Muzzleloading season begins Saturday

By Jim Brewer For the News & Messenger
Published: October 30, 2008

Hunting with black powder weapons kicks off this Saturday, November 1st. Whereas in years past, the Monday before Thanksgiving Day was the big day on the hunter’s calendar, numerous hunters now take their vacations during the two weeks of the early muzzleloader season, primarily because this is the best time of all to get a good shot at a big buck. By the time the general firearms season begins on November 15th, there will already be thousands of trophy deer antlers in the freezer compartments of taxidermists.
The rut is officially underway
I was bow hunting this week and saw a spike buck bed down near my stand. Two does had come by earlier and when the wind shifted a little, the young buck hopped up and scurried down the trail the does had taken. The cool snap this week should really trigger movement among the biggest bucks in the deer herd.
During the early muzzleloader season, hunters are restricted to just one antlered deer west of the Blue Ridge and on National Forest lands in Amherst, Bedford and Nelson Counties. Hunters may take does on any day of the entire hunting season in Albemarle, Fauquier, Fairfax, Loudon, Prince William, Clarke and Frederick counties, in addition to parts of southeast Virginia and the Eastern Shore.
A late muzzleloader season will resume December 13th, extending through January 3 west of the Blue Ridge. Hunters may use muzzleloaders during the firearms season, but the general firearms regulations will be in effect.
It will be unlawful to have in immediate possession any firearm other than a muzzleloader during the special early season. Muzzleloading firearms must be single-shot, flintlock or percussion ignition, excluding muzzle loading pistols. Also, during the early season, it will be unlawful to hunt deer with dogs.
Muzzle Loading Safety
It may be tempting to leave a muzzleloader primed and ready to fire when driving down the road from one spot to another, but it is both foolish and illegal. To legally transport a muzzleloader, the powder must be removed from the flash pan, or the percussion cap must be removed from the nipple. For complete safety, the weapon should be pointed into soft dirt and fired. There will be few if any instances where a black powder hunter shoots another hunter or person in the woods, but there will likely be multiple cases where a loaded rifle goes off in the back set of a pick up truck when someone slides a loaded gun across the seat.
Also, be careful about fire. Fortunately, a nice rain last weekend thoroughly doused the forests to reduce the chance of fire, but you never know. To be extra safe, a hunter using “patch and ball” ammunition should follow up the shot, checking the area with 10 to 20 yards along the shot path to make sure no dry leaves were ignited. It is also recommended that hunters hang around for four or five minutes after shooting to watch for and extinguish any smoldering embers. It’s also good hunting practice, because sometimes deer will circle back to see what the heck it was that made that noise.
Tree Stands
Think about this. If you consistently hunt from an elevated tree stand, there is a 10% chance that something bad will happen during your hunting career. That 10% figure comes from a survey from the National Bowhunter Education Foundation. Something bad could mean anything from taking an awkward tumble when a tree spike gives way to a broken neck for a hunter who falls asleep. As the popularity of hunting from elevated stands continues to increase for archery, muzzleloader and rifle hunters, the chances of tree stand accidents will continue to grow.
The solution is pretty simple. Anytime you reach a height that you would not want to jump down from, tie on a safety belt, even and especially after you reach your stand. While a hunter may think he is restricted, the strap will actually allow him to lean out and perhaps get a shot that would not have been available without the strap. Try it. It works.
Contact Jim Brewer at or 434-295-5100.