I agree with huntingson's response. If you can't dedicate the time to make a maximum effort to recover any animal, you probably should stay at home. I always welcome new bowhunters because I love the sport, but there are things to consider with archery that are different than gun hunting. First off, it is not as easy to become proficient with a bow as it is with a scope sighted rifle. Secondly, you don't get the shock with an arrow that you get from a bullet. In any event, you need to allow any animal shot with gun or bow, that does not drop dead in front of you, the time required to bleed out. Any wounded big game animal that is pushed and gets the adrenalin flowing can be virtually unrecoverable. I would suggest you do some real soul searching and get your priorities in order before you hunt anything.