Smoke Poles

Times Outdoor Columnist The weather decided to cooperate just in time for serious deer hunting.

Archery season has been going on since Sept. 28, and the hunters have suffered through some brutally hot weather. They are truly glad to put on a jacket to hunt the longest deer season in America that finishes on Feb. 29 next year. It is now time for the hunters that love the smell of black powder and peeking through a cloud of smoke to “see if you got him”. Black powder guns go back many centuries to the old blunderbuss and muskets.

Daniel Boone and his famous Kentucky long rifle helped tame the Wild West. The Kentucky long rifle and the Hawken rifle were state of the art for guns. They used patched round balls and flint locks that required putting black powder in priming pans, that when struck with flint, ignited the powder in the barrel. It was a good system but misfires were common, especially in the rain. These rifles can still be purchased and pioneer spirited hunters still use them to take game. There are clubs that do reenactments based on pioneer time using Kentucky long rifles and are dressed Daniel Boone style leathers and moccasins.

Modern muzzleloaders are now “in line” and used 209 shotgun primers are used to shoot sabot bullets powdered by preformed pellets of powder, usually Powerdex. Several companies make these rifles such as Remington, Knight, Thompson/Center, CVA Traditions, and Gunwerks.

All these guns are very accurate and the price is usually determined by the quality of workmanship involved. Thompson/Center and CVA are the most poplar models of these very accurate and deadly guns.

Arkansas muzzleloader season starts on Saturday, Oct. 19, and continues 9 days, ending on Sunday, Oct. 27. There is a second season but the dates vary in different zones, usually in late December, so check the AGFC Hunting Guidebook for dates and limits. All the rules for rifle hunting apply to muzzle loading season. Orange hats and vests are required and you must tag your deer. In spite of this cold snap, it is still early fall and the leaves are on the trees and the snakes and bugs are still around. Wasps are always a threat when getting in a deer stand. They wait until it warms up and then become very active. Those Red Devils make getting out of the stand a serious problem and really do hurt! Muzzleloading guns are fun and they are available in ole style pistols and even 12-gauge shotguns. These guns with quality scope can be very accurate out to 100 yards and some shooters will say out to 200 yards with the proper loads and practice. There are disadvantages such as limited range, single shot, and they have to be cleaned after only a few shots as the burnt powder builds up in the barrel and a new bullet can not be properly seated.

When was the last time you cleaned your ole smoke pole? Webb Arms in Marion are very good at cleaning all types of firearms.

Give the Gattis boys a call at 870-636-9592. This last week has been the Private Land Antlerless deer hunt and is a good opportunity to put some tender venison in the freezer.

The cool, almost cold, weather brought out many fishermen on the local lakes. Both crappie and bass fishing have improved and should get better until it gets too cold to enjoy.

There were several limits of good crappie at Horseshoe. Trolling was good and the piers are starting to produce larger fish.

Midway continues to be the bass and bream lake.

The bream are the surprise because cold weather generally makes them quite. Tilden Rodgers is producing good stringers of cat and the local bank fishermen can’t wait till its time to stock the rainbow trout. That is usually around Thanksgiving. No one has sent reports of Wapanocca, but usually the late fall fishing is better there. Several of the private ponds have turned on and will stay good for about 2 months.

It’s our kind of weather and our favorite time of year. The thought of sitting around the fire with friends talking about the great hunt is worth waiting all year for. Be sure to take that kid with you and make some wonderful memories together. Lakeside Taxidermy also enjoys this time of year, so bring those trophies to be mounted quickly, at a reasonable price, and you will enjoy showing them off. Please send pictures and stories to Papa Duck and you will enjoy reading them in our paper.

Warden Andy has plenty of the right answers and you don’t even have to tell who you are.

Papa Duck Lakeside Taxidermy 870-732-0455 or 901482-3430 jhcriner@hotmail.com