Cooler temperatures making deer frisky

The arrival of somewhat cooler temperatures this week has the deer population feeling frisky.

I hope the temperatures continue in this vein all the way to muzzleloader season, which opens Oct. 28 and will close Nov. 5.

All hunters need to wear blaze-orange clothing for the season. All deer taken during the deer-muzzleloader season count toward the hunter’s combined season limit of six deer.

Last year, not as many hunters employed a muzzleloader. During the fall 2022, an estimated 55,913 hunters went afield for this very underused method of harvest. A total of 11,715 deer were taken, with 45 percent of those being antlerless.

Outdoor Columnist John Kilgore harvested this nine-point buck wit a muzzleloader last year in Wagoner County.

When I first started using a black powder firearm, there were about 1,000 to 1,200 hunters statewide. My, how the times have changed.

To broaden “smoke pole” user’s opportunities, hunting season for elk on private lands (must have written landowner permission) and black bears in southeastern Oklahoma also runs Oct. 28 through Nov. 5. Various zone quotas are in effect for elk. In 2022, during muzzleloader season, 17 elk were harvested, seven cows and 10 bull elk.

Muzzleloader bear season will be Oct. 28-Nov. 5, but the season will close as soon as a quota of 20 bears has been reached. Before they hunt, muzzleloader hunters must call for the latest bear quota information at (888) 901-3256. Last year, during muzzleloader season three bears were taken, all female.

The rules for the taking of elk and bear are also posted online and in the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) regulations guide. Sometimes called “primitive firearms,” the modern inline muzzleloaders of today are far from primitiv.

However, there are still plenty of outdoorsmen who enjoy the satisfaction of using a traditional flintlock loaded with black powder and a lead ball. With the invention of inline muzzleloaders by the late Tony Knight back in the late 1980s to early 1990s, it certainly turned the heat up on big game animals. While modern-day muzzle-loaders using 209 shotgun primers, Pyrodex powder, pellets and WhiteHots are much more reliable than the flint-locks and black powder used by our forefathers, they are also much more costly. There is now a Remington model that is built on the 700 action that now boasts an effective range of out to 300 yards.

For me, target practice is one thing, but taking a shot at an animal that far away would make me uncomfortable. However, there are people that I know who can do it.

There are a number of in-lines on the market that range from $200 for the basic package to $3,000 and beyond for a custom setup. Whatever you do, there’s no going without a quality scope on your firearm and time spent at the gun range sighting it in.

Going into the rut, I’ve used rattling horns, deer decoys and a grunt tube. Find the does, and the bucks won’t be far behind. The usually wary whitetails let down their guard during the rut.

Sometimes, instead of being in a tree at daybreak, try going out around 9 a.m. and hunting until 1 or 2 p.m. Some people swear they’ve harvested more bucks between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. than at any other time of day. However, if possible, spend the whole day “on stand” if you can. With today’s electronics, you have plenty of options to help you pass the time.

In closing, make sure you tell somebody the location you are hunting. If you are using a tree stand, wear a properly-fitting safety harness. You owe it to your family and friends.

If cooler temperatures prevail, hunters should have ample opportunities to bring home the venison.

John Kilgore is the former Greenleaf State Park manager. He can be reached by emailing him at jkilgoreoutdoors@yahoo.com.