Hunting Washington Forum
Big Game Hunting => Muzzleloader Hunting => Topic started by: road.kill on February 16, 2009, 10:27:34 PM
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I am usually a modern firearm hunter when it comes to deer, but this year I was thinking about switching and trying muzzleloader for this upcoming deer season. Ive never hunted the ML deer season, and was wondering how the early season was for blacktails? Does anyone have any luck during the early season or do most wait for the late season in the end of november? It seems that the late season could put you during the wind down of the rut if the dates were right
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The early muzzleloader season for deer could be good, but I like to hunt elk in the early muzzleloader season so I don't ever buy a muzzleloader deer tag. I'd think about it a little more if there were more blacktails around here. The numbers just seem to be way down. If I did have a muzzleloader deer tag I would probably go for mule deer or whitetails on the east side. Lots of units open now for early season, still nothing to speak of for late, but early there are some good opportunities.
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The late season is generally tough for finding BT bucks except for the first few days. Following the rut, BT deer are hold up in cover recuperating. Movement drops way down and just finding deer can be difficult for some.
The early season is much better.
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I know this is a blacktail thread, but I have hunted the early mz for mule deer the last two years and have loved it. In scouting, I've been able to pretty much pattern the bucks because they are for the most part still in the summer feeding patterns. I don't know much about blacktails, but I thought I heard that they are more patternable than mule deer. If you put the time in and scout, you can basically get an excellent opportunity to get the first crack at the deer in the fall because not too many people archery hunt early.
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I'm not much of a fan of the early season unless your hunting really high elevation stuff. I've never even seen a buck I wanted to shoot during the early season when we're elk hunting low elevation reprod. Come late season and they're almost everywhere. Each weapon type has its good times: Archery is the first week of September when the horns are still soft, Modern is the last week of October and I'd tell you muzzleloader is thanksgiving weekend. If you only have the early ML season to hunt then stick with modern or buy a multi-season tag.
