Cocking while hunting

[JHeath]

I haven't hunted with a flintlock.

Question: is the cocking noise an issue when game are near? Does anybody hold the trigger back to lift the sear while cocking, to eliminate the noise?

I bought a flintlock with a double set, single-lever trigger. The sear arm was modified to be dog-legged. With that mod, the rifle can be cocked without setting the trigger. So the sequence is normal: cock, set rear trigger, fire with front trigger.

But there is no way to avoid the clack-clack when cocking because the front trigger cannot be used to hold the sear up.

With an unmodified sear, this rifle cannot be cocked until the trigger is set. That seems to be common with single-lever triggers.

It's a Dru Hedgecock trigger, looks well made. Long bar. A gentle breeze can set it off depending on how it is adjusted. Would probably be perfect on a chunk gun, but this isn't one.

The lock is a large Siler.

[Austin]

Nope, ive never had a deer spook from cocking. Don’t sweat it.

[Tim Ault]

I’ve had a few deer perk up their ears when I’ve cocked back but they went about their business within 20-30 seconds maybe 50 yds away

[martin9]

I've cocked a large siler with  deer less than 10 yards away. Like Tim said If they do hear anything they'll go back to their business in a little bit.

[Daniel Coats]

Holding the trigger back can be noiseless unless you slip and blow the opportunity completely. 

[Daryl]

LOL

[Osprey]

Yes, on a still evening when close they can hear it.  I typically cock it close to my body with my gloved hand over the lock as I do so and haven't had any spook from that, and they normally don't hear it all.  Gun up and already aiming and cocking with the lock in the air, so to speak?  Yeah, that can spook a deer under the right/wrong conditions. 

[Nazgul]

With my limited experience I have not had them react at all to cocking the rifle. Closest was 20 yards a few days ago. Usually wait till their head is down or turned to shoulder the rifle, cocking it as it is raised.

Don

[Shovelbuck]

As most have said, it's generally not a concern. Deer have excellent hearing, but it has one downside, it's very directional. If you're concerned about them hearing the click, wait until their ears are pointed away from your direction.

[WadePatton]

If I see them coming I'll cock before they get right up on me.  Other times, I cock the lock as I bring it to my shoulder. Deer often hear it, but never had them spook and run simply on the cocking.  Depends a lot on the range and conditions. I have never tried to quiet the process with trigger manipulation.

[Eric Krewson]

If you cock a lock on an Alabama whitetail it will be over the ridge in a heartbeat, you can hold the trigger back and cock it without any noise but this often hard to do with very cold numb fingers.

I keep my gun cocked while on a stand (not while walking) and use a frizzen stall. It is a lot easier to flip off that leather stall than to cock your gun and risk spooking off a deer or dropping the hammer by mistake, been there done that, BOOM!

I have the frizzen stall tied to my trigger guard with leather lacing, it is a stretch fit to get it on the frizzen and it isn't falling off even if I should drop the gun out of a treestand by accident.

[john bohan]

I don't know where all you folks hunt, but here in pa. I promise you they will react to the sound of that gun being cocked. Many times you don't get a shot. I agree with Eric, mabey our deer are more pressured.

[Eric Krewson]

I had several store bought stalls but found if I cut out some cheap leather to fit my frizzen and glued the edges together with barge cement it worked just as well as the store bought stitched ones.

[James Rogers]

I have for all my years of ML hunting silently cooked my piece by holding my finger on the trigger whilst bringing the cock back from half to full.

[Dennis Glazener]

After missing my first buck due to him whirling when I cocked and fired my single trigger Lancaster rifle, I made a frizzen stall and always hunt with it on full cock. I still hunt alone on my own property so I consider it safe. Most of the time my fingers are too cold to trust holding the trigger down and cocking the gun.
Dennis

[Daryl]

I have for all my years of ML hunting silently cooked my piece by holding my finger on the trigger whilst bringing the cock back from half to full.

Same here.  My only big game rifle has a simple trigger on a cap gun.
 My rabbit guns have all been double set, double throw and were cocked from 1/2 bent, frizzen closed on prime, holding front trigger
until cocked, then setting the rear trigger - never had a bunny 'jump' on the click of setting the triggers.

[MuskratMike]

I was going to comment but I will just say: Eric & Dennis have the right idea. Had a small group of elk coming in. One soft "click" and they all spun and left the county.

[Austin]

So, This afternoon I went hunting down on lower Stoner. This doe came up to about 40 yards away (sorry for the poor quality camera phone pic). I decided to give her a hearing test, and cocked my rifle without trying to muffle the sound with my glove or coat tail…. Nothing! brought it back to half cock and did it again…. Nothing! I finally got her attention when i was fumbling with my phone to take her pic. I don’t know what you fellers are doing to your deer to get em so goosey….. maybe ours are deaf???

[Stoner creek]

Time to give her the orange flame test!

[Austin]

Im saving up!

[bob in the woods]

I have always silently cocked my firearm when big game hunting .  Most of the black bears I've taken were within 25 yards or less.  I've had a powder horn softly knock against the handle of my knife .....bear gone in an instant !    Deer can be a bit less spooky...or not.   

[JHeath]

This is all great feedback. I really appreciate your time, effort, and the benefit of your experience. Keep it coming.

I have a stall, so that's a good idea. I can't silently cock with the single-lever trigger. But with the modified sear I can full-cock and (because the front trigger can't fire the rifle) I still have the "safety" of the required rear trigger/front trigger sequence.

[Brokennock]

This is all great feedback. I really appreciate your time, effort, and the benefit of your experience. Keep it coming.

I have a stall, so that's a good idea. I can't silently cock with the single-lever trigger. But with the modified sear I can full-cock and (because the front trigger can't fire the rifle) I still have the "safety" of the required rear trigger/front trigger sequence.

I do similar. Gun is at full cock while sitting in one place, stall in place on frizzen. My front trigger can fire unset, but, is so heavy a pull even if you wanted to shoot unset, you wouldn't.
I will recommend two things if you are going to hunt at full cock with the small covering the frizzen. First, test your stall, on an empty gun prime your pan, close frizzen, cock, set, and squeeze the trigger. Obviously with the gun pointed in a safe direction. Consider it a dry fire practice opportunity. Does your stall actually stop the flint from contacting steel and firing the gun? I have seen and read about stalls made out of leather too soft and thin to stop a sharp flint from just cutting right through.
Second, be very, very, careful when decocking the gun. Don't try to decock to half cock. Open the frizzen, decock controlling the flintcock all the way forward, then recock to halfcock. Not the time to cut corners or rush.

[alacran]

Time to give her the orange flame test!

Having hunted in KY, your deer are not deaf Stoner. their ears are full of ticks.

[Glenn Hurley Jr.]

I think the deer’s reaction depends on a number of factors.  The first and probably most important is how pressured the deer have been.  If they haven’t been pushed to you or been recently “jumped”, they are more relaxed and less on edge.  If they have been driven to you, that is a different story.  Any unusual sound and in my opinion, they will either turn tail and run or put themselves in high gear.  Another factor to consider is how quiet the woods are that day.  I have seen deer on a dead quiet day, lunge at the sound of me setting the trigger.  For that reason, I cock my rifle and set the double set trigger as soon as I see them, taking my trigger finger out of the trigger guard.  I only put my finger on the front trigger after I have aligned my sights on my target.  If I don’t take the shot, I move the frizzen forward, carefully lower the cock, then set it to half cock and after checking my priming powder, lower the frizzen on to the pan.  Then I am ready for the next encounter!