The Shotgun Deer Hunting season ended yesterday but hunters still have an opportunity to get a deer during the Primitive Firearms Deer Hunting season. Ironically, this season has 3 names, primitive firearms, black powder and muzzleloader. Pick your favorite. It opens Monday and runs through December 31. A Primitive Firearms Stamp is required and there are special regulations governing this season listed in the Massachusetts Fishing & Hunting official regulations. Archers can hunt during this season but they also must purchase the Primitive Firearms Stamp.
Remember, an Antlerless Deer Permit is required to hunt any deer without antlers or have antlers less than 3 inches in length. So, if a buck sheds its antlers late in December, which is not uncommon, you cannot shoot it unless you have an antlerless permit. That’s one reason to get out muzzleloader hunting early in the season. The other may be the warmer temperatures and less snow.
MassWildlife has some suggestions to help us achieve success this muzzleloader season:
Find the food source –With cold weather setting in and the rut ending, focusing on food sources is the best approach to encounter deer. Hunters should concentrate on areas where acorns and beech nuts remain on the ground, apple orchards, fields planted with winter rye, or other natural food sources. In addition, shrubby thickets and young forest areas that regenerate following timber harvests can also draw deer in to browse during the winter months.
MassWildlife tip: White oak acorns are preferred by deer but are also eaten by other wildlife and can disappear pretty quickly. At this point, deer will move onto acorns from red oaks and other oak species. If you find a patch of white or red oak acorns, this is a good place to direct your efforts.
Keep your powder dry –When hunting with a muzzleloader, you generally only get one shot to harvest a deer and a misfire can rob you of any chance of success. Misfires can be caused by wet black powder or black powder substitute. To keep powder dry, store it in the original container until you’re ready to put it into your barrel or into a “speed load,” which is watertight. Once the powder is in your barrel, place a small balloon or piece of tape over the end to keep water, snow, and debris from getting in. (There are other things that one can use too, ask an ex-GI). Don’t worry, it won’t affect the accuracy of your muzzleloader. Also, be careful to keep percussion caps or 209 primers dry.
Tip: Several different brands of black powder substitute are available for use in many modern muzzleloaders. Consult the manufacturer’s manual of your muzzleloader to see if using black powder substitute is an option. These black powder substitutes have the advantage over traditional black powder in that they cause less fouling in your barrel, are easier to store and clean properly, and in some cases offer enhanced resistance to moisture.
Keep yourself warm–If you’re comfortable and warm, you will be able to sit still longer and be ready if you get the opportunity to take a shot. During this late season in Massachusetts, staying warm can be a challenge. Dress in layers with moisture wicking material close to your body. Remember that cotton has little insulating ability when dry and zero insulating ability when wet, so avoid cotton clothes for your hunt at all costs. To keep your core warm, select a performance base layer, and insulating middle layer, and make sure to include a windproof fabric in one of your outer layers—and don’t forget the hand warmers. In extreme cold, it’s also important to insulate yourself from the ground and from your treestand. Without extra insulation, the metal platform of a treestand can quickly pull heat from the bottom of your feet even if you are wearing the best winter boots. Carry an insulated seat cushion to sit on and some type of insulating material, like a piece of a foam sleeping pad used for camping, to stand on to keep your whole body warmer.
Tip: Dressing in all your layers for the walk to a treestand often results in sweating. This extra moisture can make you cold and ruin your hunt. Carry heavy outer layers with you in a backpack and put them on once you arrive at your stand.
Bowhunting in the cold– Bowhunters face an extra challenge when hunting this late season as they must balance the need to keep warm with the need to draw a bow. Quality clothing and careful layering are needed to minimize bulkiness that can make it difficult to draw or interfere with your bowstring when you release. Be sure to practice shooting your bow while wearing all the layers, you may find it necessary to adjust the draw weight of your bow down a little. You’re free to bulk up with warm clothing from the waist down so choose warm and windproof layers for your legs. Keep your feet warm with well-insulated boots and consider using disposable foot warmers or rechargeable heated insoles.
Tip: Wearing a glove under your release and on your bow hand can change your anchor point and therefore affect your accuracy. Practice shooting with the gloves you hunt with or wear a thin glove and use handwarmers to keep your hands warm. You can find a wide variety of reusable and disposable hand and body warmers, including adhesive handwarmers.
Thank you MassWildlife for the cold weather hunting advice and tips. Here’s one more tip from the New Hampshire Fish & Game Department:
Don’t rely on cellphone mapping apps
The NHF&G is warning hikers (and hunters) not to rely on cellphone mapping apps for wilderness navigation after two individuals got lost in the woods up there. According to the Department, a mother and daughter from Massachusetts were hiking in the mountains near Tamworth last Saturday when they became lost. They had been using a mapping application on their cellphone. After calling for assistance officials were able to help them find the trail.
While the incident ended safely, authorities said they’ve seen an increase in the number of hikers who get lost while using their smartphones to navigate. In a statement, the Department warned that map apps often contain errors and won’t work in areas with poor cell service. They advise hikers heading into the wilderness to bring a paper map, a handheld GPS unit and a compass.
We have our share of fairly remote areas here in the Berkshires, too where there is little or no cell service. Bring that trusty old compass and maps along, just in case.
Of the three deer hunting seasons (archery, shotgun, muzzleloader), I like the muzzleloader the best even though I’ve never gotten a deer during that season. There is something about strapping on a pair of snowshoes and heading out into our beautiful winter wonderland to do some hunting in the falling snow (with some snow falling off of the trees and down our necks). There is solitude and stark beauty when the forest floor is blanketed with snow. Even though the leaves are gone leaving only dull grayish tree barks and evergreens, the forests take on their own beauty at this time of year. The footprints in the snow of various critters always gets my attention, be it bobcat, coyote, deer, mink, or whatever.
I remember one day, over 30 years ago, when several of us snowshoe hunted up in Middlefield with snow up to our thighs. Sometimes we would slip out of a snowshoe harness and would sink almost up to our waists. We were much younger then and it didn’t bother us at all. We never got cold for the strenuous exercise used in mogging through the snow kept us warm. It wasn’t until the end of the day when our pants and gloves were frozen stiff that we realized that it was pretty cold out. Ah, those were the days, unfortunately some of us are too old to do that now. Doesn’t matter anyway, for we hardly have winters like that anymore.
Here’s hoping you have an enjoyable, successful and safe muzzleloader hunt. Let people know where you are, be careful, stay hydrated and keep your powder dry.
