73 Springfield

[Sfc Hawk]

I live in Eastern Oregon where most of our big game hunts are draw.
This year I hit the Trifctia elk, mule deer (buck) and antalope. The antalope tag came after 13 years of applications. I decided this year I was going to hunt everything with an old cut down (26") 1873 Springfield 45-70 with BP- lead bullet 405gr, loaded like J S and Pat Wolf describe in their book. With this rifle I killed a bison in Arizona about 40 years ago. Shoot her running at about 60 yrds, held about the end of her nose, bullet struck behind the ear, the first thing to hit the ground was her nose the second was her back. So thats the rifle thats going with me this year. Antalope season opened the 16 of Aug this year. It was hot (90s) so the first few days it was kind of watch and see. Had a bunch spotted but they had me spotted too. On the 22 of Aug the weather cooled some (80s) time to get serious. We are having a bad drought and springs are drying up but I found a small seep so sat up an ambush little over 100 yards from the seep under a buckbrush bush. About 5 in the afternoon a nice buck came into the seep. One shoot one kill. He drop in his tracks. Had my mule to pack him out, it was not that far but sure beat dragging him.