Did y'all notice the addition in MZ season?

The big compressed air, heavy-caliber air rifles have been included in the special muzzleloader season for deer hunting this year.

Pretty cool. But there's probably like 12 guys in the whole state that have em. They should just make it like Mississippi where "primitive" means "not so primitive".

They were in there last year. 30 caliber or larger.

Thanks, BC. Didn't realize they were in the MZ season-week last year.


West Virginia added a true "traditional" season this year, to be held in January only for flintlock or caplock percussion rifles (no optics) and long bows or recurves (no compounds, crossbows, etc.)

Wow that is truly incredulous and a mockery of a primitive season.

Wheeler Wildlife Refuge has a flintlock / primitive hunt every January. Me and a buddy watched a boatload of guys run a huge 140-150 class buck off of an island up there two years ago. We were bow hunting by the main river and there was a slough behind us with a chain of islands out in it. They were dropping a guy off at the end of the island with a flintlock and then motoring to the other side and getting out and walking the island. Totally illegal. That old buck got up and walked across that slough about 100 yards from us because he could hear them coming. They were making all kinds of racket.

Hippie has one.

What made it illegal, the fact they did it on an island ?

Alabama's muzzleloader season isn't really a true primitive season since it allows in-line rifles with scopes. Those are basically just single-shot centerfire rifles.


I've always wanted to do the Wheeler NWR flintlock season and just never have. Finding powder is the biggest problem, or has been for me.

Man drives are illegal on WWR. There’s also restrictions to hunting islands less than 40
acres.

It's not Included in muzzle loader season, It is it's own season, It just so happens to coincide at the same time. It's been that way for 5 or 6 years.

Didn't know that. Thanks. It's unclear that they're wholly separate in the 2018 regulation book where they're listed together:

ALL ZONES
SPECIAL MUZZLELOADER AND AIR RIFLE
Nov. 12-16

Take away the spear and add this. Makes a LOT of sense for primitive weapons. Stupid.

Is Lewis and Clark primitive enough?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa4JQKNHP2M

Yep, Lewis and Clark is primitive but, I do believe a spear trumps it on the "primitive scale". Neat video.

Cool. Never heard of that old air rifle

That's amazing!
Learn something new every day.
I had no idea air rifles went back that far.

Pffft I wish we could hunt with a single shot 45/70

Like Mississippi.
The NEF handing rifle, in 45 70 is legal over there for primative weapons season.

The Girandoni air rifle was used by Lewis and Clark in part to scare the Indians.

https://www.grandviewoutdoors.com/guns/the-gun-that-actually-won-the-west-might-surprise-you/

I'd like to hunt with one just to say I did and satisfy my curiosity, but I don't think I'd invest in the gun, tank and such.

It’s pretty cool. It’s just another tool to had to hunting. Very effective to 100 yds. Airbow, which is a gun, is good to about 50.

http://www.gameandfishmag.com/hunting/hunting_whitetail-deer-hunting_al_0807_01/
https://www.fieldandstream.com/phot...memade-air-powered-muzzleloader-big-game

I shot this gun when he was still tinkering/developing it. It was impressive. I remember when he killed the buck, he was so excited.