The reason for the seasons

[elkoholic]

Another thinking post.

Archery:  What or why behind the original intent of an archery season?

Muzzle loader:  Same question as above.

Shotgun:  Same as above or if only allowed firearm  - why?

Remember the word original in the question and is it still true?

My thoughts are.... well they will come later, as I'm sure there will be disagreement.

[Ravin R10 man]

All the seasons should have ONE goal in mind no matter what weapon one uses. To manage the herd and allow one to enjoy the Friends Family and Outdoors while doing so.

Archery has come from the stick bow to compound and now crossbow. You want to hunt like "Mountian Man" go for it. sit in a tower blind with a crossbow, if it's legal, go for it.

Muzzle loader has also come a long way. Flintlock or modern in line. Whatever type you want to hunt with, go have fun and enjoy the hunt.

Shotgun, well in many cases thats the weapon used because of areas of higher human population and a safety concern  vs using a rifle from what I understand.

The way you hunt, burning boot leather in the back country, if you have the desire and time to do that, good for you.

Sitting in a tower  or other type of blind or treestand if legal, go for it.

Making drives, still hunting, using bait, I have NO problem.

We have indeed parted from what was once "Original" weapons used.  I have no desire to craft a willow bow, wooden arrows, and carve flint for a blade,  or use a flint lock. 

What I do not stand for, are people who look down their nose at other hunters and methods of hunting different than what they use, and think they are "Holier Than Thou" for doing so.  Just an off the cuff, gut reply.

[wtnhunt]

18 hours ago, elkoholic said:

Archery:  What or why behind the original intent of an archery season?

Archery here in Tennessee is given early ahead of all other seasons before the heavier pressure of the hunters who do not hunt archery get into the woods.  An archery license holder however can hunt with archery gear during all the season from season start to season end so long as he or she is hunting with archery gear.  This gives a more fair opportunity to those who are using a weapon that is not capable of being effective at longer distances and are typically under circumstances that allow one shot.  Archery is more challenging than gun or muzzleloader hunting and so those hunters are given first crack before deer get more wary/spooky.  That being said, I miss the old TN seasons that were split.  We used to have two archery segments, two muzzleloader segments and two gun segments.  There were early and late, now we have a single archery season that opens early, 4th Sat of Sept, then our muzzleloader usually opens the first Saturday of November runs for two weeks and then the gun season opens.  Deer around our property seem to be most likely to move during daylight in that special mid November time frame that is more consistent with the timing of our muzzleloading season.  In more recent years we have improved doe movement on our property by keeping standing bean plots.  In return more bucks have also been around.

While archery season has some advantages, the disadvantages on our farm are far greater in my opinion.  Cover is still very heavy, and it is for the most part still warm.   Usually still too many ag crops in in the area making for deer not having to move around much for food.  Couple those factors with the rut here not really getting going until November and the chances are just not great for filling a tag on a decent buck. 

Archery is far from its original form.  I don't know that there was ever a reg that said archery was a recurve, but regs I know have adapted.  Tennessee now allows the use of crossbows during the archery season, used to have to get a medical form signed by a physician, but now is allowed for anyone.  I have shoulder issues now and while I would love to be able to shoot my compound, it is just not good for my shoulders.  As with anything, the argument can be made about technology and advances and how we look at the way hunting has changed.  In my mind, if you are close enough with a crossbow, while it is obviously easier than drawing a bow, chances are you are still going to only get one shot and still have to be in relatively close range and go to getting a shot without being seen or winded.  

18 hours ago, elkoholic said:

Muzzle loader:  Same question as above.

In its original form the muzzleloader season gave similar advantages to the hunter as archery while having some disadvantages that a gun hunter would not have.  Less hunters in the woods than with gun season, more pressure, but increased range.  Muzzleloader is typically a one shot, rare you get a follow up but it does happen sometimes.  Around our property the muzzleloading season coincides with the perfect timing of the rut where bucks are after does. 

Modern muzzleloading rifles in the hands of a capable hunter now can effectively kill deer at over 200 yards.  That being said, some of the old timers were capable of extreme long range shots with old flintlocks and iron sights.  The thing was they had to be and they were more honed and skilled.  Modern makes it easier to be more accurate.  Personally I want to be as accurate as possible to put down my animal as quickly and humanely as possible, so I do take the advances as advantages in modern inline and using modern powder, sabots, and a scope.   

