At 4:27 p.m. tonight, Maine’s regular deer hunting season will come to a close. A large percentage of the sportsmen who pursued whitetails will still have a deer tag in their pocket and empty space reserved for venison in their freezer. Most will begin storing away hunting gear and digging out their ice fishing equipment.

I’m here to tell you not to throw in that fluorescent orange towel just yet. There’s at least one more full week of deer stalking available throughout the entire state from Monday through next Saturday. Outdoorsmen living in or willing to travel to Wildlife Management Districts 12, 13, 15-18, 20-26, and 30 enjoy a second full week of gunning, from Dec. 6 through 11. Hunters can use the same tactics, employ the same scents and calls, and even haunt their favorite whitetail havens, the only thing they have to change is the style of weapon they’re lugging. For the next couple of weeks, Maine’s muzzleloader season is in full swing.

If you’re in need of a bit more incentive to get into black powder hunting, consider the fact that only 9,089 special permits were sold in 2002, but last year the number of participants nearly doubled to 17,584. Muzzleloader hunting is a growing sport, and still the number of shooters in the woods, the time of year, style of hunting, and closer sightings and shots make it a safer season to hunt.

These same factors also mean an outdoorsman can often visit prime deer covers, which are sometimes crowded and overhunted during the regular season, and have the entire sector to himself. Reduced hunting pressure also means the deer are a bit less jumpy and wary, often returning to preseason routines and habits that can work in the woodsmen’s favor. Since the premiere muzzleloader season in 1981 when only seven deer were taken, numbers of deer tagged have grown each fall. Last year’s hunting conditions during the regular season were poor, but snow arrived for the black powder hunt and smokepole shooters took full advantage by tagging a record 1,359 deer.

Modern muzzleloaders

The first step to taking advantage of an extended deer season is deciding to hunt with a muzzleloader. Since favorite hunting areas, styles of hunting and tactics, and all the clothing and gear stay the same, the only notable change will be the rifle. For outdoorsmen who have no reason to keep up with muzzleloading guns, let me just say that the modern version of black powder long guns are a far cry from the smoke belcher your grandfather carried.

Although a few traditionalists remain faithful to the hunting heritage of clothing and guns of the pioneer period, use of flintlock, matchlock, and wheellock rifles is dwindling. In truth, the term black powder rifle, though still used, is a misnomer. Specialized smokeless powders, such as Pyrodex, have become the standard, and this propellant is even available in easy-to-use, measured, preformed discs.

Ignition systems have become enclosed to ensure protection from the elements, especially moisture, which used to make a muzzleloader go click instead of boom. Priming agents that begin the chain of events when the trigger is pulled have changed from exposed spark and fire units to never-fail percussion caps and primers in a closed breech mechanism. Development of these closed breech systems and new age powders have made cleaning and maintaining the modern muzzleloader a far simpler task compared to their primitive predecessors. The future of muzzleloader hunting has arrived in the form of in-line rifles.

Along with never-fail ignition and premeasured powder doses come a plethora of new bullet sizes, weights, and styles. Trigger systems and safety mechanisms have improved, sights have better visibility and finer adjustments, and stronger barrels and breeches allow accurate, hard-hitting, long-distance shots. Modern top-of-the-line bore loaders offer many of the assets of favorite centerfire rifles, and some extra days of deer hunting.

The right rifle

Check out the wide array of muzzleloaders in the rifle rack of the local gun shop and the selection of styles, sizes, and shapes and features will make your head spin. First and foremost, before you even visit the store, decide on a caliber that best meets all your hunting needs. Although choices range from a .32 caliber squirrel gun right on up to a .58 caliber buffalo rifle, most Maine shooters settle on the .50 caliber. With the right bullet and proper powder charge, a .50 cal muzzleloader will prove very effective on deer, black bear, and moose, even to extreme ranges up to 200 yards.

With concerns toward weight, durability, and appearance, buyers next need to consider what type of stock they desire. Choices include finely finished, beautifully grained hardwood, laminate, composite, or synthetic. If traditional and good looks are important, then wood is the answer, regardless of its weight and propensity to ding and scar. Synthetic stocked guns are more scrape resistant, less slippery to grip when wet, and lightweight to carry for long periods. Remember, too, that heavier, solidly constructed rifles soak up more recoil from magnum powder loads.

The appearance of a muzzleloader, in this case the outer finish of the barrel, receiver, and trigger mechanism, come into the selection process next. Exposed metal is blued, black, nickel, stainless, or camouflage. Blue and black are less expensive, and if either of these colors are chosen for metal parts of the rifle, make sure it’s a matte finish and not polished, which leads to shine and glare. Stainless is certainly the most resistant to rust and corrosion, making cleaning simpler. Camo coatings minimize the chance of sharp-eyed big game animals spotting gun movement, and also offer appreciable protection from rust, scrapes, and nicks.

Types of sights are the next consideration when purchasing a new muzzleloader. First and foremost, will you be mounting a scope or a red dot sight on the rifle? If a scope, make sure the model selected is drilled and tapped to accept a scope. Open sights are the most common style, yet a few models have peep sights available, too. In either case be sure sights are adjustable. My favorite open sight is the high-visibility fiber-optic sights front and rear. They are great for shooters with diminished eyesight and also in low light conditions.

Other considerations will require actually handling, shouldering, aiming, and inspecting the opening and firing mechanisms of each muzzleloader. While in the store, deliberate over weight, style, and comfort of stock and fore end, ease of cocking (especially if a scope extends over the hammer), position and style of safety, ease of disassembly and cleaning, ease of priming and loading, and of course, price.

Manufacturers of top-rate muzzleloading rifles include Thompson/Center Arms, Knight, CVA, White, Traditions, Connecticut Valley Arms, and NEF. Each company offers a variety of models in a price range from $200 to $600, depending on features and amenities. After a good deal of research and a lot of hands-on inspection of dozens of muzzleloaders for a spring bear hunt last May, I chose a T/C Encore 209X 50 Magnum. It had a TRU-GLO fiber-optic rear sight with click adjustments and a front fiber-optic ramp sight, and the entire gun is in REALTREE Hardwoods HD Camo on a composite stock. The rifle fits me well, is comfortable to carry and fire, and is more accurate than I thought my eyes were capable of.

There you have the basics of selecting a muzzleloading rifle, but as with any new firearm purchase, personal preference rules. Comfort and functionality are prime requisites, but beauty is always in the eye of the shooter. The cherry on the sundae is, it’s a win-win situation; not only does the sportsman get a new gun, but also a couple of extra weeks of deer hunting. Muzzleloader season starts in two days; better check out your local gun shop this weekend for an early Christmas present.

Outdoor feature writer Bill Graves can be reached via e-mail at bgravesoutdoors@ainop.com