State clarifies license use during muzzleloader season

The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted a clarification to the muzzleloader heritage hunting season for deer and elk at its meeting on Oct. 28.

The commission approved the regulations for the season at its meeting on Aug. 20.

The clarification states that any unused license-permit valid on the last day of the general season (i.e., Nov. 28, 2021) would be valid during the muzzleloader heritage season (Dec. 11 to 19, 2021).

The nine-day season was established when House Bill 242 was passed in the 2021 Legislative Session. The season begins on the second Saturday following the end of the regular season. At its Aug. 20 meeting, the commission adopted the following regulations, most of which are based on language from the statute:

A person may take a deer or elk with a license or permit that is valid on the last day of the general hunting season.

Hunters can use plain lead projectiles and a muzzleloading rifle that is charged with loose black powder, loose pyrodex or an equivalent loose black powder substitute and ignited by a flintlock, wheel lock, matchlock or percussion mechanism using a percussion or musket cap.

The muzzleloading rifle must be a minimum of .45 caliber and may not have more than two barrels.

During the muzzleloader heritage season, hunters may not use a muzzleloading rifle that requires insertion of a cap or primer into the open breech of the barrel (inline), is capable of being loaded from the breech, or is mounted with an optical magnification device.

Use of preprepared paper or metallic cartridges, sabots, gas checks or other similar power and range-enhancing manufactured loads that enclose the projectile from the rifling or bore of the firearm is also prohibited.

For more information on hunting in Montana, visit fwp.mt.gov/hunt.