I'm just sick!

[wja]

I hsve not been able to sleep at night. On Friday I had a nice 8 pt buck walk right to where I wanted him. I have never shot a buck with my bow only three does. I have been practicing regularly all year. I even went Thursday and was right on. I saw the buck coming down the trail, stayed calm, made sure he was a shooter and then released the arrow. I heard a crack and watched the deer bound off. I waited a half an hour. The deer came in at 5:30 pm and got down from the stand. I found the arrow with blood on the entire arrow and on all three vanes. I checked the immediate area but found no blood and then it got dark. I decided to sneak out and come back in the morning with help. Got out the next morning and it seemed the arrow went right through the deer based on the position of the stand and where I found the arrow. My tracking partner found blood right away. We picked our way slowly through the woods, marking each blood spot with orange tape. We tracked the deer for 400 yards with blood. Mostly a few large drops hear and there not super dark but not light either. Four hours later we found a slighly larger blood pool and a bedding spot. Then... nothing. Circled the area for about an hour and no trail. I feel very bad about this. We sweeped the area water and nothing. I am sad about the deer and frustrated with myslef. thanks for reading. Any suggestions or simialr situations are appreciated.

[CrewJones]

work a grid, go to water, back track , if all else listen for crows the next couple days

i have had this before, i crowded the shoulder never found him

[Laska]

sounds like no mans land... Sounds like you gave it an extra hard effort, nothing more you can do. Keep your head up, your doing everything any of us would do.

[archerystud]

Happens to everyone. Since you hear a crack you didn't hit guts and the buck should have a good chance to make it.

[Scott K]

It just happened to my son tonight. 20 yard shot, he hit it a little high, and the arrow stuck in it. No blood to be found, we plan on going out in the morning. He said it was a smaller 6pt. I hope we find him, we gave up tonight, because we hadnt found anything to go off of.

The problem though, the yotes are thick in this area, and they will probably find it before we do.

[wja]

Thanks all. I definetly have had my head down over this. My thinking was it must have been high too.

[matchset]

when they come in close like that; sometimes you can hit too high. i'd look once more just for peace of mind for myself. i don't like losing deer, but i know that they won't be wasted. many critters will find and feast if in fact he does die.

i'd say its about 50/50 from what you've described.

[6arrows]

When you were marking blood was he going in a pretty straight line up until you got to that bed. If so keep checking that direction. Follow good trails outta the bed spot. I shot a nice 9 pointer last year he went 900 yards double lung no stopping from shot to death. If it was not for my son i woulda never found that buck. he crossed a road and died in a big patch of pines and surounded by swamp.

[Big Country]

Matchset hit it right. I too had a similar experience. Too long of a story, but was using a junk bow that I had no business being in the woods with. Drilled a 7 pointer in the shoulder. Came back the next day and put in 5 hours. No go. The following week the crows and eagles were going crazy about 350 yards away. When I got down I went to the area. There he was. Nothing, and I mean nothing had been wasted. Amazing how within a weeks time the animals took all usable parts. So yesterday morning a fawn walks 11 yards from me. I got the monkey off my back and drilled her good with the new bow that I knew I should have been shooting all along. This sport is a very addictive one. Everything must be right to connect. Sometimes things go wrong. Don't beat yourself up over it. Just keep practicing hard to the point where it is purely mechanical when you draw back. Good luck to you the rest of the season. BC

[Meat-Run]

How much blood did he loose if you could collect it? How far did he go, was he running, walking away after shoot, tail down, you might have hit him in the liver or kidneys and will expire don't give up I think you might have a dead buck in the ground.

I would beat the bush and search the thickest cover and definetly water, good luck!

MR

[DonBo]

All you can do is all you can do. It happens. Most of us have similar stories, learn from it and go on.

[96trigger]

I can't believe that with a complete pass through that you don't have a dead deer somewhere. Especially if it the arrow as covered with blood. Did the arrow have fatty tissue on it? Did it smell funky? It seems baffling to me that you can't find it. Get a couple more guys and go looks some more. The arrow really has me thinking its a dead deer.

[wja]

To update a few of the questions.... If I collected the blood that I found? a complete guess maybe 2-4 ounces. Most of the blood I found was 4 or 5 big drops. We surmised that the blood we found was coming out of the exit wound while the deer was walking because most of the blood was on the same side the trail or right on the trail. The deer bounded off with his tail up and then I lost him in the brush. The blood started about 30 yards after where he was shot. Followed a fairly straight trail for 400 yards found a bedding spot with more blood and a little brown hair. Then nothing. The arrow did have some fatty tissue on it as well as some brown hair. I'm going back to watch the crows and seach some thick stuff. Thanks again. Good luck to all. Should be a fun week of hunting.

i

[96trigger]

The fatty tissue would have me thinking the shot was low and missed the vitals all together, that would be there reason for lack of blood, pass through, and fatty tissue. Other option would be that you hit it too far back and its gut shot. The guts could very easily plug the hole and make it look like it was not bleeding much, yet will still kill the deer.

You need to ask yourself where you think you hit the deer. Low? Back? If you know your elevation was OK, it was probably gut shot, if you know your windage was right on, it could have been a low hit. Did the arrow smell funky at all? Was there any spore left by the deer?