5 shot,

Sounds too much a coincidence for that particular deer you found not to be your buck. Almost always, the racks look larger on the buck when he is alive versus when you go up to him after he has died. Is the place that you hunted heavily hunted by others? If so, do some checking around to see if anyone else has shot anything. It just sounds to coincidental that you knew the area to check when you winded the dead animal (has happend to me before) and was probably not too far from a spot you checked the nite you lost him.

It's no comfort finding the deer that way. Would have been better to think that he was still alive and you might just get another crack at him but that is how it goes sometimes. Sorry it ended that way.

GB

Smack 'em where it hurts!