Elk season question...

[Guy]

Eastern WA Muzzle loader: 10/25 - 11/15, 203-248, 250, 254-290, 373, 379, 381....

Eastern WA Modern rifle: 10/25 - 11/15, 203-248, 250, 254-290, 373, 379, 381...

So... if one of these is the area and time that I want to hunt... Why in the heck would I choose my ol' traditional muzzle loader when I can hunt with my scoped modern rifle???

I thought ML seasons were supposed to offer some incentive to hunt with the more primitive firearm?

Used to do some ML hunting for mulies, and took a couple, then switched to modern firearms when our ol' muzzle loader group broke up due to people moving, new jobs etc... I've kept the ML, and am still interested in using it - particularly for elk - but if the dates and areas are the same I'd be nuts to use the 100 yard rifle when I can just as easily use the 400 yard rifle...

What's up with that?

[bobcat]

Those units/seaons you posted have virtually no elk. You need to compare the units that actually have huntable numbers of elk. Muzzleloader season starts the first week of October, which is the tail end of the rut. That's a big advantage. Course, you can only kill spikes, but modern is the same. IMO, the best opportunities for muzzleloader hunters is on the westside, where you have an early season and a late season, with some units being open for either sex, with a 3 point minimum on bulls rather than the spike only season in eastern wa. The eastside has almost no opportunities for late muzzleloader seasons.

[BrushChimp]

Seems a bit redundant since you can use a muzzleloader during modern rifle season.