WOODBORO - The gun looks like something out of a Civil War re-enactment.

But while firing a muzzleloader is a blast from the past, it's also a way for hunters to keep the deer season going.

Muzzleloader season started last Monday.

It's lesser known to people in the Northwoods, and has far fewer hunters.

But the unique season brings hunters back to the original purpose of shooting deer.


"The first deer hunters, the settlers, the explorers, this is the kind of gun that these guys had to use to kill what they'd eat," says DNR Wildlife Biologist Jeremy Holtz.

For today's hunters, it's a far simpler, and maybe more relaxing, way of spending a day in the woods.

"This is a great opportunity to get out, deer hunt, avoid the crowds, and you really get to see a lot more because you have to get closer to the deer with a gun like this," Holtz says.

Loading and firing a muzzleloader is a more complex process than other firearms.

Experts can do it in about 20 seconds.

But it's worth it in the end.

"Muzzleloaders tend to be a little more dramatic. There's a lot of powder and a lot of smoke, and a loud ka-pow or crack," he says.

All lands open for gun deer hunting remain open for the muzzleloader season.

It ends Wednesday.

Story By: Ben Meyer