What do you take?

[threefortyduster]

When you guys go hunting, what all do you take? I'm new to the muzzle loader game and I have 2 months before BP season starts here.

Background: Using a 209 primered modern muzzle loader, using pelleted powder, fancy dancy saboted bullets, open sights. The property I hunt very rarely allows more than a 50 yard shot, even more rarely allows a follow up shot. Florida weather, average mid 70s during day, mid 50s-low 60s at night.

The clothing aspect I'm not worried about, just wondering what all I should take for a successful muzzle loader hunt that I haven't thought about yet. I know all the stuff required to make the gun shoot, but I know there's lots I'm forgetting and should know about.

As for accessories, I currently have a T-handle for the ram rod, bullet starter, the tools, cleaners and lubes for the gun.

 

[Upstater]

I would recommend a couple of inline speed loaders and a good sharp knife.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I wish I could hunt in sunny Florida instead of fighting the cold. Of course, we have advantage of being able to hang our meat, sometimes for days, without fear of it spoiling.

 

[J-Bar]

Your kit will vary a bit depending on whether or not you are camping out for several days at a time.

I don't. I leave the car before daybreak and go back home at sundown, deer or not.

If you do things right, you will take one shot. Having a couple of blackpowder "speedloaders" is a good idea in case Murphy strikes:

https://secure.tcarms.com/store/muzzleloader/loading-tools-quickshot/quickshot/

In my backpack/knapsack I include a compass, bottle of water, apple, some plastic gloves, paper towels (doubles as toilet paper) in a ziploc bag, binoculars, knife, dry sox, spare gloves, cell phone (usually turned off, only for emergencies.) It gets colder in Missouri than Florida. This is the same stuff I carry when not using a muzzleloader. Since I am cleaning the gun at home, I see no need to carry excess stuff.

 

[OrangePwrx9]

Assembling the 'kit' every year is a bit of a challenge. I usually hunt with PRB in a slow twist .54 Hawken or Power Belts in something more modern with a faster twist. So far the PRB/.54 Hawken combo has been devastating at the ranges you'll be hunting.

From memory, here's what I take to feed the front-stuffer:
1) Projectiles for at least 6 loads
-Roundballs and pre-lubed patches for the .54
-Power Belts for the 1:48 & 1:38 .50s
-Pistol bullets and sabots for the faster twist .50s
2) Clear plastic TC powder flask filled with Pyrodex RS
3) Powder measure marked for the load the rifle likes (normally 90 grains)
4) A pair of inline cappers both fully loaded with percussion caps
5) Nipple wrench (different wrenches needed for inlines)
6) Nipple Pick/decapper
7) Jag for ramrod (Different jags for different calibers/projectiles)
8) Several cleaning patches
9) Small squeeze bottle of rubbing alchohol (90%)
10) Small tube of Bore Butter or small tin (percussion cap tin) of Crisco
-used with Power Belts and Sabots primarily
11) Worm
12) Screw (never used one, but take it anyway)
13) a few pipe cleaners
14) Breech Plug Wrench (for the inlines)

The biggest help for me was when I ditched the old-timey possibles bag and set about distributing this stuff in my hunting jacket pockets. The bag always was getting caught on stuff and getting in the way.

Next biggest help was when I put the stuff specific to a particular gun (like PRBs, patches, & .54 tools for the Hawken) in a small cloth belt bag and stuffed it in a pocket. Loaded up another cloth belt bag for the Power Belt .50s and yet another for the sabot gun. Then, when I wanted to hunt with a different gun, I'd remove the belt bag for the gun I used yesterday and replace it with the bag for the gun I planned to use. All the common-denominator stuff (flask, measure, caps, cleaning patches, etc.) stayed put in my other jacket pockets throughout the season.

Never was too big on speed loaders. I've got a few and generally throw one or two in the gun-specific cloth bag; but would probably be too flustered to use one right if I really needed it. Gotta stick to what I know best.

