Only because I've seen it happen before....

... Are we sure this is the buck he shot? The photos I saw were from the rear of the animal, with no hint or indication of where the entrance or exit wounds were. I knew a guy who claimed he shot a buck and trailed it down, but when he was checking it in, the game warden was there and noticed it didnt have any holes in its sides. The warden estimated (from the stench and condition of the meat) it had been dead for several days, but the guy swore up and down he shot it the evening before and found it the next morning.

We always kidded him for scaring the buck to death.