What you need to know for new muzzleloader season

While the general rifle season is now closed, traditional muzzleloader enthusiasts will have a season of their own starting Saturday, December 11.

Gov. Greg Gianforte signed House Bill 242 into law this year, establishing a nine-day muzzleloader heritage hunting season. The season begins on December 11 and runs through December 19.

This is for traditional muzzleloaders only; no other means of taking game, such as archery, is allowed. Note that some areas have elk shoulder seasons through February 15, where firearms are allowed.

Hunters should note that many of Montana's Block Management Areas (BMAs), even though they are open for upland bird or waterfowl through January 1, are not allowing the harvest of deer or elk during the muzzleloader heritage season. There also will be no signage at BMA sign-in boxes indicating whether they allow muzzleloader hunting, so it will be up to hunters to research whether a BMA is participating. Before heading to the field, be sure to review the 2021 Hunting Access Guide on the FWP website at fwp.mt.gov. Under "Hunt," click on "Hunter Access," then "Additional Information," and the rules on the individual BMA map, to see if the BMA is open for the muzzleloader season.

In addition, although all Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in Region 7 are open year-round, many other WMAs allowing hunting across the state will be closed from December 2 through May 14. If planning to hunt a WMA, see a list of WMAs and their seasonal closure dates which is also available online at fwp.mt.gov.

Hunters should check the online hunting regulations to make sure they are compliant with all rules and regulations for this season. Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted the following regulations, most of which are based on language from the statute:

• A person may take a deer or elk with a license or permit that is valid on the last day of the general hunting season.

• Any unused license-permit valid on the last day of the general season (i.e., November 28, 2021) is valid during the muzzleloader heritage season.

• Any license that can still be purchased is valid. For example, if a person had not already purchased a general deer tag, they could purchase one for the muzzleloader heritage season.

• Hunters can use plain lead projectiles and a muzzleloading rifle that is charged with loose black powder, loose pyrodex or an equivalent loose black powder substitute and ignited by a flintlock, wheel lock, matchlock or percussion mechanism using a percussion or musket cap.

• The muzzleloading rifle must be a minimum of .45 caliber and may not have more than two barrels.

• During the muzzleloader heritage season, hunters may not use a muzzleloading rifle that requires insertion of a cap or primer into the open breech of the barrel (inline), is capable of being loaded from the breech, or is mounted with an optical magnification device.

• Use of pre-prepared paper or metallic cartridges, sabots, gas checks or other similar power and range-enhancing manufactured loads that enclose the projectile from the rifling or bore of the firearm is also prohibited.