Wish us luck.

[ENCORE]

Michigan's deer season gets under way this Friday, Nov. 15th. gun)

Michigan in 2012 had approximately 660,000 deer hunters and the use of a muzzleloader as a primary firearm is growing. I placed a poll in one of the deer hunting forums, asking what weapon hunters would hit the woods and fields with this year in our REGULAR FIREARMS SEASON.

With close to 350 respondents today, 24% of the hunters will be using the muzzleloader as their primary firearm for opening day. That my fellow shooters is a substancal amount. These hunters could have used a handgun, centerfire, shotgun or a bow.

How's the other states faring?

 

[jkupper]

Michigan's deer season gets under way this Friday, Nov. 15th. gun)

Michigan in 2012 had approximately 660,000 deer hunters and the use of a muzzleloader as a primary firearm is growing. I placed a poll in one of the deer hunting forums, asking what weapon hunters would hit the woods and fields with this year in our REGULAR FIREARMS SEASON.

With close to 350 respondents today, 24% of the hunters will be using the muzzleloader as their primary firearm for opening day. That my fellow shooters is a substancal amount. These hunters could have used a handgun, centerfire, shotgun or a bow.

How's the other states faring?

I do not have any statistics to back me up, but in Nebraska it seems like most hunters use centerfire rifles as their primary means of hunting deer. I know it gets crazy busy around here starting on Sauturday the 16th, which is opening day for rifle season. The season runs through the 24th this year. There is also a late rifle season during the first two weeks of January, but that is antlerless only. I usually finish up any doe tags I have remaining during this time.

We have a lot of hunters who like to set in tree stands near the rivers with bows. Our Archery season runs from September 15-December 31. Up in the Sandhills, where I live, there are very few bow hunters. In my community there are only 4 of us who do it, which leaves a lot of country to be covered, and a lot of deer to be seen. Landowners generally do not care if we hunt with a bow, because the probability of success is low, so trespassing rights abound

Muzzleloader season is very similar to archery season. It is a longer season (entire month of December), and there are only about 8 guys who hunt with a smoke pole around here. The rifle season is over, so again it is easier to get access to hunting ground. Definitely my favorite season, by a long ways!

Again, this is only my local area, so I cannot say what the actual numbers are for the entire state. I may look that information up and report back.

 

[westcliffe01]

If I could use a rifle I would, but thats never going to happen in SE Michigan. So I am hunting with my ML tomorrow morning too. $3 for a 20 ga slug shell got old really quick and hardly shoots any better than the ML anyhow. The only benefit was having another 2 shells in the magazine. But for such limited use I could not justify keeping another gun for 2 weeks a year. So this year it got traded for a nice Savage 112 to be the basis for my 6.5x284 build.

 

[jkupper]

There were 15,199 muzzle loader tags sold in Nebraska last year, there were around 75,000 rifle tags sold, and 15,051 archery deer tags sold.

So, it looks like around 14-15% hunt with a stick and string, 14-15% hunt with a smoke pole, and the remaining 70% hunt with a rifle.

Good luck to you guys on your hunts this weekend. Please report back and let us know how you did. I will do the same.

 

[westcliffe01]

I was reading a report in a Cabelas sales brochure regarding ML restrictions in different states. Colorado really sucks. No scopes, no Sabots and no 209 primers... All that is going to yield is more wounded animals and more people that don't buy a tag the following year. I suppose they do have a rifle season though, so one has to pick your poison...

 

[jkupper]

Ya, one of my college buddies that comes to hunt with me during muzzle loader season lives in Commierado. Every time he goes to the range to shoot his front stuffer he gets told that it is illegal to use in that state. His basic reply is, "I know. That is why I hunt in Nebraska, but thanks for the advice." You do not even want to get me started on Commierado!!!

 

[ENCORE]

Ya, one of my college buddies that comes to hunt with me during muzzle loader season lives in Commierado. Every time he goes to the range to shoot his front stuffer he gets told that it is illegal to use in that state. His basic reply is, "I know. That is why I hunt in Nebraska, but thanks for the advice." You do not even want to get me started on Commierado!!!

Outstanding response........

 

[ENCORE]

This weather isn't helping MI deer hunters right now. 60° out, raining and windy. Many of the farmers still have lots of standing corn, which is most likely full of deer. For myself, I've seen some small bucks but no shooters. A neighboring camp took a nice 8pt that I'd been bow hunting all fall. Was the hunter's very first deer and I'm happy as heck for that guy. Buck poles have a few nice deer on them but, numbers are low with this weather.

 

[Dr. Vette]

We took two nice doe on Saturday near Fremont, both with rifle.

I hope to repeat this Saturday using pistol, possibly TC Contender in 243 and S&W 629 in 44 Mag.

Then, after Thanksgiving, I'm really hoping to repeat with ML and 12 ga shotgun if everything works out. Shotgun was sighted in on Sunday, and I'm hoping to sight in the ML mid day Saturday between deer hunts. I worked on scope mounting this evening.

If so, it would be an impressive year to use all the different firearms and be successful. Most years I get nothing, but new contacts and new hunting lands seem to be in our favor.

 

[ENCORE]

Been a couple nice muzz bucks taken so far this year in the regular firearm season. The weather and all that wind put a damper on most everyone's hunting, that and to much standing corn left. Speaking of standing corn, they're picking across the road right now........ Once that standing corn is down, they'll move more and now.... we need about 6" of snow then its game on........ gun)

 

[jkupper]

How did/is everyone faring up north?

 

[ENCORE]

Seems to be a slower year this year. Last summer's EHD outbreak in the southern part of the state didn't help. Also many of the large corn fields didn't come done, with some still standing. Around my specific area, shots have in low numbers but, some fair bucks have been taken. Today's the last day of the regular firearm season, with an 11 day wait for the muzz season. Crops should all be down by then, giving better chances to score.

 

[westcliffe01]

Low deer numbers where I hunt in Washtenaw county. Have seen 1 buck and 3 doe during firearm season. No chance at a shot. In zone 1 and 3 muzzleloader season starts on Dec 6 so a 1 week break after today.

 

[ENCORE]

Low deer numbers where I hunt in Washtenaw county. Have seen 1 buck and 3 doe during firearm season. No chance at a shot. In zone 1 and 3 muzzleloader season starts on Dec 6 so a 1 week break after today.

Pray for COLD..... WIND.... SNOW. It puts them on the feed earlier. I started to hunt ag fields on Thanksgiving eve when cold, windy and snowing. Had 27 does and fawns start into the field at 4:00pm. When legal shooting light ended, there were still no antlers in the field. Now that the rush of the regular season is over and the break until muzz opens, they'll calm down and hopefully present themselves.