Muzzleloaders, part two - The work continues to keep Idaho’s muzzleloader hunts primative

Muzzleloaders are in the spotlight again at the Statehouse. For the second year in a row, a bill is being discussed in the Idaho legislature that would loosen hunting equipment restrictions and allow more technology into traditional muzzleloader seasons. Almost exactly one year ago today, HB 469 was introduced which would have changed current muzzleloading restrictions to allow for the use of sabots, pelletized powder, and 209 primers. That bill died in committee after significant public testimony. This time around, with HB 128, the bill is similar but focuses exclusively on permitting the use of sabots. In line with last year, IWF opposes this bill on the grounds that mandating technology in hunting seasons through legislation reduces the ability of the Fish and Game Commission to respond to changing conditions in the field and may well result in decreased hunting opportunity. Sabots, which can increase the effectiveness of muzzleloaders, would erode the primitive intent of these special traditional seasons, potentially increasing success rates and resulting necessary reduction of muzzleloader hunting tags.

Last year, the bill was introduced shortly after IDFG led a negotiated rulemaking and a public scoping process where the sportsmen and women of Idaho supported a change from having to use bullets composed of only lead, to one that allows for the use of any metal projectile (copper jacketed, solid copper, lead, etc.). The IDFG Commission listened and supported this change. The scoping process strongly indicated that muzzleloader hunters in general did not favor the use of sabots in muzzleloader seasons - in fact, only 9.4% of comments indicated support for sabots.

The author with his 2024 Idaho Muzzleloader Bull Elk

Once again we need to make our voices heard and let legislators know that specific regulation changes like this are best done through the IDFG rulemaking process, agency staff, the IDFG Commission, and most importantly with public sportsmen involvement and support.

Luckily for us, this is happening right now. This fall the Commission directed IDFG to organize the Hunting and Advanced Technology Working Group (HAT) which is made up of a wide variety of sportsmen and women to look at the complex relationship of existing, new, and upcoming technology and how it affects animal populations and hunting opportunities in Idaho. While this group is continuing to meet and has not yet finalized its recommendations, the main conversations have been focused on restricting certain technologies, not allowing more, in hopes of continuing to allow ample hunting opportunities for the future. 

Our system of wildlife management allows professional wildlife managers to tweak seasons and harvest methods to best match the desires of sportsmen and women in their state while maintaining harvestable populations of game for years to come. We have all seen threats to the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation through legislative or ballot box initiatives across the country, and that is not a road we want to go down.

Reach out to your representative and ask them to oppose HB128 and instead support the North American Model and the public involvement that should go into specifics of equipment regulations.