Is there any push to have a statewide ML season? Kind of takes the luster out of having one if you can only hunt isolated counties and/or some public lands.

Doubt you will see that but you can hunt with a ML in any of the regular gun seasons if you want to.

Yeah but if it is regular gun season....I will use a weapon that is more than one shot and a cloud of smoke.

I wonder how many more giants would come out of Texas if the deer season was set up like Oklahoma, Kansas or something similar?

No kidding!

I wish we had a month for bow season, no crossbows (about Oct. 15 - Nov. 15), a month for rifle (Nov. 16 - Dec. 15) and then two weeks for muzzleloader, no optics unless you have bad eyes or are 50+ (Dec. 15- Jan. 1). Also add in a week before and after all that for youth only.

That's the problem with muzzle loaders anymore though. The only limitation is one shot. The modern versions, with modern propellents and bullets are legitimate 200 yard killers. May as well use them in rifle season. Now if you wanna say side lock, iron sights, maybe round ball or maxi ball only then we get back to a limited weapon.

I agree. It should be more like "primitive firearms"; iron sights at the least.

I highly doubt that will happen though.

Good point on the "modern era" muzzleloaders. Not much different than shooting any of the single shot rifles that are available today, other than that it takes just a little longer to reload. I know alot of people get pumped about the opening day of rifle season in Texas, as do I, but growing up in Oklahoma, opening day of blackpowder and then the opening day of rifle was just as big as Christmas. I know they extended rifle season to two weeks but I believe blackpowder is still only 9 days. Most of the guys in my family planned there entire yearly schedule around those two weeks.

I would like to see an ml season after archery but before the general season for just a week. Still allow archery during that week as well. Only percussion and flintlock, only black powder or subs (no smokeless), no scopes, no sabots, etc.

I would love to see a muzzleloader (without scopes) season. I am afraid its the big ranches, guides, outfitters, etc. who sway the TPWD to have a long rifle season that puts a big damper on any sort of muzzleloader season. The more days they have to hunt the more money they make and there are a lot more rifle hunters than there are muzzleloaders! And a lot more $$$ in guiding, growing and outfitting that there is taking the kids out!

I CAN'T REMEMBER NEEDING MORE THAN ONE
SHOT FOR A DEER SINCE I WAS A TEENAGER.

I DON'T FEEL HANDICAPPED WITH ANY
ONE-SHOOTER I USE , BOW , CONTENDER ,
OR SIDE-LOCK IRON-SIGHT FRONT-STUFFER.

THE KEY IS ALWAYS PRACTICE-PRACTICE-PRACTICE.

ALWAYS. . . . . . .

Texas is surrounded by states with a ML season that is something other than the end-of-the-season hunt. The TPWD should insert a ML season as the last two weeks in October for a statewide season, rather than isolate certain counties for a ML seaon.

I was on the first muzzleloader hunt held by TP&W. The first evening we were asked to submit recommendations for a muzzleloader season and regulations. We were told we were "writing the muzzleloader regulations for Texas". Well, it's pretty plain that we were just being fed a line.
The seasons suggested above was pretty much what we recommended. But pressure from bowhunters sunk any muzzleloader season.

Bowhunters would never agree to that. They threatened lawsuits when this was suggested before. And they carry a lot of weight in Austin. Sad.

Bowhunters MIGHT be in agreement, but only if it extended their season.

The big ranches would actually make more money if a one or two week muzzleloader season was held a week after the rifle season closed. It would be a management season. The holdup is the bucks shedding antlers early.

Bowhunters could start in September like many other states. I bowhunt too, but there is no reason for there to be an entire month; a two week bowhunt season, followed by a two week muzzle load season. The majority of bowhunting is done on private land in Texas anyway, they just don't deserve an entire month ahead of all others.

THERE ISN'T ANY NEED TO CUT INTO ARCHERY SEASON.

OCTOBER -ARCHERY
NOVEMBER-MUZZLELOADER
DECEMBER/JAN- MODERN FIREARM

I PERSONALLY LIKE THE OCTOBER BOW
SEASON SO I CAN PEACEFULLY HUNT
WITHOUT HAVING TO LISTEN TO ALL
THE WANNABE HUNTERS FLYING
WILLY-NILLY ALL OVER THE LANDSCAPE
ON THEIR NEW ATVS AND THE NOONTIME
FIELDTESTING OF ALL THE NEWLY
PURCHASED GLOCKS. LAST YEAR ON
OPENING FIREARMS DAY, SOMEBODY
SHOT WITHOUT PAUSE FROM 10 AM TO
12 PM .

I wear trifocals and still can't see without a scope so I did something very hard for me to do....I put a scope on my T/C Hawkins. Also use sabots, bullets and of course black powder in it......Never need more than one shot to kill a Deer. Ya'll will understand someday.....maybe??????

When did Texas get a 'rifle season'? Doesn't Texas have an Archery Only, Early Youth & Late Youth, General, Extended General and a Muzzleloader Only Seasons? Don't have a season just for rifles.

Very true Kyotee1, there is no season for rifles only. Archery equipment and muzzleloaders are allowed as well as rifles during the general season.

The GENERAL SEASON is what most call the rifle season, since all legal forms of weapons can be used during that period. I believe the ARCHERY ONLY began in the 70's and was for the entire month of October. The Youth Only has been on and off over the years, but for the past 30 years it is designated as the last weekend in October; an additional youth only in January was added about 15 years ago; it too has been on and off. The Extended Season has also come and gone several times over the past 30 years.

What it boils down to....you cannot use a firearm during ARCHERY ONLY...it is the only hunting weapon given that privilege!

SUITS ME. . .

IT IS SOMEWHAT HARDER TO CLEANLY TAKE
A DEER WITH ARCHERY TACKLE, SO LET'S NOT
TAKE AWAY ANY OF THAT ALLOTTED TIME.
IT'S WAY EASIER TO CLEANLY TAKE A DEER
WITH A MODERN FIREARM, SO IF ANY DAYS
GET CUT, LET'S TAKE IT FROM THERE.
I DON'T FEEL CRIPPLED WITH MY BLACKPOWDER
FIREARMS AND AM JUST AS LIKELY TO USE ONE
DURING GENERAL SEASON AS A MODERN FIREARM.

IF IT JUST HAD TO BE, I WOULD SAY
OCTOBER- ARCHERY ONLY
NOVEMBER-MUZZLELOAD ONLY
DEC/JAN- GENERAL

I WOULD THINK EVERYONE WOULD AGREE
WITH THAT AND EVERYONE WOULD GET
A FULL MONTH

OF COURSE , EVERYONE FORGOT TO MENTION
THAT WE NEED A HANDGUN ONLY. . . . . .