I'm going to put together a letter to our wildlife agency and propose that the early archery-muzzleloader season rules be changed to include handguns. I'm going to tell them that the consensus among knowledgeable handgun hunters is that handgun falls between archery and muzzleloader in degree of difficulty.

I'm also going to say something is badly needed to level the playing field because the in-line, scoped, sabot, bolt action 209 primer feeding muzzleloaders everyone has gone to, amount to nothing less than scoped high power rifles, albeit of the single shot type. And that regular season modern gun hunters are finding time and time again that the larger bucks have already been wiped out before they can take the field.

To that end you guys can help out a little.

What I don't know and what would take a major research effort to learn, is which states allow and which don't allow handguns in early deer season.

Also, in states that do allow handguns for early hunting alongside archery/muzzleloader, are there special restrictions on which handguns.

Your advice will be appreciated.

I've been thinking something along the lines my self but want to recommend alternating handguns one year / archery the next for hunting black bear in WYO.
I don't use a bow and consistently get knocked out of bear gun season in my area because it seems the archery hunters shoot the first bear they see, sow or boar. When the female mortality quota is hit, that's it season is over for EVERYONE..
Doesn't seem right to me and NO, I don't want to take up archery. A $1000 investment in equipment is worth next to nothing in a few years. What do you WYO hunters think about the suggestion?

In MN and ND the archery season runs September thru December. The firearm season is a week or two in November. About 40% of MN is restricted to slug guns, muzzleloaders, and handguns. The muzzleloader seasons run from Thanksgiving to mid-December. Unlike during the regular firearm season muzzleloaders in their season cannot wear optical sights. It used to a be quiet, relaxed, post-rut sort of hunt but these days a fella hears a couple shots a day from neighboring sections. Have you given any thought to hunting with a blackpowder pistol during the early muzzleloading season? FWIW some of us (well, least one of us) still hunt with a flintlock roundball rifle in the muzzleloader season.

Here is a thread I ran last February that should have all the state handgun hunting info you're looking for: http://forums.accuratereloadin...071096201#3071096201

But I have to ask, why do you have to slag the inline hunters to get what you're after? Why can't you just point out (as you did in your first paragraph) that handguns are a perfectly legitimate firearm for harvesting deer, and all things being equal, there's no reason they shouldn't be able to be used?

A group in MO tried a couple years ago to get a seperate handgun season. The Conservation Department showed very little interest in the proposal.

Thank you for that useful link. And probably I should make this all a little more clear.

My state is TN. Here it's an approx 1 1/2 months main state-wide modern gun season. Archery and ML are OK for that as well. But, before the modern season they have a two week archery-ML season. The history was that this originally was intended to be a "primitive weapons" season for those who hunt with the more challenging weapons. The idea was those hunting with archery-ML were at a disadvantage and the extra advance opportunity was justified.

I always understood and supported that. While I was never an archer I did some 20 years ago hunt with a ML. But, it was the much older simpler brass-furniture iron sights type. I gave that up many years ago and sold off the BP guns, lead bars, melting pot, molds etc etc. and am way too old to go back now.

Now I've become over the last couple decades a very enthusiastic handgun hunter and want to continue concentrating and improving myself with that, instead of getting into the distraction and inconvenience of having to learn all about and acquire from scratch modern ML weapons and accessories.

Where I hunt, most if not all quality bucks are being taken by modern ML in the early season. Many are shots that are a lot easier to make with the modern scoped ML than with the older models. In fact many, many hunters are out there now for the early season just because of the new technology guns. Many of these would not go if they had to use traditional muzzleloaders. Consequently in my case it's leaving very slim pickings.

At any rate the problem I'm seeing is the technological advances, and has nothing to do with ML hunters themselves who are just wisely taking advantage of a great opportunity to get the first chance at a quality rack before everyone else gets involved. In fact I'd be joining them in a sense if my handgun proposal were to go anywhere.

At any rate maybe that helps explain why I want to see the rules changed...besides, I've gotten to liking the idea of being a pistolero and think it's a sport that deserves a little more recognition anyhow.

Shack,
You're right. It used to be called "primitive firearms" season and morphed into "muzzleloader" or "blackpowder" season in a lot of states. I'm most familiar with OK.
Technological advances in muzzleloading firearms and the resulting clamor from those who use them, I suppose, resulted in where we are today. A 250 yard capable, saboted, inline with scope and a 209 primer ignition hardly could be called "primitive", but I guess our states wildlife people have to manage game and please their customers (us) too. Quite the conundrum. Sorry, I don't have any suggestions, just comments on why we may be where we are.

You might want to suggest revolver only which further limits the range. dvnv

I ran across this on looking into modern muzzleloaders - http://www.cva.com/rifles-electra.html. It's electronic ignition. I guess it's the next hi-tech evolutionary step. I suppose it might raise the bar on long range accuracy. To my knowledge it would be impractical for modern high power rifles because of the physical nature of rifle cartridges, yet it's now here for muzzleloading.

Anyway, I'm now thinking one of about three proposals. One, open it to all existing legal big game hunting handguns (centerfire, 4" barrel) for the early hunt alongside archery-ML. Two, restrict it further to single shot handguns like the Contender. Or, three, restrict it to no scopes.

I think as a practical matter the state wants to keep law enforcement on hunting weapons as simple as possible. That I can understand.

For decades Arizona has had a H.A.M. (handgun, archery,muzzle loader) hunt for Javelina. It has been VERY popular.