Who is going muzzle loader hunting?

[Ely Lake Expert]

I am going for the first time this year. I bought a 50 cal remington genesis, camo with a thumbhole stock. I'm excited to use it. My dad always says this is the best season because there is no one else in the woods. I'm hunting about a hour north of duluth.

Who else is going and where?

[lakevet]

With warm weather and no fishable ice yet, you could have company in the woods. More people every year. Fewer hunters up north because harder hunting than farm country. Good luck, success rate was 13% last year. Lowest ever for muzzy. Hope you have a good hunt, first season can be a learning experience. Can be great fun if you have the woods to yourself, even if few deer.

lakevet

[Ely Lake Expert]

Thanks Lakevet,

not my first year hunting by any means, just with the muzzleloader. Even with the low numbers there is lots of land to hunt and lots of deer where I am. I'm sure I will get one.

[icehousebob]

I'm heading out with my Hawkin 54 cal. round ball percussion. I built that gun from scratch over 25 years ago and it still does the job. I'm one of the few to still shoot round ball.

I'm figuring that with the warm wet weather that the regular season had, there's still some breeding going on and the corn is finally going to be off the fields. I might have hit it right this year. Good luck and keep your powder dry, pilgrim.

[hunter322]

there is definatly breeding going on! tonight at work i went out for a smoke around 10:30 and i caught some movement along the railroad tracks and it was a nice big buck with his nose to the ground and i bleated at him a couple of times and he didnt even flinch just kept walkin with his nose to the ground and then i saw the doe about 10 yards in front of him.

[Crow Hunter]

I will be out, looking for a doe. Wadena county. To all, have fun and hunt safe. CH

[Musky Buck]

Same here Crow Hunter, but looking for the rare mature buck only. Our deer numbers are so low we plan to take zero anterless or yearling bucks. As nocturnal as they are, it's tough to be very optimistic, hunting 5 separate farms for 10 years of muzzy hunting I have yet to even see a 2 1/2 year old or older buck during shooting hours. One of these years and it will be a special moment. Figure a decade, about 80 days hunting, 460 hours on stand, 0 mature bucks, actually rarely see anything because they feed through the night and are bedded down by legal shooting light, have never noticed a 2nd rut because that's occurring at night as the buck checks doe feeding areas.

[wplatehunter]

I will be out a few times during the season. Good luck to everyone.

[Heartman]

I will be.

[TrophyEyes]

Heading down to SE MN.

[SM1]

Ill be out too. Im almost going through withdrawls since I only got to hunt the fist weekend of gun this year. ML season is probably my favorite season, next to late bow.

[lawdog]

Count me in since I have a tag burning a hole in my pocket... Better go buy my license though I guess!

[mws4dux]

i plan on heading out normally i hunt around aitkin during rifle season,gonna try a couple of spots west of the metro. Good luck to everyone

[bigdaddy1968]

be out behind the house north of hillman

[MarkK76]

We have a small group up in Cass County. Good luck!

[MNfan]

Count me in still looking for horns with the 50 cal Omega south of Barnesville cant wait since there is no ice yet.

[CANOPY SAM]

I'll be out NorthEast of TRF - likely with lots of other smokepoles this year. The sporting goods stores can't keep enough blackpowder accessories on their shelves this week.

[eyehead]

I'll be hunting around New London this year....Cant wait for the season to start.

[Archerysniper]

I'll be hitting the North Branch Isanti area hard the corn is coming off finally now all we need is a big cold snap and snow

[hondarider550]

It is a guarantee that I will be out with the muzzleloader again this year in northwest Iowa. Im using a 50 cal Omega with Stainless Steel barrel. I want to add a Nikon scope with the different markings for the distances. Early Christmas present for myself maybe? lol

[birdswacker]

TrophyEyes

Is there easy access to private land during muuzzy season in SE?

I'm hunting my first muzzy season also.

[TrophyEyes]

Easy? Yes, but you are a little late to start now. We head down in August, ask if we can help around the farm for the rights to hunt. No one says no to that. By help I mean things like clearing their Horse trails, unload a truck of hay bales, or some guys in our group were roofers and help the labor part of putting on the roof. Depending on the level of help, we were allowed to hunt Does/Bucks. If you are looking for access this weekend, I would approach the land owner and just ask to hunt does. Really no one should be opposed to that down there. If you hit up the apple orchards, that seems to be where we have had the best success getting permission because they a lot of damage there. Once you get a positive reputation in a town, then your access can grow quite quickly.

We have also had success asking permission from land owners that boarder state property if we can cut across their land to hunt some hard to reach places of the state land. That has proven to be very successful and shortens the drag.

[Ely Lake Expert]

Heading to the hunting shack shortly, good luck this weekend everyone.

[bassNspear]

No reason not to go. I will be down in the South East part of the state!

[DinnerPail]

Went out today around 11:00, shot a doe at 12:15 and was home by 2:00. Made up for the long days during rifle season. First deer with my muzzle loader, usually have a deer already or out ice fishing. Will be out again tomorrow as there was nobody in the area I hunted today and want to check out some new areas.