Sometimes a hunter tags a monster buck through pure luck, a happy lightning strike that results in the buck of a lifetime. Other bucks come after a long campaign that requires patience, perseverance, and careful study—plus, a little luck—before the hunter scores. The latter was the case for Manitoban hunter Evan Proctor last month, when he tagged a giant buck he’d known for three seasons.
Proctor first saw the buck in the fall of 2021, while sitting in a blind on his family farm during the rifle season. “I could tell he was going to be something special if he could make it a couple years,” he told F&S. “I snapped a couple of pics on my phone through my spotting scope, not knowing this buck would about consume the next three years of my life.” Proctor nicknamed the buck “Dagger.”
Though the deer sported impressive growth in the summer of 2022, Dagger earned another pass from both Proctor and a neighbor who was also getting photos of the deer. “One of the best pics I got of him was two days after the gun season that year,” Proctor said. “I knew then he’d made it.” Dagger made an even bigger jump in antler size during the summer of 2023, but Proctor decided to give him one more season, assuming the buck could survive the hunting season, not to mention winter, wolves, and coyotes. Somehow, Dagger survived the gauntlet and made it to the 2024 season, when Proctor finally took the gloves off and pursued the massive nontypical.
Third Time's a Charm
The Manitoba archery season opened August 26 this year, and on the third afternoon of the season, Proctor watched Dagger walk into a strip of newly seeded alfalfa and head his way. “He came out with 35 minutes left of shooting light, walked to within 30 yards of me, and I drew,” Proctor said. “At 19 steps, he stopped dead in his tracks and blew, then walked off and stood in the middle of the field until dark. I was sure I’d blown the only chance I’d have at that incredible buck.” But Dagger wasn’t done crushing Proctor’s hopes; three weeks later, the buck appeared, once again closed to within bow range, and looked directly at Proctor in his tree stand and spooked. “After that encounter I was almost 100% certain there was no possible way of killing this buck with an arrow,” he said.
Still, Proctor wasn’t giving up and, on the evening of September 22, Dagger gave him one more opportunity. After sitting for several hours, Proctor spotted three deer feed into the field he was watching—and the group included Dagger and a forkhorn buck. The smaller buck fed in Proctor's direction, and Dagger trotted at the forkhorn and ran him off. “I’d sat in the stand for 22 days, and I knew the distance to every blade of grass in that field,” Proctor laughed. “He stopped at 30 yards, and I was ready and waiting and the arrow was on its way." Dagger mule-kicked, ran off, and disappeared into some long grass. "I’d just shot the biggest buck I’d ever seen, and ever will see.”
And what a buck it is. Though sporting only a 14-inch spread, the nontypical giant boasts 23 scorable points, 6-inch bases, and a gross B&C score of 218-4/8 inches. “I’m so thankful for my wife Erin for always taking care of everything so I could pursue Dagger,” Proctor said. “And for my dad, who put in so much time to help me, and my friends who were with me on this journey. It’s bittersweet knowing I won’t be chasing this deer any more. But we’ll enjoy his meat this fall and the trophy we’ll have forever.”
