Heartache & disapointment. I spent 2 hrs the third day trying to locate him. I went to the alfalfa field & tried to think of where he may have gone. No blood trail. Looked in the woods all around the field, & obviously did not find him. I feel bad for the deer to go thru that. I have never failed to place a mortally wounding shot, let alone not retrieve a deer. Not to mention, if he did expire, then that was sure a waste of meat. That was the biggest deer I've ever seen. Very handsome features. The only thing that I can explain is that either I pulled the bow, or nicked one of the branches on the limb out to my left, which deflected the arrow enough to parallel him. I just don't know. It was covered w/bright red blood from tip to tip. That friend of mine that helped me track him, said that he didn't think he was mortally wounded & able to cover that distance w/bedding down only once. Especially after 15 hrs. But he said that deer may show up again. The real problem is that gun season starts here this Sat, & I don't have the time to go out & hunt this week. So sorry team, I counted my chickens too soon.