JeepKuntry":20tsvp88 said:
.... I'm all for archery, then firearms season. I feel like most places wouldn't go that route as it would cause some businesses to go under.
It's not so much as businesses themselves, but the funding for TWRA from license sales.
If there were just archery, then firearms, a large portion of sportsmans license holders would drop their sportsmans license and just opt for fishing plus big game gun and save a ton of $$$.... which would cost TRWA a huge chunk of revenue.
ML season served an important role back in the early 80s when created. Deer populations were still low in most areas, and population expansion was a priority... buck only ML allowed for an extra week afield during prime prerut and rut for many areas of TN, and 2 weeks during December when season was closed benefitting those in west TN, while not negatively impacting herd expansion. The most newfangled ML back then was a percussion cap TC Hawken, and many were actually hunting with flintlock and wheellocks.
Over the next 2 decades as populations met or even exceeded social carrying capacity, the 2 weeks in December was changed to any weapon (which benefitted west TN and extreme southern middle TN to include their first rut), but the week in mid Nov could not be changed to any weapon for fear of revenue loss due to a decline of ML season license sales.
TWRA needs and DESERVES the funding, but the entire biological reason (increased hunter opportunity without negatively impacting the resource) for a ML season has been replaced by a Frankenstein of technology advancements producing weapons that are equivalent and exceed many centerfire rifles, and are only 'muzzleloaders' in semantics, only to provide funding through additional license sales (not just in TN... many other states are in the same boat). And when you look at the kill numbers, most years MORE deer are killed day for day during ML season than during rifle season.
Those states still needing to adhere to the original concept of ML season (handicap the hunter in an attempt to generate revenue in hopes they are unsuccessful and not impact the resource) are mostly out west... where draw tags are limited, and weapons are limited to original primitive firearms, loose black powder, only iron sights, and only patch round balls or Buffalo bullets.
In TN, we have reached the point where an exclusive ML season needs to go. West TN now gets to hunt their rut with any weapon. Only middle TN is restricted, and only so for additional revenue for TWRA.
I'd rather write a check to TWRA for the thousands I've spent over the years on modernizing muzzleloaders to become more effective than keep chasing the evolution in technology. I would certainly pay extra for a ML 'season' to be able to hunt with my preference during my rut. And I still feel terrible that my children have missed out on 1st rut on my farms because they couldn't handle the recoil of a ML when they were younger. (Thankfully, my son can now shoot one without problem, but my daughters still are intimidated).
I'd like to see TN follow in MS footsteps... allow any weapon during ML season, but still have to purchase a primitive weapons tag.
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