MUZZLE LOADER LICENSE

[SFBOY]

CAN SOMEONE SHED LIGHT ON HOW THE LICENSE PROCESS WORKS IN THIS STATE? MAYBE I AM MISSING SOMETHING HERE, BUT I FOUND THAT I CAN BUY AN ARCHERY LICENSE, RIFLE LICENSE, OR AN ALL SEASON LICENSE IN MINNESOTA. I WAS TOLD THAT IF I WANTED TO MUZZLE LOAD HUNT, I WOULD HAVE TO BUY THE ALL SEASON LICENSE. IS THERE A MUZZLE LOADER LICENSE AND IF SO, WHY CANT I SEEM TO FIND IT IN ANY REGULATION?

[Johnny_Namakan]

Good question. I just emailed the DNR the same question. I myself will be buying the all-season license, but I have a buddy that doesn't hunt in archery or firearms season and he will be joining me for muzzleloader hunting. He plans on buying just the muzzleloader license. I checked the DNR site and didn't see it offered. I will post what the DNR replies back with.

[Heartman]

Muzzleloaders just buy a firearms license, and indicate MZ as the season they hunt.

But I could be wrong.

[Jameson]

Pages 90-91 of 2007 MN Hunting and Trapping Regulations Handbook.

Also look through a few pages of threads here and you'll find all your answers.

[SFBOY]

Thanksfor the information, but why in God's Green Earth, cant I just buy a muzzle loader license in addition to the rifle license?

[bigbucks]

They consider it a firearm, which of course it is, so unless you buy the All-Season you choose ML. I don't necessarily agree with it, but it's the rules for now. I think it's a difficulty thing, ML is more difficult than rifle or shotgun, but it's still so-o-o much easier than archery. If you only take standing shots with your shotgun, hunting with a ML is almost no different, with the exception of very FEW follow-up shots.

[SFBOY]

My dad's muzzle loader license is his rifle license in Wisconsin at no additional cost. I think it is a shameless money grab. i.e. see spending 18 bucks a year to sit in two man portable ice fishing tent. i guess i wouldnt complain so much about that one if they made every camper in this state put an $18 yearly tag just to throw out a tent at a campground.

[Powerstroke]

Before you get too far off topic....there are a couple of points on the ML thing.

As far as ML's are concerned, your ML is considered a firearm. You can buy a regular firearms tag and use your ML in that zone as your firearm. You can use your ML with a scope and any of the other exclusions given during the regular ML only season.

If you want to hunt the ML only season, after the modern guns season is over, then you choose ML as your zone on a firearms tag and you hunt the ML only season and it has tighter rules about ML use like no scopes and things like that.

If you would like to hunt the regular firearms season AND get another license for your ML for the ML season, then the only legal way is to buy the all-season license. If you plan to do that than make sure you consult your zone rules and find out if it is a lottery area or not. That may change how you make your decision.

Also, MN DNR repealed the portable shelter license rule so there no longer is a fee to have a portable fishhouse.

[SFBOY]

they did repeal that ridiculous fee for poratble shelters officially? heard they were talking about it, but never read that it officially was gone.

back to the ML question. Why not allow me to buy 2 resident fire arm licenses for the same price that an archery license and a fire arms license costs instead of the inflated cost of the all season tag? if a guy wants to archery hunt in addition to regular fire arms and muzzle loader, then the all season license is a great idea. The point really gets down to the archery season is comparable to the muzzle loader season in that it is completely different from the fire arm opener and should be treated the same with a separate license. I am sorry, I just dont get it.

p.s. hopefully McHale's luck with the T-Wolves wont wear off on T-Paw for the Governor's opener this year.

[Powerstroke]

LOL @ McHale's luck!

I understand your frustration since I thought the same thing until I read the regs word for word. I am an archer who buys a firearms tag to hunt with my rifle. I thought the ML tag was a different season, but so far its just another ZONE with different rules.

The biggest thing is although the ML only season was created for ML hunter to have their own season for "primative" weapons just like the archers, the fact remains that it is a blackpowder firearms and despite its limitations (or lack thereof with newer ML's) the DNR still classifies it as a firearm and you are only allowed one firearm tag per year.

I'm not sure where you hunt so I'm sure who long you have to hunt, but if I was in zone 1 or 2 with at least a managed zone I would just hunt with one gun and then switch to the other. Its actually cheaper that way and you'll just need a bonus permit.

