I don't want to pass the all mighty judgement. i think we all know it was a poor call and shot. However something is a miss here, first of aim point at the rump of the spine vs. the shoulder, neck and not to mention was he an 8 or 10 and 15-20 feet you should have known what gear he had on his head. Did you just get blind sided by the need to anchor this deer anyway you could and then figure the rest out later? If you got guts he is dead, dead, dead...look for the ravens, magpies, yotes...they often lead you to the kill. His meat will be lost for sure, but the rack and the lesson will remain. I hope if you found this animal you would hang your tag on him and not just saw the horns off and keep going. RESPECT if nothing else and maybe as a reflection on what not to do when only poor results can come out of it. I really hope you find him and will never take a shot like this again. A mistake is something we correct, not something we continue to do...that is ignorance!!!