How to Become a Conspiracy Theorist
By BTR Files
One week after missing a giant buck in a neighbor’s alfalfa field near his home in Archerwill, Saskatchewan, Bruce Ewen returned on Nov. 26, 1992, hoping for a second opportunity at the top-heavy whitetail.
He wasn’t able to get off a follow-up shot during his initial visit because his second cartridge became stuck in the rifle’s chamber. So firmly lodged, he couldn’t remove it. He had to drive to town to have someone do it for him.
After spotting a small buck among the cattle about 11:30, Bruce took up a position near a strip of willows where he’d seen the big one a week earlier. While he was waiting for it to veer onto the popular deer trail, he spotted another buck in the willows.
The second deer was absolutely huge.
When the animal stopped 120 yards from him, Bruce jammed the clip into his pump-action .270 and manually loaded a cartridge into the chamber. When he squeezed the trigger, however, the rifle didn’t fire because he’d forgotten to release the safety.
He quickly flicked it off and tried again, but still there was no boom because he’d not fully closed the action.
Desperate, Bruce ejected the cartridge and tried a third time. Only then, the action would not close. Were the deer gods conspiring against him?
Cartridges were piling up in the snow as the great buck just stood and watched Bruce unraveling.
Thoroughly panicked and with nothing to lose, Bruce ejected the clip several times to see if he could clear the action. He ultimately plucked a cartridge out of the snow, wiped it off, hand-fed it into the chamber, and then slammed the action closed.
That did the trick.
Fortunately for Bruce, his first bullet connected (a second one didn’t) and the buck collapsed moments later.
The Saskatchewan 9x8 is the fifth-largest Typical in the BTR, No. 3 among rifle kills.