[slick814]

I had the same question,so I emailed the Commissioner of the DNR about it... here's the response I got :

The Commissioner has asked me to respond to your email regarding separate firearm and muzzleloader licenses. To answer your question, when the muzzleloader season was created in 1976 it was added as an option to the firearm season rather then as aseparate license. When you buy your firearms license you have to select a number of options such as zone and season. The muzzleloader option is one of those choices and is not a separate license. In Minnesota you can legally only have one firearm license, which is why it's not currently possible to have both firearm and muzzleloader season licenses. In 2000, the all-season license was created by the legislature to give people that opportunity but as you mention, it doesn't help the person who doesn't want to archery hunt. The Department recognizes that over time adding options and licenses to the deer season regulations has resulted in a very complicated system and there is likely room for simplification and improvement. We are forming a citizens work group to help us look at various regulations related to deer hunting that will not limit flexibility. The overall goal will be to streamline and simplify regulations. We have a lot of deer licenses and zones in this state and some can probably be consolidated. I am sure your issue will come up in the discussion and may be addressed later this winter. If you have additional comments or need more information, please contact Lou Cornicelli, out big game program coordinator. His email [email protected].

so that's the official explanation...

[SFBOY]

i hunt zone 1 in a management zone. so what you are telling me is that i could have bought a rifle license and then just a bonus tag for the ML season? what if i shot a doe with my rifle and then decided to tag my buck with the ML? i am getting confused by this. call me crazy, but i dont understand why we can't have easy rules to follow for all our outdoors activities. for instance only 4 walleyes 15 to 18 inches on any lake in the state can be kept with one over 28, no lake has a legal musky under 50", buy a fire arms license and use it for the muzzle loader season but follow the rules that are detailed out in the regs for that particular season, etc. for kripes sake, i could be breaking a law by throwing 200 lbs of apples under my deer stand and not even knowing it is against the law. ok, that last one is a joke, but i think you know what i am getting at. i think the state folks spend wayyyyyy to much time making up rules every year to justify their existence.

forgive me, but i grew up in wisconsin where you buy a fire arms license and can hunt anywhere you want in the state during that 9 day period, with minimal exceptions, without having to buy something called a multi zone license and that license is your muzzle loader license. exactly why should i spend extra money to hunt in two locations in the state because i own a farm in faribault and hunted that the weekend after i hunted on the land that i owned outside of two harbors?

a little bit of common sense would go along ways.

[Jameson]

Quote:

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i hunt zone 1 in a management zone. so what you are telling me is that i could have bought a rifle license and then just a bonus tag for the ML season? what if i shot a doe with my rifle and then decided to tag my buck with the ML?...

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A hunter with only a zone 1 license cannot hunt during the separate ML season. A hunter with only a ML license cannot hunt during the zone 1 season.

A hunter with an All-season license can use a ML(or shotgun, or rifle) during the zone 1 season.

[adaylate]

SFBOY,

I also hunt the Two Harbors area and the Faribault area and have like the allseason license.Add all the licenses up and its only costing you $26 more for 3 tags not bad for the flexability & extended hunting opportunities it gives you.

[Powerstroke]

So as far as hunting zone 1, you have 2 full weeks including 3 weekends. There is no law that says you can't change guns. If you choose a zone 1 license instead of a ML license then you get to hunt the entire zone 1 season and you can use any legal firearm you want, including your muzzleloader. They don't care.

The trick is that the Muzzleloader only license can be used across the entire state, but can only be used with a muzzleloader gun and only during the dates of the ML season.

If this is something you would like to get changed and it seems that many others do, then consider calling the DNR and speaking with someone about it and make your opinion heard by the people who make the rules. We can try to clarify things on FM, but the only way to change things is to tell the people who can change things.

I know its just your frustration about the matter, but the DNR or anyone else in gov't doesn't just think up obscure rules to annoy and frustrate the public. These laws were made for a reason and were most likely made a long time ago when they were necessary.....1976.

Times have changed and old rules are still on the books. I think the DNR is doing a good job of trying to streamline their regulations for everyone and to eliminate needless bueracracy. If you think its hard to understand the rules, imagine how hard it is to enforce them as a Conservation Officer?

I only need to take one look at a deer hunting map from the Wisconsin regs to make me dizzy, talk about needing to know which zone you're in? Yikes.