Good footwear is vital wherever you hunt, but particularly if you head to the mountains. Nothing is more irritating than boots that cause blisters, or leak. Because I was taught that rubber doesn’t let your scent through to the ground, I prefer the “pac boot” variety for colder weather, and often even wear insulated chest waders. Cleated soles work best in the mountains, where the ground cover typically consists of slick pine needles. If you decide to buy a new pair of boots, particularly leather ones, break them in before the season begins.

BETTER GUNS
No advances in the field of hunting can match the pace of the muzzleloading rifle’s evolution. When blackpowder hunting first started back in the late 1970s, Thompson-Center and Connecticut Valley Arms were about the only companies that took the frontstuffer seriously. My first muzzleloader was a T/C Seneca, made from one of the kits offered back in those days. It came unblued and with the stock roughly inletted; you did the rest yourself. With a .50 caliber round ball, the gun was accurate out to a maximum of about 60 yards, and weather had a drastic effect on reliability. Misfires were common, and I quickly learned why it was common for old-time mountain men to use the phrase “Keep your powder dry!” as a warning for their buddies.

Today I have a gun that in my case will consistently shoot 1-inch groups at 100 yards. Topped with a good scope, with that gun I would not hesitate to take any shot out to 250 yards under the right conditions. In addition, the fully enclosed ignition system has made the weapon just about weatherproof.

I won’t get into the never-ending argument about whether these guns are actually “primitive” arms. They aren’t. But in-lines are considered legal under current hunting regulations, so the choice of whether or not you use one is entirely up to you.

Whatever you decide to use, make sure you become familiar with it before heading afield. New or old, in-line or flintlock, a muzzleloader affords you only one chance when the moment of truth arrives. A few hours spent at the local range can go a long way toward improving your chances.

MENTAL ATTITUDE IS KEY
Your mental approach is vital at this time of year. If you approach late-season hunting as being just about hopeless, your results will naturally tend to reflect that attitude. Many hunters have already put in countless hours in a deer stand, so their attention span may be far less than it was back in November. Either of those two maladies may let an old buck walk to be hunted another day!

I view late-season muzzleloader hunting mostly as my last chance to hunt deer by gun for an entire year. I still take it seriously, but the slower pace offers the perfect opportunity to reflect on the wonderful opportunity we have to enjoy and experience God’s greatest creation — the natural beauty here in the Natural State!