Is ML season long enough?

[stillhunter]

Here's my take on it. Start the archery season like their going to do on Oct.1 in the southern zone. Make the last week of the season a combo week of archery and muzzleloader, then have another week of muzzleloader only. After that go into the regular season and let that run till the end of December.

[erussell]

Honestly I dont think alot of the deer herds around the state could take the xtra hunting. If muzzleloader is xtended it should be on a yr to yr basis and only in mangement area's they deem to need xtra doe removal. Xteneded bow seasons are low impact and don't really stress the deer out alot. But gun shots ringing out all the time really getem worked up.A month and a half of gun is not needed for NY. and I think a little over kill, especially if we have a harder than expected winter or an out break of disease. Could potentially be a bad thing for the herd. And stressing the deer out during the most stressfull time of the season for deer in the dead of winter during January in NY doesn't seem to be very smart either. When the snow starts flying deer need to be laying up conserving energy not running willey nilly around the woods burning up precious fat. All this will acomplish is making fat coyotes IMO.

Edited December 20, 2011 by erussell

[WNYBuckHunter]

I will be switching to a ML instead of shotvun for the whole gun season from now on. I think 1 more week of late ML would be good, but some years the bucks start dropping antlers early, so mistaking them for does may happen more than youd want.

[Dad 6424]

Yes there needs to be a break and make ML season as long as the others so if bow is 3weeks then all should be 3weeks

[Four Season Whitetail's]

Wow do you guys really think you need 3 months to hunt.. It is a long time to chase them around in a straight period. Mabey some breaks in there somewhere would let thm calm down some. You guys want muzzle into end of dec???? I have seen places in years of snow that have one trail running from bed to feed.. 1-2-3 feet of snow and you could just wipe out a section of woods.. I know some will say wont or dont happen....It does here... I have seen fawns come across fields when all you see is their heads above the snow...They have a hard enough time with the freaking yotes late in the season..

[Paula]

I'd like to officially retract my last post.. My wife says the season is long enough. What was i thinking..

needed that laugh this morning

[Doc]

Wow do you guys really think you need 3 months to hunt.. It is a long time to chase them around in a straight period. Mabey some breaks in there somewhere would let thm calm down some. You guys want muzzle into end of dec???? I have seen places in years of snow that have one trail running from bed to feed.. 1-2-3 feet of snow and you could just wipe out a section of woods.. I know some will say wont or dont happen....It does here... I have seen fawns come across fields when all you see is their heads above the snow...They have a hard enough time with the freaking yotes late in the season..

It's funny that 50% of the time we anguish over how long gun seasons are and the effects on the deer herds, and the other 50% we argue for extending the seasons so we can get out there and get more deer. Can't seem to make up our minds can we?

[WNYBuckHunter]

It's funny that 50% of the time we anguish over how long gun seasons are and the effects on the deer herds, and the other 50% we argue for extending the seasons so we can get out there and get more deer. Can't seem to make up our minds can we?

Personally, Id like to see a longer ML season and shorter regular gun season. To add to ML, time needs to be taken away from regular season. Just my opinion though.

[Grizz1219]

I'd like to officially retract my last post.. My wife says the season is long enough. What was i thinking..

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!

As for me... I hunt with my T/C Pro Hunter a lot during regualr gun seasn.. Took 3 deer this year with the muzzle loader barrel on it.. 2 during rifle and one this past Sunday... But back to the question, it should have 2 weekends in it... and cut regular season down...

[landtracdeerhunter]

How about a late Archery- crossbow season, like Ohio does. Was out this morning, deer seem good and calm right now. Nice 120 lb doe at 30 yds, passed on her. Few buttons, and doe fawns are seemed the same like October 15th bow start. Weather was perfect, light N wind, partly cloudy skies. Really enjoyed the morning.

Edited December 20, 2011 by landtracdeerhunter

[SteveMcD]

If the Muzzleloader Season went back to what was originally intended... "Primitive" Muzzleloader I would say yes an extension would be a good idea. The way it is now with high tech front stuffers - NO!

[Doc]

If the Muzzleloader Season went back to what was originally intended... "Primitive" Muzzleloader I would say yes an extension would be a good idea. The way it is now with high tech front stuffers - NO!

Yeah really. A longer ML season simply is an extension of gun season ...... exactly opposite of what everybody is saying we should be doing. We can't have it both ways. To me a modern-day muzzle-loader is simply a means of doing an end run around calling it "regular season". And a lot more people are beginning to catch on to that now.

