Flintlock Traditions in Pennsylvania

If you hunt deer in Pennsylvania, tradition will steer you in the direction of one particular gun --- the Flintlock rifle. The time-honored tradition of hunting with Flintlock rifles is part of Pennsylvania's history. Hunters who use the simple and streamlined Flintlock regard it as a means of staying true to the more natural hunting experience of their ancestors.

  1. Origins of the Pennsylvania Flintock Deer Season

    • In 1974 the Pennsylvania Federation of Black Powder Shooters explained to the Pennsylvania Game Commission they would relish the opportunity to hunt in the old fashioned way. The commission established the flintlock deer season on 37 selected state game lands. It attracted growing numbers of black powder participants and was expanded statewide in 1979. It is now regarded as part of the heritage of the state and the season runs between December and January of each year.

    The Black Powder Brigade

    • Single-shot muzzle-loading black powder rifles are shunned by many modern rifle enthusiasts. These original hunter's rifles have no optics and require a reload after each shot. Conditions such as rain would not bother a modern hunter, but can have a devastating effect on black powder, which when wet becomes as useful as mud. Keeping their powder dry, their nerve steady and their shot true is the essence of being a black powder hunter.

    The Flintlock Rifle

    • Advocates of the Flintlock say they are drawn to the gun's classic architecture and design. They insist its limitations make them better hunters and present more of a challenge. They argue that circumstance and limitations make the hunter extremely aware of the importance of one shot, and the ability to stalk your game with stealth and cunning is a hard-won and much-treasured skill. Hunters confess it gives them an adrenalin rush getting as close as possible to their prey, knowing they have only one shot to bring home the bacon.

    The Killing Game

    • One shot, one kill, is the code of conduct of flintlock hunters. During Pennsylvania's flintlock season, hunters are not required to wear fluorescent orange and can wear more traditional garb. Only true flintlock ignition is permitted and telescopic sights are prohibited. Because of the technological limitations, flintlock hunters claimed just 65 deer in the debut season. When the hunt went statewide in 1979, 2,459 deer of a total reported harvest of 114,794 were killed. The statistics reveal that flintlock hunters are less successful than their modern counterparts in terms of killing, but a much more worthy and respectful adversary of the animals they hunt.