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Next Saturday, October 15, is the opening of the special muzzleloader season in the northern zone. This is a special one-week season for the privilege of those purchasing the muzzleloader tag in addition to their regular hunting season. It allows those hunters to take an additional deer of either sex in most management units.

An increasing number of northern zone hunters are enthusiastically taking advantage of this opportunity. A surprising number of hunters are successful in bagging a deer with a muzzleloader according to the annual DEC Deer Harvest Report. Last year New York’s hunters took nearly 17,000 deer by muzzleloaders, down slightly from the 2018 season but above the five year average of 15,000.

The blackpowder seasons in New York State are an outgrowth of the popularity of shooting primitive, muzzleloading firearms such as flintlock or percussion cap rifles that fire a single bullet propelled with black powder. During the Bi-centennial celebration in 1976 Bill Lloyd of Newport organized a group from Herkimer County to re-enact the march of the Tryon County Militia to relieve the siege of Fort Stanwix and the ensuing Battle of Oriskany.

This event led to the formation of the New York State Muzzleloaders Association.

This organization and others successfully lobbied for the extra season privilege of those holding the muzzleloader tag. In the southern zone this season is held at the close of the regular firearms season in December.

There are several reasons for the attraction and popularity of the muzzleloading season. One big reason is the opportunity and enjoyment of being out deer hunting while the weather is usually milder and the deer are relatively undisturbed. It provides a good opportunity to hunt by traditional methods such as still hunting.

There is also the challenge of bagging a whitetail with only one shot which placesa premium on getting close and accuracy of shooting. It gives hunters an extra week to pursue their sport, and of course a chance at possibly taking an extra deer.

Originally most of the shooting was done with reproductions of percussion cap rifles which were similar to weapons of the Civil War era. Today most hunters use the in-line muzzleloaders which use shotgun 209 primers and superficially resemble modern rifles. However they are still propelled by black powder or pyrodex pellets and shoot a single lead ball or bullet. They must be loaded from the muzzle and the powder and ammunition tamped into place by a ramrod.

Today more people are using the modern in-line muzzleloaders because they are easier to use and you can remove the primer to disable the weapon without firing it every time. The bolt or hammer are easier to use and keep dry than a traditional style percussion cap rifle.

When using the 209 primer and pyrodex pellets you will minimize, or probably eliminate, the chance that bringing a cold muzzleloader in from the cold woods to a warm camp will cause misfires. The belief was that rapid temperature changes would cause condensation and misfires. But tests have shown that this is not the case.

Some traditionalists hold firm to the belief that loose powder is more accurate than pellets. Others like to customize their loads for each gun or bullet used. Tests have shown that heavier or custom loads of loose powder may increase bullet velocity but there is no appreciable increase in accuracy over pyrodex pellets.

Although you do have to clean the gun, it is not necessary to clean it immediately. Modern powder and nitride-treated gunmetal reduce the urgency. Modern style in-line muzzleloaders such as the CVA Wolf have easily removed breech plugs which make unloading or cleaning much easier.

Modern in-line muzzleloaders design make them more reliable even in rainy conditions. You still need to keep your powder dry but a balloon or electrical tape over the muzzle should prevent most problems unless it is a long pouring rain.

In much of the Northern Zone you may take a deer of either sex with your muzzleloader privilege tag. In some of the northern zone there is also a post season muzzleloader hunt. Be sure to check the regulations for the unit you are hunting in. The Southern Zone has a post-season muzzleloading season that will run from December 12 through 20.

Muzzleloading enthusiasts use a variety of methods with their “smokepoles.”

Since modern in-line muzzleloaders are accurate out to 200 yards, or more in some cases, a variety of hunting methods are possible. Stillhunting, sitting on watch, or driving are all popular depending on the hunter’s preference. The limiting factor of a single shot puts the premium on accuracy, although many hunters are very good at quickly re-loading.

You may not want to take on a grizzly bear, or certainly a polar bear, as local resident Mike West has done. But the modern muzzleloader is an efficient hunting tool and a lot of fun to use.

The “Tio” is the newest pheasant stocking area for Madison county. It replaces the Hamilton area. The Tio WMA provides the newest site with birds provided by Reynolds Game Farm.

Tio permanenly replaces the former Hamilton site. No reservations or access permits are required to hunt pheasants. It will provide an easy to find and contiguous hunting area with clearly marked boundaries. It is located off Tinsley Hill Road with 130 acres of open grass land. The stocking site offers more than 130 acres of open grassland with adjacent young forest and shrubland habitat for pheasant cover.

They say an army travels on its stomach. That may be the case but close behind is the army that travels on its feet. We won’t get into the army that travels on the soles of Irish Setter Hunting Boots. A classic look packed with advanced comfort tech that hunters can count on. A proprietory version of Irish Setters ultra durableTrout Brook leather, the Field Camo leather uppers has versatile concealment with toughness you can trust.

The Field Camo leather uppers offers versatile concealment with toughness you can trust. A full leather gusset overlay construction keeps debris out of your boot while armatec protection of your toe and medial heal counter keep your feet feeling dry and comfortable. I have always had problems with my feet. Despite that I used to put six or seven miles on my feet in a days hunting.

In recent years the feeling of wearing Irish Setter has provided me with comfortable boots that have regulating features and are light enough to be tough. The comfortable linings feature Temsens temperature regulating and odor resistant Scent Ban keep feet feeling comfortable and fresh. Dual density polyurethane and memory foam footbeds combine with energy high rebound EVA mid sole cushions every step for all day comforts every step energy high for all day comfort.

The ground gripping ATC rubber outsoles feature ground sensing technology that is adjustable to uneven terrain for enhanced stability. The boots lace up and give the feeling of lightweight travel. They are waterproof and come with varying degrees of insulation so you can sit in a treestand all day if you so choose.

Ruffed Grouse Society – On Point

The 40 th Annual Ruffed Grouse Society Conservation Banquet is scheduled to return after a brief absence due to the COVID pandemic. The Central NY Chapter will hold its popular banquet on Friday, November 4, 2022. This year’s banquet will be at Drumlins, 800 Nottingham Road. Social hour is at 6 with dinner at 7.

You can save on early bird raffle tickets by October 28. There are always a a great variety of very nice decorative or sporting items for raffle and auction.

Consider becoming a Ruffed Grouse Society sponsor. Contribute by October 12 and you will be listed in the program. For every 10 sponsors, there will be a fine grade shotgun given away. You can reserve a table of 8 by contacting Norm Webber, 4060 Rippleton Road, Cazenovia, NY 13035 or calling 315-655-3007.

For questions about the banquet please contact Bryan Eastman at 607-564-7956.

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