RE: MISSED a DANDY last night
It could've been far worse . . . suppose you HAD hit him, but with a gut shot or something similar? Every ethical archer would choose to miss an animal entirely rather than wound and then lose it. This way, you still have plenty of opportunity this season to take him. He'll no doubt be much more cautious in the same scenario next time, so you might want to try setting up on an approach route further back in the brush--he's probably gonna start hanging up in there waiting for dark soon anyway. Good Luck!
Today's small bucks are tomorrow's trophies.