The whirl of a scarlet maple leaf drew my attention and I saw that a well-used deer trail passed between the maple tree and a thicket of service berries.

The chickadees and juncos flitted about the ground cover of leaf litter, searching for dropped fruit and maybe some insects that survived the morning frost.

A snap of a twig brought me back into an attentive state and I turned toward the sound. It was too quiet to be my hunting partners, and I knew that a deer sneaking through the thickets would be very quiet unless it made a misstep.

My rifle was at the ready and my grip was positioned so that I could quickly and quietly draw the hammer full back, aim and fire.

I wasn't disappointed, as several deer made their way toward me in a single file. They chose the trail that I had decided was a good vantage point and I had a shot within 50 yards of my stand.

Standing on the ground with a muzzleloader both has some advantages and some great disadvantages. The distance of 50 yards was well within the rifle's range. As with any muzzleloader, you need to make the first shot count because it's unlikely you'll get another.

The lead deer was staring my way and I knew that they sensed my presence. The wind was in my favor and they couldn't scent me, so now it was a waiting game.

The standoff might have gone on longer if the sound of my hunting partners wasn't coming up through the woods.

The three deer closest to me turned and looked in the direction of the drivers. They started to trot into the brush, so now I had to make my shot or miss out on the opportunity my partners provided.

I aimed at a deer and fired the rifle with a bang and a cloud of smoke that is the trademark of the black powder rifle.

The cloud of smoke hung over my position and I had to step through it to get a clear picture of the results of my shot.

My aim was true and the hunting party converged on the spot and put up a cheer. We always share in each other's success and work hard to give each other an opportunity to harvest game animals.

This weekend is the opening of the statewide early muzzleloader season, which runs from Saturday through Oct. 25. One antlerless deer with each license can be harvested, and the hunter must possess a muzzleloader stamp.

Any single-barrel muzzleloader long gun with flintlock, percussion or in-line ignition can be used and must be .44 caliber or larger. Scopes are permitted during this early hunting period, as well as crossbows and .50 caliber or larger handguns.

I've used all three of the acceptable rifles and my favorites are the Thompson-Center Arms in the flintlock and in-line ignition.

The best way to describe the rifles to a novice is that the flintlock was Davy Crockett's rifle of choice, the percussion was Buffalo Bill's hunting rifle of choice and the in-line ignition rifle is the new boy on the block.

I have a Thompson-Center Arms Triumph in a .50 caliber with a scope that is similar to the models used on slug guns.

With a little practice, a hunter can become a proficient marksman up to 150 yards in the right conditions.

The muzzleloader hunt overlaps other hunting seasons, so the need for fluorescent orange is a must for safety.