I hunted the third rifle season which turned out to be unseasonably warm. Short sleeves, 70 degrees in November at 9,000 feet. Who would have thought?

On the fourth day of the hunt I saw this guy walk out of a patch of oak brush and bed down in a small sage flat 435 yards away facing me. I was above him glassing from a large rock knob looking over several small ridges. I thought I could shoot him from where I was but closer would be better. You never know how it is going to turn out but since he just laid down I figured I had a little time.

I managed to climb through about 70 yards of oak brush which put me on another flat above and only 253 yards from the buck still bedded. I got prone resting on a small sage bush and centered the crosshairs on the front of his left shoulder as he was quartered to me. Took a few deep breaths and squeezed the trigger.

I heard the impact and he never moved. Hit him just above the shoulder angled toward the off hip. The bullet didn't exit and probably came to rest somewhere in the paunch.

He is only 26" wide but has really nice forks! Hunting public land on a relatively easy to draw tag I have no complaints.

Shot him with a .270 (gasp I know) model 70 featherweight in a McMillan stock I picked up from the fire. 130 Partition did the trick.

Andy

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