I don't agree with the decision. With the scope, it is essentially a rifle. The idea of a muzzleloader season is to have a season where one can use a more primitive weapon with which to hunt.

Muzzleloaders with "poor eyesight" can use them doing rifle season.

I have a personal view on muzzle loaders and I'm not trying to offend anyone by stating it,.. it's just my view so don't start getting on my case about it.

We have archery season, firearms season, and muzzle loader season. I believe that the whole IDEA with muzzleloader season is hunting with a primitive class weapon. We progressed from flintlocks to percussion caps to the present inlines with 209 primers. If your going to throw a scope on em' you might as well bring the scoped 06 instead. We have already deviated from the basic idea in my personal view, by our last progression to the inlines, using sabots in place of the patch and ball setups.

I had an old flintlock style weapon and progressed as many have to the inline setups but that's as far as I'm going to take it. I've never used a scope or any other improved device as a sighting method other than the iron sights on a muzzle loading weapon and don't plan on ever doing so. It takes away from the whole ideology / objective of the muzzle loading season in my personal opinion. You might have to work a bit harder to fil that tag,.. but it's worth it in the end.

Those are my thoughts,... an' I'm sticking to em' !

Quote from the news article-
"To require all hunters to use open sights during these seasons violates Federal discrimination laws. It is time to give the hunter the right of choice - to use a scope or not use a scope." END QUOTE

Now I have heard it all---the reason scopes are NOW allowed during early muzzleloader season is a discrimination issue---give me a break. I shoot a percussion cap 50 cal. with peep sights. I enjoy the primitive nature of hunting with my muzzleloader, especially in the wide open prairies of southwest Kansas. I will admit that using a muzzleloader during rifle season is very challenging and I think a scoped muzzleloader would be fine then, although I never have used a scope on my ML.

The last few years I have elected to get a Hunt-Own-Land permit. It does limit me to my own land, but it does allow me to hunt any of the seasons with the legal weapon of that season, so during rifle season I have the option of using a rifle instead of my ML if I desire.

Maynard Reece Byrd
Dodge City

7MM Magnum, I was in the 1/501 Inf., 101st ABN at the same time you was in 'Nam. Small world isn't it. I like the scope on my inline it helps my 58 yr old eyes. However I will use my 50 cal Bingham custom Lancaster style Flintlock longrifle most of the time 'cause it's more fun to carry, look at and shoot.