Change to Manner and Means During TN Primitive/Muzzleloader Season

[Guest 270win]

Dave,

 

Yes the deer are so numerous they are almost pests where I live.  It would be nice if Shelby Farms had closed off area for an archery hunt to thin out some of the deer.  I guess they just hire professional shooters to thin the deer out there.

[DaveS]

So actually what you are proposing is not a "muzzleloader" but a "blackpowder cartridge" season. Actually, centerfire? Keep it with the gun season and make muzzleloader season sidelock only. If you want blackpowder cartridge season, lets allow us to use our .44 mag and .357 lever guns!

 

Yeah, I would say you stirred up a mess! LOL

 

Dave S

[contendershooter]

not quite as much of a mess as the guys proposing the any weapons season  like South Carolina and other nearby states have where deer season opens on a certain date, closes on a certain date, you have a bag limit, and you use what ever weapon you want as long as it meets a minimum criteria.

[DaveS]

not quite as much of a mess as the guys proposing the any weapons season  like South Carolina and other nearby states have where deer season opens on a certain date, closes on a certain date, you have a bag limit, and you use what ever weapon you want as long as it meets a minimum criteria.

That would certainly be a mess!

 

Dave S

[Guest USMC 2013]

I'd rather see ML season changed to how Colorado does it.  Inline are okay, but must use loose powder and no sabots.  I cannot remember if they allow scopes, or not, but in my opinion ban the scope as well.

 

That would make it more primitive and really not change hunting for most people that ML in TN now.

 

Joe

[whiskey]

Well if we are going to call it "primitive weapons" season, then shouldn't it be only a spear or a club? Where do you draw the line? Remember the old argument that compound bows should have their own season and traditional archery should be left alone. Then along came crossbows and eventually they got added to the "archery" season. What impact has that had? The way I see it is that we get more people in the woods. 

 

I don't care what Cabela's says or any muzzle loader website. The fact is that it is much easier to shoot consistently with a centerfire cartridge than it is from a powder charge topped by a sabot feed into the muzzle. It is faster to reload with a centerfire. There is a distinct difference. The is also a distinct difference between a sidelock and a 209 inline. Just like there is a difference between an open sights 30/30 and a hopped up 300 WIN MAG. Choose what you want to hunt with or what you have available. No one forces a hunter to choose a 209 inline. Use what you want. If you choose a sidelock, why does that need a special season? To reduce the number of hunters during that season? Certainly it's not entirely correct to lump inlines in to the centerfire category. 

 

Honestly, I would vote for a South Carolina type season. Everything opens on the same day and it all closes the same day. I hope every hunter that goes to the woods kills his limit each day and I hope everyone that is able hunts. I hunt archery during gun season because I choose to. Hunt with what you want. I have killed deer on public land with a bow in late December. It's not that much of a disadvantage if you a bow hunter.  :2cents:

[contendershooter]

well my proposal is not to be a disadvantage to any other group.  We must face if you hunt woods that buts up to woods that are hunted by other people, and there is an any weapon season, then you go in with a bow in September, they will go in with a gun, deer are spooked from the beginning.  The whole archery argument is nill, as to me a crossbow is nothing but a compound turned sideways and while a compound and crossbow may give a bit of an edge in distance and accuracy, it is not that much.  A bow is still a bow.

 

But lets all be honest here...other than those who are using the traditional muzzleloaders like flintlocks or percussion, which statewide I would say is very few and that data can be seen by how may of those types of muzzleloaders are sold and the accessories to fire those muzzleloaders along with the balls and conicals that go in them compared to the sales of inlines and their accessories, who uses an inline to hold onto tradition? We use them because their ignition is more reliable, they shoot better, are able to be scoped easier, shoot more powerful loads, and with the inline Savage 10-MLII like I have, you can even shoot smokeless powder. So in essence compared to other single shots, all that is missing is the brass case.

That is my whole justification of this proposal. Why keep the traditional muzzleloader season when non-traditional in-lines dominate the woods, and your essentially shooting a "caseless" centerfire rifle... Hence adding single shot shotguns and rifles of .35 caliber or larger won't make much difference.

 

survey results so far as of 8:27AM CST on 12/12/12:

keep it the way it is: 51%

add use of shotguns with muzzleloaders: 5%

add use of handguns and shotguns with muzzleloaders: 5%

add use of single shot rifles, handguns and shotguns with muzzleloaders 35%

make current muzzleloader season primitive muzzleloaders only and move in-lines to modern gun 2%

create a January primitive season 2%

keep the answers coming as I am going to keep the survey up thru the second week of January to make it as fair and accurate as possible before I do my presentation.  I think I will include some data on the all the people who are advocating the any weapon season, and this may be a middle ground that is fair to our bow hunters and will not effect the remainder of the season.

[contendershooter]

after response here and where I have the survey posted on TNDeer.com, I have once again modifed the survey one final time to add the choice of an all weapons season after an inintal archery season.

 

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Z6R68PS

 

Please take time to do this survey and your answers are appreciated!