Lol .... how long before we start hearing from the shotgun/rifle folks about how everybody is picking on them and trying to take their season away? You know, reading some of the posts on here, I think they might be a bit justified if that thought started to occur to them pretty soon.

[Grizz1219]

If the Muzzleloader Season went back to what was originally intended... "Primitive" Muzzleloader I would say yes an extension would be a good idea. The way it is now with high tech front stuffers - NO!

Like saying compound shooters aren't as good as bare bow guys... geez... leave the nit picking stuff out and lets stop fighting within the ranks... Why throw stones??? And remember, one of the first designs was an inline if my history is correct...

[SteveB]

There was an early inline - but I doubt it could compare it to a SS Omega with 120gr of BH209, shotgun primer, sabotted expander rifle bullet topped with a 3 to 9 power ranging scope.

Doc and Steve are right - the MZ season is just an expansion of the gun season. As stated by many, more hunters every year in the regular season (shotgun areas) are going to mz for the entire season. They aren't doing it to handicap themselves but rather because they are seeing it is more effective and really pretty easy with modern mz loader equipment and supplies. I fully admit to being one of those who take advantage of it.

No need for an extended or even a mz season at all unless it does go primitive - just sell an extra tag. And to me that would be flintlock only. Never shot one but would get one if there was a season.

[Grizz1219]

There was an early inline - but I doubt it could compare it to a SS Omega with 120gr of BH209, shotgun primer, sabotted expander rifle bullet topped with a 3 to 9 power ranging scope.

So do you bow hunt with a compound or a stick bow???? Just wondering.... Compounds more than doubled the distance one can shoot accurately... In some cases tripled... I know with my old side hammer, I could shoot to 100 yards with 120 grains of FF Black powder... With my Prohunter, I would not shoot 200 with it... never mind 300...

[G-Man]

I'm all for 2 weekends of muzzloader in the sz. I not sure how the state could accomplish this. i Personally would like to see at least a week if not 2 of no hunting between all seasons 4 weeks bow 2 week break 3-4 weeks gun 2 week break and 2 weeks of muzzloader possibly over the holidays so students returning from college could participate.

[SteveB]

So do you bow hunt with a compound or a stick bow???? Just wondering.... Compounds more than doubled the distance one can shoot accurately... In some cases tripled... I know with my old side hammer, I could shoot to 100 yards with 120 grains of FF Black powder... With my Prohunter, I would not shoot 200 with it... never mind 300...

I hunt with both and top range is 30yds with both.

I can hold a 5" group at 200 yds with my Triumph.

I doubt I could do that at 100 with a flintlock - although I know some can.

Bottom line - I support 2 seasons:

All bows in bow.

All guns in gun.

Otherwise possibly a primitive season for bows and guns - recurve/longbow and flintlocks only.

Edited December 21, 2011 by SteveB

[hunter49]

I agree with SteveB with the 2 seasons, all bows in bow & all guns in gun. I hunt with shot gun the first day or two , then the rest of the season with ML. althought this year I used the 30/06 rifle a bit more .

[nyantler]

I would love a flintlock only season.... even a doe only like PA had would be nice.

[landtracdeerhunter]

A flintlock in your hands would be great in any deer season, lol.

Edited December 21, 2011 by landtracdeerhunter

[Guides ForHire]

I carried the ML with me the whole gun season except for one day > I like the single shots .

yep, I am not even sure where my modern guns are..lol...NY has three weeks of ML if you are willing to move around, plus regular season, that's plenty to fill 3 or 4 tags! if we had unlimited tags I'd ask for more time, but hell how many days can you stand hunting deer and be missing all the other stuff.

I'm pulling for VT to pass the October ML this next year, it failed to pass this year. I would LOVE to be done with deer tags in Oct.

Edited December 31, 2011 by Guides ForHire

[Larry]

the late bow ML season should go to at lease till the 1st sunday as the last day after jan. 1st

[ELMER J. FUDD]

It would be nice to hunt on Christmas.

[fasteddie]

It would be nice to hunt on Christmas.

That would put the Rein Deer in jeopardy !

[Doc]

I am a bit concerned that if we keep pushing the various deer seasons (no matter what weapon is being used) deeper and deeper into the winter, there may be an awful lot of bucks shot for does simply because you are starting to get into the antler-drop timeframe.