what do I do now?

[wannafish2]

Last Saturday sat on stand. This is my 3rd time bow hunting. Had a nice fat 8 ptr walk past me just at dark. I stood, drew down and shot. I think I hit my release a little early. I had the string by my draw point, but I don't remember actually looking thru the peep sight or getting a pin on him, but I heard the release and the same kind of "smack" I hear when I am target shooting. I remember seeing the buck kind of skip his hips to the left, then he just kind of spooked like 30 yards and stopped. It was getting dark and he was off the trail so I couldn't see him at that time. I never heard him take off from there or even walk off...I waited about 15 minutes then got down and immediately left the opposite way. Returned the following am at dawn. No arrow found, No blood found. Grid searched the North side of the trail, nothing. Searched the South side of the trail, nothing. 300 yards East is a marsh...nothing.

Never found my arrow.

What the heck did I do? Did I mention the buck was only about 7 yards away at the shot? Did I miss? When I looked up at the stand from the ground, there is a very good possibility that I didn't have a clear shot and hit some real skinny pine branches. But why can't I find my arrow? Why can't I remember looking through the sight and seeing the pin?

I am heartbroken that I may have wounded this animal, or worse, killed him and not recovered him. Also, he never winded me or smelled me and was completely relaxed at the time of the shot.

What do I do now? Keep looking and wreck the area? Hunt more and hope I see him again? He definetly wasn't spooked, and he never even "took off". He just stood there like "what the heck was that"?

Any input would help.

BTW, I have no hound, and hunt alone.

Thanks.

[snapcrackpop]

Hunt from that spot one more time and study the branches between you and the deer. You might be able to see a clipped branch. Probably a clean miss.

[96trigger]

Probably a clean miss. Your arrow could be any number of places and you would never find it. I once shot a buck quartering away from me. Figured the arrow was stuck in the deer, finally found the deer but no arrow. Looked all over for that arrow and never found it.

Could be stuck in the deer also, but even poor shots usually leave a little blood somewhere.

[Boar]

If you deflected an arrow on a branch that suc ker could be anywhere.

[Cheetah]

If you missed from 7 yards out of a tree stand, the arrow should be sticking up out of the ground. If it is a weedy area it could be buried. There's a good chance you hit the deer and it ran off with the arrow, especially considering you shot it at dark. It could be dead, or it could be alive, who knows.

Next time don't shoot at a late hour when you can't see, and focus more on taking a steady and sure shot.

[MUSKY18]

This very situation is why I am a big supporter of Nokturnals, or any other kind of lighted knock. You would have been able to track your arrow, especially when it is low light conditions.

Sounds as if you have done everything possible to recover the animal and sometimes that is all that you can do. It sucks and no one likes to have this happen, but unfortunately, it does happen. I would hunt the stand again and maybe you will be able to get to see if he is alive, or set a trail camera out in the area and maybe catch him on that.

[sticknstring]

Hard to say without being there. You said the deer's hips were moving odd? I'd guess you probably hit him and he took off with the arrow in him. Very possible, even with no blood sign. High entry w/ no exit, arrow plugging the hole means a very tough track. I'd go look where he was standing and look for hair & then spend some time where he stood after he ran off initially and check for blood. That's where there'll be some, if any at all. If you come up with nothing after that, it's probably plausible that you missed and your arrow either deflected off a branch or buried in the leaves. Take a rake with and look for it. Invest in a lighted nock, they make a world of difference. Good luck - I hope you get some closure either way. It's never a good feeling wondering what happened.

[Jason_Gundersen]

x2 on the NockTurnal lighted nocks one of the best inventions ever... I hated Lumenocks though they failed way more than the Nockturnals cuz they trigger differently... Its a great way especially in low light to help you know where your shot goes

[Meat-Run]

+1 on the Nockturnals.

[koonie]

I wouldn't touch one of the new, rage made, nockturnals. They have gone to #*@! since rage bought them.