Hunting Assateague Island National Seashore for the wild Sika Deer. I was hunting the early primitive muzzleloader season with my flintlock.

On the second day this stag ran across in front of me just as it was getting light. I pulled up to attempt the shot and it was too dark to see the sights on the barrel so I pointed to the sky and lined up the sights. Dropped back down and somehow managed to get onto the running stag and fired my shot as he passed by me at about 40 yards.

Was certainly surprised when the stag went down. Somehow I managed to make a great shot and hit him right in the chest and the bullet came out the neck.

This 6 point stag scores 53 by the Boone and Crockett club and made the Maryland record book with a minimum score of 50 for entry. I was also told that it may be the largest Sika stag ever taken with a flintlock on the island, maybe the state, although records for such are not kept.

Most use percussion cap, but those of us from PA have to use flintlocks.