1st year with scopes on muzzleloaders

[minky]

What's everyones thoughts on how mn first year of allowing scopes on muzzleloader went?

[Wanderer]

I guess I don’t have any yet.  I looked for harvest stats from last ML season but didn’t find any.

 

I don’t know if the scopes put more hunters out there either.  I do know the area I hunted last year had more ML hunter activity on it this year- at least when I drove through it.  But it’s a managed area and I heard several people commenting they wanted to get back out after a successful FA season.

 

I opted to not hunt ML last season since we had more than enough deer from the FA season and I wanted to get out on the ice as much as anything else.

 

I did put my scope back on my ML and at least sighted it in but that was it.  I’ll have to see if license sales went up.

[paceman]

I don't think it had much of an impact. At least in my area. I did not notice any more hunters around. It seemed pretty normal. I believe the weather has more of an impact. If it is cold there are less hunters and if warm then more....

[minky]

I didn't make the change to using a scope on my ml. I don't mind using open sites and keeping my shots to short range. I really enjoy my time muzzleloader hunting and the usual lack of other hunters.

[fr0sty]

I didn't get one and non of the people I hunted with did either.  Same amount of hunter as far as I can tell.

[Ufatz]

The addition of scopes to muzzle loaders makes  more apparent the lack of understanding about the whole sport. Way back when a bunch of guys (now older) thought it would be fun and much more sporting to hunt with the weapons of their grandfathers, old flintlocks, percussion guns etc. so everybody who could find a safe old black powder weapon joined in the fun.  Half the time nobody got a thing but it was fun,  and so were the casual matches between guns and shooters. Then it all went to hell when competition got into the picture and you had to have the fanciest  new whiz bank rifle and improved all the parts and pieces and there it all went....poof, right down the chute.

Sure they are still fun to shoot but I suspect the main reason people get involved now is so they can EXTEND their personal season a bit more.

There should be ONE season and you can shoot whichever you choose, modern rifle of muzzle loader. No crossbows and no gamma-ray gunns.....just hunting the old way. Imagine how proud you'll be when you arrive home with your nice buck and when your friends ask you what you used to shoot it and you say "Great cranpa's old muzzle loader,:   Now THAT will make your proud.

[Wanderer]

I hear ya, and argued the same in the past, but that ship has sailed and we won’t get it back to port.

 

Same situation with X bows only we’re still kinda in front of it.

 

The only reason I put my scope BACK on my ML is because I already had it and don’t have any other use for it.  I bought the scope for an out of state hunt.  So if I’m allowed to use the advantage I already have, why not?  Right?

 

Same situation with X bows....

 

I’m guessing the Traditional ML guys wouldn’t mind having some privacy back.  Those that are still left anyway.

[minky]

Reading the above posts made me think about my own hunting and goals. I choose to use a ml without a scope. I harvested my first deer with a ml, a doe, two years ago. Harvesting that doe was the highlight of my season. I had chances this past season to try harvest a deer with my ml. I decided to pass on the chances i had. I guess what I am getting at, as I have matured as a hunter, the hunt itself has become as important as the harvest.

Edited March 16, 2018 by minky