Pros and Cons: Muzzle Mule Deer
- Thread starter CODAK
- Start date
Just overall opinions, like why one should choose muzzle over rifle/archery or why muzzle is worse than rifle due to deer patterns (just quick examples)
Hilltop
Veteran member
Other states are very different but in Colorado, the biggest pro is that you get a little easier to draw limited quota tag during favorable (IMO) seasons. Biggest con in Colorado is that your range will be limited due to the regulations in place on muzzle loaders. IMO a muzzle loader hunt can be a great choice for some and a terrible choice for others not willing to put the time and effort into the hunt.
No pat answer. Much will depend on the season and unit. In OR for example, a number of our best MD hunts require some form of primitive weapon. In several of those cases, it also takes weather to make it good. OR also has very restrictive Muzzy rules.
what they said. I enjoy hunting with rifle bow and archery.
love bows for elk in rut.(no better hunts.imo.)
muzzleloader is fun but restrictions vary in different hunt s and states.
IF my only wish were to fill the freezer. I would probably(not absolutely) choose rifle. longer ranger quicker follow up shots if needed.(seldom are)
my favorite hunts are generally, those in the rut, regardless of weapon
love bows for elk in rut.(no better hunts.imo.)
muzzleloader is fun but restrictions vary in different hunt s and states.
IF my only wish were to fill the freezer. I would probably(not absolutely) choose rifle. longer ranger quicker follow up shots if needed.(seldom are)
my favorite hunts are generally, those in the rut, regardless of weapon
Interesting and thanks for the info. Being an archery hunter, I think we've all had the scenario where were could close to 70-100 yards a hell of a lot easier than that magic <50. Then you get to wishing you had a boomstick when a near booner goes hopping off... It's also an interesting timing season as the velvet starts to come off and the deer tend to do some weird things, making them tough to repattern (ex. bedding all damn day)...
RICMIC
Veteran member
I can only reference this relating to WY and CO. As was stated, it is generally easier to draw a tag in a particular unit for the MZL season than for the rifle season. For instance, in the 3 units in CO that I have applied for or hunted in the past, it took 2 to 3 times as many points for a late rifle tag. In WY, there is no MZL season per se, but could choose to use one during the "any weapon" season.My main consideration for applying for the CO MZL deer tag is that it in early Sept., and as an "Older" solo backpacker the weather is less apt to kill me while roaming around on top of a mountain for a couple weeks. I love the experience of wandering around on top of the world where I can find places of solitude and maybe even a few deer. Perhaps my favorite hunt was a solo hunt in the Maroon Bells in 2014 where in 7 days, I saw no one other then some hikers on a far off mountain. I was able to take this buck with a MZL at 204 yards. That was my max range after a lot of pre-season load development and practice.
CoHiCntry
Veteran member
I can honestly say I have NEVER had a misfire. With modern inlines you shouldn't have to worry about that. I'm sure like anything it can happen but I wouldn't be too concerned. I love muzzleloader hunting. There are no cons to me.
One miss fire in my life. 3 hours into sitting in a tamrack swamp in northern Wisconsin, in a white out soaking wet snow storm a buck comes through. Cock hammer, pull trigger, primer goes off, powder doesn't, load another primer, pull the trigger, about 1 second later, boom!
RICMIC
Veteran member
I didn't unload each night on that trip, just taped the end of the barrel and removed the cap and kept the rifle in the tent vestibule overnight. This season, my plan is to spend up to a week scouting, and then hopefully load once, shoot once on the season opener. OR, even better, load once, shoot once on the 9th day of the season.
mallardsx2
Veteran member
- Jul 8, 2015
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If you are careful you wont have misfires. Change your powder daily and shoot good components and test them before hunting.
sdebrot
Member
I figured I would give muzzleloading Colorado deer a chance this year. The biggest advantages I see are deer not as pressured and for the most case less competition than rifle hunting. Down side limited range compared to rifle hunting. Time will tell if it was a good decision.
Umpqua Hunter
Veteran member
Let me start with this. Mule deer are easiest to hunt before they shed their velvet (typically first week of September) and then as they get rutty (November). The HARDEST time is in between those two times, when they become hard horned, more timber bound and even nocturnal.
That leads into my one major con of muzzleloader in Colorado. Archery gets the very best dates to hunt the bucks early, before they shed their velvet. The first few days of muzzleloader season also take advantage of that a bit, but you also might catch them shedding and hard horned. If it were me...I would hunt muzzy on the year that the season dates shift to the earliest muzzy dates.
As others have said with Blackthorn 209 powder and a 209 ignition and you can have a very accurate and reliable muzzleloader.
That leads into my one major con of muzzleloader in Colorado. Archery gets the very best dates to hunt the bucks early, before they shed their velvet. The first few days of muzzleloader season also take advantage of that a bit, but you also might catch them shedding and hard horned. If it were me...I would hunt muzzy on the year that the season dates shift to the earliest muzzy dates.
As others have said with Blackthorn 209 powder and a 209 ignition and you can have a very accurate and reliable muzzleloader.