Local hunters anticipate muzzleloader season

For the first time, Montana has opened a muzzleloader only season. The idea has been in the works for a while and was going to start next year, but with great public interest the season will begin this year. Called the Montana Muzzleloader Heritage Hunt, the season will open December 11 and will run a little over a week until December 19.

The hunt was passed in the last legislative session as House Bill 242 and came through the House of Representatives Fish and Wildlife Committee. According to Paul Fielder, a member of the Montana House of Representatives who voted for the bill, "It's pretty tough to pass a bill. Most people don't realize how much a bill has to go through and how much public input it needs to face before it's passed."

The season will allow only traditional style black powder rifles. This means any firearm used must fall under several criteria, including that they can only be loadable from the end of the barrel, only use traditional black powder (no pelletized propellant can be used), only utilize a flintlock, percussion, match or wheel lock ignition system and must rely only on iron sights (no scopes). Guns can have no more than two barrels and must be a minimum of .45 caliber. According to Fielder, "This is a very traditional muzzleloader season."

One Sanders County local excited for the new season is Ted Hogland, who has been hunting with black powder since the 1980s. Hogland has enjoyed traditional black powder guns since he was first introduced to them in the early 1970s. "I was just curious about muzzleloaders," said Hogland. That curiosity snowballed into a lifelong passion.

Hogland was a firefighter for over 27 years and his first muzzle loading gun was a Thompson Center Hawken in .50 caliber, which is the same pattern most people start out with in black powder. Eventually, Hogland found his interest in flintlocks, possibly the most legendary ignition system of them all. He later started building them and this year hopes to harvest an animal with a gun he built in 2002. He said this would be the first animal he will have taken with that gun if he is successful.

His rifle is a .45 caliber, which Hogland says is the "bottom end to use for elk. In fact, it's really marginal, at best." He explains that it is more for deer, and it would have to be a "real good clean shot" for him to aim at an elk. Hogland explained that he is not the most committed hunter, and not getting out every day, chasing game and putting time in scouting. For him, he explains that hunting with a black powder rifle is a simple enjoyment, and he loves the nostalgia of hunting like people used to hundreds of years ago. "I like to get out into the woods, and I like to eat the meat," said Hogland.

As far as the new season, Hogland says, "It's a good idea. Hopefully they don't get it too complicated." Having moved to live in Montana year-round from Washington in 2003, Hogland explained that the seasons there got too complicated with who could hunt what with which, when and where. He believes the season will reduce the number of hunters dramatically during that time, which is important for hunting with a traditional firearm. He said that if the season had been earlier, it would have disadvantaged regular hunters, having no worry about being disadvantaged himself by the earlier regular season.

Hogland explained that it takes a different kind of hunter to use a muzzleloader. "You have to work a little harder and you have to get a little closer." According to Fielder, "Muzzle loading is a skillful hunt. There are a lot of things that can go wrong." Hunting with a black powder firearm adds many disadvantages to the hunter that are like those taken on by bow hunters. There is one stark difference between hunting with a bow and a traditional muzzleloader. There is one stark difference between hunting with a bow and a traditional muzzleloader; a muzzleloader hunter only gets one shot before the game knows exactly where the threat is coming from after the smoke clears. You really only get one shot," said Fielder.

Hunter orange is required during all hunting seasons, and any unfilled elk or deer tag from the 2021 regular season may be used. There are no other special licensing requirements beyond what a hunter would need in the general season. For more information, go to fwp.mt.gov or call (406) 752-5501.