Montana Heritage Season Open through December 17

Montana’s Muzzleloader Heritage season continues to grow through 2023. Since the season was introduced in 2021, hunters and the muzzleloading industry continue to flock to this Heritage focused season.

Hunters should check the hunting regulations to make sure they are compliant with all rules and regulations for this season (see page 24 of the Deer, Elk, and Antelope regulations). Fish and Wildlife 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.

• Any unused license-permit valid on the last day of the general season (i.e., Nov. 26) is valid during the muzzleloader heritage season.

• Any license that can still be purchased is valid. For example, if a person had not already purchased a general deer tag, they could purchase one for the muzzleloader heritage 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 is capable of being loaded from the breech, or is mounted with an optical magnification device. The season is for heritage muzzleloaders only; inline style modern muzzleloaders are not allowed.

• Use of pre-prepared 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.

The nine-day season muzzleloader heritage hunting season was established when House Bill 242 was signed into law by Gov. Greg Gianforte in 2021.