Wow, I wish I was like atlasman and had never made a mistake in my life, then I could get on here and rip everyone else a new arse. You make mistakes in life and learn. If you make the same mistake over and over and don't learn, then you need some serious butt chewing. However, if you learned from your mistake that's what counts.

Now, deer like to circle around to get down wind when being chased. There's a good chance that buck is still around. Go back to the last place you saw him and start a circular search pattern working your way out from the center. If he was mortally wounded, you should find him.