Muzzleloading hunters in several states will take to the field as the muzzleloader specific seasons open up.

Hunters in Michigan Zones 1-3 from Dec. 2-11, 2022 according to the Michigan DNR. The Michigan state rules for muzzleloaders are as follows but not limited to:

Which equipment can I use during the muzzleloading deer season?
If you are hunting deer with a muzzleloading firearm during the muzzleloading deer season in Zones 1** and 2, you may only possess, carry afield or take a deer with a crossbow, muzzleloading rifle, muzzleloading shotgun or black-powder pistol, loaded with black powder or a commercially manufactured black-powder substitute.
** In the Upper Peninsula, only certified hunters with a disability may use a
crossbow or a modified bow during the muzzleloading season, except in the
U.P. core CWD surveillance area, where crossbows may be used.

In Zone 3, which equipment can I use during the muzzleloading deer season?
In Zone 3, and Oceana, Newaygo, Mecosta, Muskegon, Isabella, Midland and Bay counties, you can use all legal firearms. If you are hunting in the limited firearm deer zone, you must follow equipment requirements for that zone

Hunters in Nebraska can enjoy hunting with their muzzleloaders through the entire month of December with the season ending on December 31. The Muzzleloader rules for Nebraska are as follows but not limited to:

Handguns or muzzleloading handguns that deliver at least 400 foot-pounds of energy at 50 yards
Muzzleloading rifles .44-caliber or larger
Muzzleloading muskets .62-caliber or larger, firing a single slug

Indiana’s Muzzleloader Hunting season starts on the first Saturday of the month this year, on December 3 and runs through December 18. The muzzleloader rules for Indiana are as follows but not limited to:

Muzzleloading Rifle/Shotgun

Barrel caliber: .44” minimum

Bullet diameter: .357” minimum

• powder and bullet loaded from muzzle and single bullet*

• saboted bullets permitted

• multiple barreled guns permitted

* can have powder loaded from the breech end only during the youth and firearms seasons

Muzzeloading Handgun

Barrel length: 12” minimum, measured from the base of the breech plug (excluding tangs and other projections to the end of the barrel, including the muzzle crown)

Barrel caliber: .50” minimum

Bullet diameter: .44” minimum loaded from muzzle and single shot