18 hours ago, elkoholic said:

Shotgun:  Same as above or if only allowed firearm  - why?

To clarify our "gun" season includes shotgun, but only with slugs.  Shot is not allowed for deer in TN.  Our "gun" season is pretty well anything goes though and is now quite lengthy.  You can hunt with your archery or muzzleloader gear in TN's gun season.  You can hunt with a shotgun or a semi auto rifle, bolt action or a single shot rifle.  In the past 10 years regs have been adapted to allow any centerfire cartridge from .223 up, used to be .24. 

There are some shotgun only state grounds and some areas like the arsenal that are shotgun or muzzleloader only where centerfire rifles are not allowed. 

As to the original form of the seasons, they were all established well before my time.  I have seen a lot of change though in my 25+ years of hunting this area. 

So, then begs the question.  Should I hunt with archery gear in the muzzleloading season or gun season.  I have considered it.  I have killed a lot of deer in archery range with the muzzleloader and gun, hard for me to put down any gun for a bow or crossbow due to the unknowns with range.  I guess I am an opportunist of sorts while deer hunting in that I will take a shot on any coyote I see and it is nice knowing if I have one walk out at 150 yards I am not limited to the range of the bow in my hands.  I have however hunted some with the muzzleloader during gun season, here the only disadvantage I am really giving up from gun to muzzleloader is timing for secondary or follow up shots.  

[elkoholic]

My thoughts, short version, is when the original seasons were set in place, if, it could have been foreseen as to the advances in hunting weapons and hunting techniques there would be more restrictions.  There was not much thought on population control of game animals but more of allowing for greater opportunities for enjoying the hunting lifestyle.  Both archery and muzzle loader hunts were typically low harvest success events with a relatively small number of participants.  There has been a small increase in hunter numbers (archery) and much larger increase in harvest success (driven mainly by crossbow usage).  My long version would include a lengthy list but instead let me push my memory a bit.  My first archery hunt was 52 years ago.  My bow was a Bear Grizzly that was just short of 5 feet long with a 60 lb draw weight.  It could launch a 750 grain arrow and broadhead combo at maybe 180 fps.  Forget site pins, peep sites, release aids, drop away arrow rests.  I climbed into trees and sat on a convenient limb with no range finder or any "calling techniques".  Food plots were not a thing and trail cameras were yet to be thought of.  Just sharpening my Bear Razorhead broadheads took a little skill and then installing the bleeder inserts without cutting myself was a challenge.  Not many bow hunters back then.  Ah, those were the days.  My muzzle loader, a 54 caliber Hawken built from a kit.  It fires 225 grain, double patched round balls pushed by 120 grains of black powder (I use Pyrodex these days).  It is a pain to clean and the open sites aren't compatible to aging eyes.

Shotguns are no longer short range weapons as once again technology has managed to push the envelope.  The typical Foster style slug of yesteryear fired from a smooth bore had an effective range of approximately 75 yards (at least 1000 ft. lbs.) compared to 200+ yards for a sabot slug from a modern, rifled barrel.

Now, with many areas seeing a decline in deer populations due in part to increased hunter success along with liberal bag limits (not to mention CWD, EHD, and predators) I believe the future holds shorter seasons or possibly a quota system.  One may have to choose their weapon of choice and hunt just that season.  I do see reduced opportunities of some sort.

While there is supposed to be a decline in hunter numbers, that is not what I'm seeing here in Montana.  Part of that is that there is so much public land open to all, so access is not an issue.  It is only during archery season that I ever encounter someone in the back country.  Archery hunters are more dedicated I think.  No crossbows allowed during archery season, not even if you are disabled.  There is no muzzle loader season here, but I do on occasion take my muzzle loader during rifle season.  Personally, I would hate to give up any opportunity to be out hunting and I'm sure that is true of all hunters.  If game populations get low enough, there will be lost opportunities.  Increasing harvest success, while it may appear as a good thing on the surface, may not prove to be what we really wanted.