Question about NZ muzzleloader season

[Gobbler Chaser]

I hunt the SZ but have to wonder about the NZ muzzleloader season being expanded to start on Oct 22 in the middle of archery season. How was this pulled off without major backlash from bow hunters? And would this ever happen in the SZ? I realize I'm treading into dangerous water here but was just wondering. Wouldn't it be funny, Crossbow hunters and Vert bow hunters having to form an odd alliance to keep modern inline muzzleloaders out of bow season...

[ncountry]

I've only been deer hunting since around 1990. Seems like the muzzleloader season has always been in that spot.

Back in the day before inlines were popular and scopes became legal there were very few muzzleloader hunters and even fewer bow hunters in the NZ .

So there really wasn't a significant amount of people  to protest at the time..

Now it seems that everybody that hunts has a muzzleloader and there are a few more archers.

It's still nothing like the southern zone for the # of archers though..

 

[Daveboone]

Not sure what you are referring to in the NZ ML season. This year it started the same time period (which floats a bit depending on the weekend of the month...this year a bit later) as it has for years. It is scheduled earlier in the season than in the southern zone due to NT deer yarding up and literally being sitting ducks in alot of deer yards  late season.

[Gobbler Chaser]

38 minutes ago, Daveboone said:

Not sure what you are referring to in the NZ ML season. This year it started the same time period (which floats a bit depending on the weekend of the month...this year a bit later) as it has for years. It is scheduled earlier in the season than in the southern zone due to NT deer yarding up and literally being sitting ducks in alot of deer yards  late season.

Ok, I'm misinformed then. I heard that this was new in the NZ.

[DirtTime]

The NZ early bow season is a lot shorter then the SZ. It's usually around three weeks until the early ML season, then the regular season starts up there the Saturday after the early ML season ends. Generally the ML season starts near the middle of the month and the regular season around the 20th, or a couple days later.

The early ML season starts the first Saturday after Columbus Day. So next year it will start in the 15th of October.

https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/10002.html

I can't remember that being different for at least a few decades.