The post-Christmas flintlock hunting season is a favorite time of year for the traditional black powder hunters of Pennsylvania.

The woods are clear of the regular rifle hunters and the deer are settled down from the hectic crowds of hunters pushing them around. Generally, there is crisp cold air and a covering of snow as well, all of this bodes well for the smoke pole hunters.

All general licenses are valid if you possess the muzzleloader stamp for bucks or does. You can harvest either sex with the general license and only a doe with the antlerless license.

Whoa mule … before you head out for a late season hunt, you better check out your rifle and supplies. Having the right powder and ball for a flintlock rifle is a good start. Most hunters commonly use the .50 caliber rifle with some preferring the .54 or .45 caliber rifles.

The bigger the caliber number, the larger the projectile you can use. For example, a .50 caliber rifle would use a .490 or .495 diameter lead roundball. The size is always a bit smaller in diameter than the rifle barrel opening or it wouldn’t fit down the barrel.

Some shooters like a tighter fit while others shoot better with a bit more space. Don’t forget that you will be placing a patch under the round ball as you tamp it down the barrel. Lubricate the patch with lube gel or saliva, many shooters put the patch on their tongue to moisten it for both a good seal and a lubricant to help seat the round ball.

Once again, I am getting ahead of myself because we did not talk about propellants or the black powder that you would use to fire off the rifle. There are many choices, but I still prefer to use the regular black powder.

Other options include Pyrone, Triple Seven and suitable as replacements for regular black powder. These two substitutes are highly corrosive and require frequent swabbing and a thorough cleaning after each hunt. Black powder will come in one-pound cans with specific grain sizes for the gun powder ranging from 2-f to 4-f with the 4-f being the finest grain.

With my flintlock, I prefer to use the 3-f size with a 90-grain charge. I have harvested deer with this charge and it is an effective load. Pre-measure your powder charges and you will be able to load and reload with much greater efficiency in the field. Most muzzleloader shops have measuring equipment for this specific job.

Wait one more minute, the lesson isn’t over yet. You need to check your flint, weep hole and frizzen strike plate. After all, this is a flintlock rifle and the flint have to hit the frizzen to make a spark and the spark has to fall into the powder pan and ignite your charge powder, which sends a flame up the weep hole to set off your powder charge and fire the rifle!

Wow…you can see how easy it is to get a poor shot off while all of this is happening. In ideal circumstances, all areas function well and you can get your shot off cleanly. If the pan powder ignites with a puff of smoke and the rifle doesn’t fire, be very cautious…it could be a hang fire and a very slow ignition that will fire late.

Give it some time with the muzzle pointing in a safe direction before checking the weep hole for a clean out and a recharge of pan powder. Failure to produce a spark is either one of three things — poor flint situation, moisture on your pan powder/weep hole area or a dirty or worn frizzen plate.

All of these areas that we have discussed are best worked out in a controlled setting like a rangewith benches and backstops. Just because we are using a primitive firearm doesn’t make it any less dangerous or powerful when fired. Safety first and get to know your firearm proficiently.

The Late Season Flintlock hunt runs from Dec. 26 through Jan. 13, 2019.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission would like to remind anglers that the 2019 fishing licenses are now on sale at all issuing agents. The resident annual license remains at $22.90 and the resident senior license 65 & up is $11.90.

If you are a specialist anglerwho targets one or two species, the PFBC is offering 2019 Voluntary Permits for any age to help maintain funding levels for key fishing related programs.

The annual button is also available and a new venomous snake permit and commercial turtle permits. Check out the changes at www.Gone FishingPa.com.

Until we meet again, get started on your 2019 outdoor adventures and have a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

Jay Hewitt is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.