Any PA Flintlock Hunters Out There?
I am going to try really hard to get out. I will be able to hunt for a couple of days before I have my cancer surgery which will end my deer hunting for the year. I am still a traditionalist in that I use patch and round ball instead of any of the conical or more modern bullets. It has been a few years since I have taken a deer with my flintlock.
I wish you luck! Post a pic if you have success. Those critters are pretty tough to get this time of year especially if you hunt them one on one by yourself. They are very wary after rifle season and if one thing don't seem right or one little hammer or set trigger click they are out of there in a hurry. They don't even look to see where the noise came from. Makin Meat with a smokepole.
I wish you luck! Post a pic if you have success. Those critters are pretty tough to get this time of year especially if you hunt them one on one by yourself. They are very wary after rifle season and if one thing don't seem right or one little hammer or set trigger click they are out of there in a hurry. They don't even look to see where the noise came from. Makin Meat with a smokepole.
I stick with the patched ball and real black powder but I do have a slightly "sporterized" Lyman deerstalker rifle. Yes hunting the late season can be feast or famine and always a challenge because of the reduced and "educated" herd. I hunt religiously from the beginning of archery season thru the flintlock saeson and I enjoy the late hunting as much as the first 2 weeks of Nov. I was fortunate enough to get a buck on the rifle season opener so I'll only be trying to fill a doe tag. Good luck with the hunting, the weather is supposed to be favorable for smokepole hunting on Fri. Too bad we have that Christmas thing in between yet....haha
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Hey, I have been using a Lyman Deerstalker for years and love it, I shoot 80Gr of 2F Blackpowder under a TC Maxi ball that I cast myself. I love that rifle and have taken many many deer with it.
I have one of the Knight inlines, but don't really care for it, might sell it!
Have never used a flintlock.
Bk
I have one of the Knight inlines, but don't really care for it, might sell it!
Have never used a flintlock.
Bk
NYS muzzle season is all over, I have a T/C Omega .45 caliber with scope, powder sticks and power belts. Modern muzzle-loading rocks. Someday I'd love to get into flintlock and patched ball and hunt deer from a homemade canoe.
Here in Pa we have a late muzzleloader season starting the day after christmas. Flintlock ignition, open sighted rifles only. It can be alot of fun, I just don't get too upset over misfires because they can happen often....usually with a deer in the sights! haha We also have an early antlerless muzzleloader season where inlines are allowed but it lacks the "Daniel Boone" mystique! Gambler, how is the hunting in the 4point restriction area? HAs it had a positive effect? 4 points seems a little extreme to me. The 3 point restriction here has defintely helped produce many more mature buck. 120" 8-points are common where as 5-6 years ago they were rare and considered a huge buck. I personally like the 3 point restriction, but I'm sure many would disagree. I could really open a can a worms with a discussion on PA Game commission deer policies!
The trouble with the 4 point restriction is counting points. If you see 2 deer running through the woods or standing in a thicket for that matter you can identify 3 points on one side a lot easier than you can 4. I have passed up many bucks that probably were 4 points on one side but I wasn't positive. The restriction has made quite a few more large bucks.
I hunt the late season when I can.I use an English sporting rifle. I't a 54 caliber with a full stock and 31 inch barrel. It shoots round balls only. I've killed afew Does but never a buck....I'd like to take a buck. I'ts slick here with all the ice left over from the rain that came through. I know I'll have to pick someplace I can get access to. The game lands I hunt will have ice on the roads... Alot of places are going to be hard to hunt. Best to look for deer in the fields or food plots. unless you have a better place to hunt you better have boots that will keep you from busting your behind..Good Luck
That's the argument against it. A too common scenario is a hunter sees what he thinks is an 8 point, takes the shot, tracks it and finds out it's just a 6 point and it gets left to the coyotes for fear of getting in trouble and the hunter just goes and shoots another one.jjmason wrote:yeah, I can see where that would be a problem. Probably makes for alot of mistake kills.
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Hi Folks
My hat is off to anyone who can knock a deer down with an oldtime flintlock.
Its a real skill to be able to coordinate yourself well enough to hit something much less criticaly with one of those antique delayed action ,slow motion black powder rigs.
I have had experinced modern muzzle loader shooters tell me the new stuff is just a modern bullet put together backasswards one at a time minus a shell casing.
To anyone who has never shot a oldtime flintlock try it. You will gain new respect for a fine oldtime traditional means of shooting.
"Click...Is this thing ever going to fire????......
My hat is off to anyone who can knock a deer down with an oldtime flintlock.
Its a real skill to be able to coordinate yourself well enough to hit something much less criticaly with one of those antique delayed action ,slow motion black powder rigs.
I have had experinced modern muzzle loader shooters tell me the new stuff is just a modern bullet put together backasswards one at a time minus a shell casing.
To anyone who has never shot a oldtime flintlock try it. You will gain new respect for a fine oldtime traditional means of shooting.
"Click...Is this thing ever going to fire????......
- tsb
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A few posts up I noticed people concerned about how many points.
I don't hunt, but here in Berks county, Pa there are so many deer
the saying is " If it's brown it's down ".
TSB
I don't hunt, but here in Berks county, Pa there are so many deer
the saying is " If it's brown it's down ".
TSB