Muzzleloading deer season starts Saturday

Just like a kid at Christmas, I’ve been looking forward with excitement to the opening day of muzzleloading season this Saturday, Oct. 26. It runs through Nov. 3rd.

When I first started back in the 1980s, muzzleloader hunting was still a niche activity here in Oklahoma. Back then, we were lucky to see a turnout of even 1,200-plus hunters statewide.

The GHS 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. That’s a solid number. With next weekend’s forecast showing cooler mornings and evenings, it’s likely we’ll see an increase in deer movement. Also, keep in mind that any deer taken during muzzleloader season counts toward your combined season limit of six deer.

Like I said, the times have certainly changed since I started, and so have the tools of the trade.

The modern inline muzzleloader has opened the door for a lot of folks. These aren’t your granddad’s flintlocks.

Today’s muzzleloaders have effective ranges of up to 300 yards. With advancements like 209 shotgun primers and Pyrodex pellets, they’re far more reliable than the traditional black-powder and lead-ball set-ups. That being said, there are still hunters out there who enjoy the challenge of using the old-school flintlock, and I always respect that.

With regard to strategy, I’ve always found that as we move deeper into the rut, rattling horns and grunt tubes can be highly effective in drawing bucks in. Bucks will often be cruising now, so keep an eye out for does — and the bucks won’t be far behind. I’ve also had some luck hunting later in the morning — between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. — when many hunters have already headed back to camp.

If you’re planning to hunt elk or black bear, those seasons also run from this Saturday, Oct. 26 to Nov. 3 on private lands. Just be sure to check the zone and harvest quotas online before heading out. For bears, the state’s harvest quota is 20, so stay up-to-date on whether that quota has been met.

Finally, as you may by now be aware, I often close with a reminder about hunter safety. All hunters must wear blaze orange during the season, and remember to always let someone know where you’ll be hunting. It also wouldn’t hurt to read over the treestand safety tips we published a few weeks back, which emphasized that wearing a safety harness which fits correctly could save your life.

A final note, reports have been coming in that hunters are seeing a lot of snakes out there, particularly copperheads and rattlesnakes. so be safe.

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