Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting scoped muzzleloades for Elk in CO

I was watching an episode of The Crush with Lee and Tiffany the other night, and I noticed that both of them used a scoped muzzleloader to shoot a bull elk. I thought CO was open sights only? Is it different on private land compared to public?

Busted!!! Turn them in. Sure it wasn't Utah?

Another thought is they could have been using a ML during an any-weapon season - to pimp one of their sponsors ML's. Then a scope could be used.

From the 2017 Regs:

3. MUZZLELOADING RIFLES
& SMOOTHBORE MUSKETS
a. Only legal muzzleloaders allowed in muzzleloading seasons.
b. In-line muzzleloaders are legal.
c. Must be a single barrel that fires a single round ball or conical projectile.
d. To hunt deer, pronghorn or bear, they must be a minimum of .40
caliber.
e. To hunt elk or moose, they must be a minimum of .50 caliber.
f. From .40 caliber to .50 caliber, bullets must weigh a minimum of 170
grains.
g. If greater than .50 caliber, bullets must weigh a minimum of 210
grains.
h. Shotshell primers and B.O.R. Lock MZ System bullets are legal.
i. Pelletized powder systems are prohibited during muzzleloading
seasons.
j. Cannot be loaded from the breech during muzzleloading seasons.
k. Only open or iron sights allowed in muzzleloading seasons. Fiber optics
and fluorescent paint incorporated into or on open or iron sights
are legal. Scopes or any sighting device using artificial light, batteries
and electronic gear are prohibited during muzzleloading seasons.

I think they hunt the Hill Ranch. That would be one of the "Ranching For Wildlife" programs. If so then it's any legal method. A scoped muzzleloader or archery is legal in the rifle season. In the National Forest, Wilderness Areas and private lands not covered in the "Ranching For Wildlife" an open sights muzzleloader is to be used the muzzleloading season. During the rifle season a scoped muzzleloader is legal.

It was a RFW hunt.

Thanks for the clarification. I was wondering if it was one of the RFW hunts or something like that.

Those pathetic juvenile-acting idiots are not about to be hunting on public land. That would be beneath them and many other "hosts" on TV.

Aren't RFW hunts for residents only? Are they residents?

They could have been paying clients on that ranch.The entire RFW program is based on the ranch giving out a few ( very few) tags to residents in return for the CPW giving them basically an extended hunting season. Only the participants who draw tag for a RFW hunt are required to be residents

Saddlesore is right. Some ranches do have more than a few public licenses. It depends on how many licenses they get from the CPW (private hunters), the size of the ranch, the size of the elk herd, and how much management the herd needs. Typically many more cow licenses and very few bull licenses.

Thanks, both.