Every year. year in and year out. I start getting pics through text of big buck after big buck killed from Nov 1 -Nov 15... common denominator? Muzzle Loader.. I ain't exactly hating on the ML, but I kind of am.. These same guys never send me pics of big bucks killed in bow season.. and it's always the same scenario .."I was on the edge of a bean field, he came out chasing does and I shot him at 150 yds" I guess it is what it is...I just want to see some bucks killed with the bow, some guy that put in the work.. that patterned a deer, that let smaller ones go, that kept at it day after day, and then it happens.... Im not jealous, I could hunt with a ML, I just truly see how it is every year.. at least down here in the south.. Fat lazy redneck does nothing all year, wakes up first morning of ML season and bang, kills a big buck...sometimes there is no justice in hunting..
People can hunt how they want. You or I could do the same thing they do. The fact that we don't is what sets us apart. Not saying we are better, but it takes a certain type of person to bowhunt for more than a couple seasons and stick with it.
To my point. This morning I had a nice 17-18" wide 7 pt come in at 25 yds..he never gave me a shot that I was comfortable with for a bow.. So I let him walk on..a muzzle loader would been dead nuts the last glance I had at 35 yds broadside..I won't take that shot with my bow, it's not in my wheel house...he ain't the first buck I have had walk out of my life because of my choice of weapon and won't be my last.. and I am perfectly fine with it.. I am not worked up or upset, it's just the same deal every year come novemeber.. but that's how life is, some people work hard for little money and other hardly work for a lot of money
My two biggest passions are archery...and black powder. But black powder to me is a sidelock muzzleloader using patched roundball, sometimes a conical. Inlines don't interest me in any way for some reason. I feel that the majority of people using inlines are just doing so to extend their hunting season or to take advantage of a better season. Otherwise they'd be holding a CF in their hands. All of us are different and different things ignite our passions. As long as they are hunting ethically and within the laws I have zero issue with what they choose to do. It is a little different here as there really isn't a muzzleloader only deer season, except for a late season doe only in December. Archery is the same, there are some archery only seasons but they are in September when I'm dedicated to elk hunting. I end up using a bow or sidelock for deer during the "any weapons" season just because I enjoy them more. My bow is basically a 40 yard weapon and the sidelock is a 100 yard weapon. Way more satisfaction is felt when I put an animal in the freezer with one of them rather than a CF.
Mod, I would never want to ban them from being used or xbows either.. I hunted and killed 2 deer with a ML about 20 years ago.. It was a hammer lock 54 cal Hawken with iron sights.. I lost interest in that after the second deer.. But I am not any better because I choose not to use a ML. I just think that in VA, the ML season is the prime of it all, it's very easy to kill a good buck this time of year here with a ML because the fact is, does hit the bean fields hard this time of year and the bucks naturally follow them...and boom, they end up dead because a guy sits on the edge of a field literally shoots him 150-250 yds away.. two killed yesterday like this near me.. I know both of these hunters...I promise you this, they did not bow hunt, they did not pattern these deer nor did they scout at any point.. They watched the field for about 3 days and set up accordingly.. it would take the fun out of it for me...but that's just me.
I 100% agree, that wouldn't be very fun to me either. Here it is the long range guys. Due to all of the open country and across canyon type areas, many, many folks are setting up custom rifles with fabulous optics, rangefinders, shooting apps, wind speed detectors...and then filling their tags from 700+ yards away. I don't see how there's any kind of fun in that, to me it would be like going to a shooting range, but many of them just love it. I do believe that the above practice WILL result in the F&G having to make some season adjustments. I'm hoping that it'll mean more short range season opportunities, but we'll see. They make decisions based on $$$ and not the best for the game. I really have a muzzleloader bug, I make my own patch lubes, antler powder measures, recently made an antler handled short starter...it's just fun to me.
