thanks for all of your great input!
could not go back up yesterday or today..but am going up to see if he did indeed float up tommorrow am.
yes, the blood was bright red and we found some lung tissue at the hit sight...so i hope he will be there.
we could'nt see the bottom as its really deep (10-12 ft)...i hate the waste of meat and of a prime buck(8 points) but maybe i can at least claim the rack. guess we should have tried to drag the river with something...but that would have been hard to rig up and come up with at the time.
thanks again and i will keep you all posted on the results of this saga...