Late Season Muzz – What’s the Buzz?

Late Season Muzz – What’s the Buzz?

By Ryan Graden

I grew up shotgun hunting with the same great group of guys every year from the time I was about thirteen until I was in my early twenties. I looked forward to the first weekend in December as if it were a holiday finding it hard to sleep the night before opening day! The guys couldn’t wait to see each other and catch up with what has happened over the last years’ time.

As the sun rose on that morning, usually there was a layer of snow on the ground and the local deer were somewhat “unaware” of the impending hunt.

I have many fond memories of the deer drives that we did during those hunting weekends. They were the same drives on the same days with usually the same results. Good harvests, great stories, and a freezer full of meat.

But something began to change in me. Something that craved for a bit more of a challenge. Don’t get me wrong, I loved using shotguns and doing our best to get the deer where we wanted them to go. But, it was becoming too dependable. I knew that if we did this drive and certain guys were in certain places, we would, without a doubt, end up harvesting deer. The “guarantee” of the process began to cause a certain discomfort in me and I knew I needed to challenge myself in a different way.

As a result, I ventured into territory that none of my previous family members had ever gone. I decided to look into the older and more traditional method of hunting. Harvesting deer with a muzzleloader. And now, fifteen years later, I’d rather gun hunt with that more than any other type of gun.

Why the Muzz?
When it came to making the decision to try something new, and choosing to pursue hunting with a muzzleloader, there were two main reasons that I considered in the decision. The first, and probably the biggest reason for the switch, I wanted more of a challenge.

Now, some will say that modern muzzleloaders really aren’t “more of a challenge” with all the capabilities of the muzzleloaders on the market these days. And yes, I would agree, if you are comparing them to older muzzleloaders that were used a few generations ago. High velocity bullets, a variety of types of powders, rifled barrels and more all give some modern muzzleloader capabilities that shotguns may not have. However, there is one thing you can’t argue in the difference. With a muzzleloader, you only have ONE shot!

One shot to make perfect. Once shot to take all the surrounding variables into consideration. One shot to make a lethal hit on an animal. One shot, and if you miss, you probably won’t get another! It intrigued me! It forced me to sharpen my skills, my mind, and a many other things that would affect a shot when I took it. I couldn’t just “throw lead”, so to say, at a running target until it went down. I now had to take a carefully anticipated and calculated shot in order to make a harvest. For me, that was a welcomed challenge.

The second thing that intrigued me about pursuing the use of a muzzleloader was the history that was behind it. You see, mankind in the history of guns was using powder and a lead ball long before cartridges were made! Powder was made with a combination of charred coal, salt peter and a few other ingredients carefully mixed together. Then, lead was melted down into a ball shape of various sizes depending on the barrel size of the gun. The ignition went from burning wicks, to flint and steel, then to modern percussion caps. All leading to the fine-tuned weapon that is produced today.

The old “smoke pole” goes back hundreds of years in our world and we are still using the basic method today at the core of it all. A barrel, loaded with powder, then loaded with ammo, and a way to ignite it all. Just like men and women have been doing for many and many generations before us.

I wanted to be a part of that heritage and so, after careful thought, purchased my first muzzleloader. I learned all I could from mentors who were willing to spend the time with me to teach me about the history, and the art of hunting with a muzzleloader.

If I’m going to hunt, which season is best?
In Iowa, there are two different muzzleloader seasons offered to residents and nonresidents. The first is the Early Muzzleloader Season happening in the middle of October. The second is called the Late Muzzleloader Season that happens from about mid-December and continues until January tenth.

First, you need to decide what kind of weather you’d prefer to hunt in. The two muzzleloader seasons give you a few options for your preferences. The Early Muzzleloader Season is going to offer you fall temperatures. Cool in the morning and evenings, but generally warm daytime temperatures. The Late Muzzleloader Season will be very different. You can expect to hunt some very cold temperatures that will test your endurance. Both are great times to hunt for deer, but you have to know what you’re willing to experience.

Second, how long do you want to hunt? Early Muzzleloader Season is overs about eight days in October for your hunt giving you two weeks and the week between them to chase deer. Late Season Muzzleloader offers the hunter about a three week time period to make a harvest. Again, the temperatures are colder, but for some, the advantage of having more time to hunt outweighs the frustration of the cold.

Truthfully, in both seasons you should find deer going through a normal daily pattern. In mid-October and in mid-December, the rut is not always affecting the deer behavior completely. For the October dates, the rut might be in its early stages. For the mid-December and on season, the rut is mostly over and deer are returning to a bedding and feeding pattern that sends the deer to bed in the morning around sunup and wakes them up again right before dusk to come out and eat.

How do you do it?
There are a variety of methods for hunting with a muzzleloader and it just depends on what your preference might be.

You could choose to hunt from a stand. You could hunt from a blind. Or, you can do a bit of spot and stalking. For me, I love a good spot and stalk, and the best time do this type of hunt here in Iowa is during the Late Muzzleloader season that runs from the middle of December to the beginning of January.

My favorite hunts are in the morning after we’ve received a fresh blanket of snow sometime through the night. On mornings like this, when you get out to the woods, you know that any track you see is a fresh one.

With a muzz in tow, I look through the number of tracks that I usually see and find the track that is a bit larger than the rest that is also displaying a slight drag mark leading to each track the deer makes. Most likely, this track is the track of a buck.

Making sure I keep the wind in the right direction, and being slow and steady in my pursuit, I follow those tracks as they leave the local food source and head towards the timber where this deer is bound to bed somewhere. Most of the time, those tracks will stay on the path of least resistance until the deer is ready to bed. When those tracks take a turn down a ravine to a sunny slope, you can bet that you will find him there. Legs curled up beginning his much needed sleep for the day.

If he’s found, I will usually park myself within a comfortable distance and carefully wait for him to stand up, maybe to adjust or stretch. Then, at that moment, I carefully take aim, and slowly squeeze the trigger hoping that my ONE chance will prove true.

And when that deer mule kicks and heads away on a run, the feeling of accomplishment is something that is hard to put into words! Like I mentioned early, I desire a challenge in every hunt that do. I want that. I need that. Making a harvest with a modern “smoke pole” allows me to feel that success in challenge. It’s grown me as a hunter in many ways!
If you have done the same hunt, the same way for many years, ask yourself that question. “Do I still feel like this is a challenge for me?” If you aren’t saying a big, “yes,” to that question, maybe it’s time to try something new?

Why not try a muzzleloader? Who knows, you just might enjoy it as much as I do! Good luck!