PA ML deer season Oct. 14-21, 2006

[Adam Helmer]

The PA muzzle loader anterless deer season is October 14-21 this year. Now days, "ANY" ML and any sights are permitted. I prefer sidelocks for my October hunting: a .50 T/C Hawken caplock on rainy days and a .54 Hawken flinter for clear days. We must wear hunter orange in October, but not in the after-Christmas Traditional ML season where flintlocks are also required.

I have a 100-yard range and a bench behind the house that is getting lots of use these days. I have a target frame at 50 yards to check the mid-range trajectory for guns zeroed at 100 yards. Nearby is my 'hawk stump for throwing practice. Next to that are 6 tight haybales in two stacks of 3 bales each that serves as my archery range. I began shooting a recurve bow in 1971 and have 3 that are my archery (stealth) component.

I was reading a book recently about early America and was surprised to read that many frontier kids shot bows, and became quite good, before they got their first muzzleloader.

For all you Longhunters, get in some range time and bag your deer this year.

Adam