 

[BADUNAME30]

And sammiches.
Yep, that's right.
Make yer favorie sammiches and wrap 'em waxed paper, not in a plastic sammich bag, stick 'em in a paper bag, or sack 'pendin where yer from, and put 'em in yer coat pocket.
My favorite is either a fried egg sammich on buttered toast. Or, a jumbo, or balogna, 'pendin on where yer from,on fresh white bread with butter and yeller mustard.
Man, 'bout half way thru the day when yer mountain walkin hungry and you pull one o' them semi flattened from bein in yer pocket, sammiches out o' that waxed paper.

Mmm..... but then i 'spect you aint got no mountains in St. Petersburg huh?
And b'sides, aint yer deer down there small enough to catch with a mouse trap ?

Sorry threefortyduster , jist messin with ya.
On a side note: i'd love to see that 340 Duster.

 

[arcticap]

Pack some rope or buy a deer drag which is a rope attached to a shoulder harness. Bring some spare rags for cleaning off blood which are handy even if you have rubber gloves.
Pack a small plastic bag for storing any bloody stuff or garbage.
Thin rope or string for attaching a deer tag, or to help close up the deer cavity when dragging it out of the woods to help keep dirt out of it.
I also like to line the trunk of the car with a canvas or a tarp to keep the blood and bugs that fall off the deer out of the trunk.
And I usually keep a portable hoist with gambrel in the car in case I can't lift the deer into the trunk by myself. At least then I could hoist it alone by using a low tree limb.
The muzzle of the gun can be covered with a balloon, tape or pastic wrap to keep the rain or mud out of the barrel in case the gun or hunter slips. Having mud get packed into the barrel can ruin a day of hunting.
If you think that you might need insect repellent for hunting in Florida then be sure to have some of that too.

 

[J-Bar]

One other thought;

I keep a gallon jug of vinegar in the car when I go deer hunting. If I get a deer, then after I gut it and get it back to my vehicle, I rinse the body cavity thoroughly with vinegar. Vinegar is acetic acid, and will prevent bacteria from growing until you get the deer to a cooler. It will not hurt the flavor at all. But don't let any get on your gun, it removes bluing!!

It's a common packing house procedure on beef and swine carcasses also.

 

[BHP FAN]

lots of water. good to drink, good to clean the gun.

 

[mykeal]

If you think that you might need insect repellent for hunting in Florida then be sure to have some of that too.

Insect repellent is not required in Florida. A good semi-auto shotgun would be useful, however.

 

[threefortyduster]

Guys, thanks for the answers....I should have specified what do you take when black powder hunting over general gun hunting. I've hunted for a little over 10 years, so I have the basics, but this will be my first black powder experience.

And where I hunt, a shotgun is as effective on our mosquitos as bug spray (their bodies are usually 3/4" of an inch long around my property)

and jim....

Mmm..... but then i 'spect you aint got no mountains in St. Petersburg huh?

A Florida mountain is a pile of dirt about 10 feet tall But St. Pete has no hunting except for people. My county is completely built up.

And b'sides, aint yer deer down there small enough to catch with a mouse trap ?

Close...a big deer here is about 150 lbs. Actually, that's about huge. Normal you'll see isn't but about 110 or 125.

You guys are great with the help!

 

[loose noose]

Hey Duster, I'll bet you didn't take a sealable baggy with ya to put the liver in, Myself I won't leave home without it. Nothing taswtes better than deer liver and onions.

 

[roundball]

In addition to the good items mentioned above, I don't like to litter when I hunt, so I carry a few of what I call 'Field Cleaning Kits'.
I thogoughly clean the ML and Flint lock assembly after a shot before reloading, and stuff all the mess back in the Ziploc bag to pack out.

4 wet cleaning patches
4 dry patches
Lubed patch
Alcohol wipe
Q-tip
Pipe cleaner
Muzzle cover (finger cot)

 

[towboat_er]

I hunt on my property.
I take what I will need to load a couple more shots. And what I need for gutting a kill.