# Muzzleloader elk AFTER general season?



## jdawg183 (Aug 8, 2011)

Hello all! I was just wondering if anyone could tell me what the logic was behind having the muzzleloader elk hunt after the general season? I am not trying to be cynical, I am legitimately curious. With the deer hunt for example, I was under the impression that they had the archery, then muzzleload seasons first as those doing those seasons are at a disadvantage due to range, reload times, etc. Do the elk respond differently? Do they become more active after the general season for some reason? Or is it as it would seem, that the muzzleload hunt just becomes that much harder?

Thanks in advance for your help!


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## BigT (Mar 11, 2011)

My experience with muzzy elk hunt is that it really relies on heavy snowfall. At least where I go. When I go, its basically to just go hunting. But yes, it would be nice to find a way to fit it into a window before the rifle hunt. Just don't know where that would be unless they allowed deer and elk muzzy at the same time like the LE hunts.


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

The problem with muzzy deer and elk at the same time would be the LE muzzy hunts are already the same time period as the muzzy deer. 
But then again the archery hunt is the same so maybe it would work.


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## jdawg183 (Aug 8, 2011)

So there is no benefit to doing the muzzleloader then? Dang, I enjoy muzzleloading but I would rather go before they are all scared. Guess we will do the rifle hunt then. Thanks for your help guys!


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

personally, I love the muzzy elk hunt as is. it is nearly a month after the rifle elk, the elk have plenty of time to calm down IMO, and if you can get that beautiful snow storm (roughly 50% of the time you do) then it is AWESOME. hands down the best hunt of the year. Does it kinda suck to camp out at night and have the temps at 9,000 feet be well below zero? Nope, just part of the experience!


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## Huntoholic (Sep 17, 2008)

Personally I do not see the current hunt location as a disadvantage if you are talking about "are the animals scared". Just not a problem.

The only two disadvantages I can think of is "you are the last", so there are less animals and "the weather can be tough", it can be cold and wet. 

My son and I do the muzzleloader elk hunt most years. It is one of our best hunts. It's pretty quite, minimal people, and even after we shoot, it does not scare the elk like a high powered rifle does. 

I hope they never move it to another time. I just wish they would get rid of the LE hunts. But that's just me......


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## Elkoholic8 (Jan 15, 2008)

A couple of years ago there was a proposal going through the RACS about changing up the season dates for the general season hunts. It had the muzzleloader deer and elk hunts together (just like the archery hunts), running the last week of Sept. into the first weekend of October. Then the rifle deer and elk seasons would bee together starting the 3rd weekend of October until the last weekend of October. 
at the time, it was getting some good reviews, and sounded like it was a possibility. Then all of a sudden the main focus was centered around the 30 unit deer plan, and all of this season rearrangement talk got put on the back burner. 
I heard earlier this year that Anis Aude (DWR) was going to re approach this idea, but I don't know if he/they have talked about it any more.


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

Don't muzzy elk, you won't like it


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## mack1950 (Sep 11, 2007)

I believe there are just to many hunts to try and put it anyplace elk most of the limited entry hunts are in the same time frame and to be honest I love to hunt elk later in the season after all the deer hunts have been completed. it does take a bit more work and some good snow fall to be very productive as the bulls are in a recovery period but to be honest I don't really care if I harvest one are not I love the solitude of the high country during this time of year but it can be productive


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## derekp1999 (Nov 17, 2011)

Many years back the deer and elk muzzleloader seasons were both in Nov. The deer hunt got moved but the elk hunt stayed. There is a small contingent of guys that wish with everything they have that the deer hunt would move back to Nov.
I am relatively new to hunting elk with a muzzleloader and did the general elk two years ago. It was a fantastic experience... we didn't have any adverse weather (it was nice and cool for hiking but got uncomfortable for extended glassing), saw nobody else on the mountain, and got to see a bunch of great deer starting to rut.
If the general muzzleloader elk hunt were to be moved to coincide with the general muzzleloader deer in Sept, I would venture to guess that it would quickly increase in popularity and eventually become one of the most popular general seasons because of the rut.


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## HotWapities (Aug 26, 2010)

I like going for the Muzzy elk if I've drawn a late season cow tag. It allows me to fill either or both tags as long as I'm in the cow tag boundary. It is usually not very crowded either. Just my 2 cents.


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