree blind one time and decided it was not for me. In a blow down I can easily get up and stalk closer if the situation calls for it

 

[paulvallandigham]

K-1: I agree with you. My first choice is a blow-down tree for the reasons stated.

Next choice is at the base of a wide tree, so my silhouette is broken up and hand movements hard to see. I clear the ground clutter around the entire base of the tree so I can shoot in any direction if need be. If I am in camo, I put a strip of Blaze orange tape around the trunk above my head, so that I can be seen from any direction by other hunters. I take it with me when I leave.

 

[JackAubrey]

I prefer to hunt from a natural groundblind,wether that be a blown down tree or I pile up breush.I have used burlap and sticks and I have still hunted aswell.I tend to tumble out of trees so I keep me feet on the ground!.Best regards,J.A.