Passion for muzzleloading? Don’t limit your hunting to deer season

I had just finished gently pulling down the ear flaps of a blaze orange cap to provide additional cover from the frigid January air as a shot opportunity presented itself.
Slowly raising the curved brass buttplate to my shoulder while concurrently cocking the hammer of a Thompson Center percussion lock brought the front fiber optic bead quickly in line with the animal. Moments later, the featherweight set trigger was actuated and an eruption of smoke quickly drifted to give view of the animal solidly collapsing from a hemlock branch down to the snow-covered ground.