Guys,

I got out for the first time Friday night. Earlier I had mentioned this new little patch of woods I was excited to get permission to hunt. It turned out to be everything I wanted, almost.

Walked out my back door at 5:15 and after having to adjust the stand, I was settled in my 5:40pm. Not 10 minutes later, I had 2 small bucks (6, 7) and a heavy antlered 3 1/2 year old 8 point feeding in front of me in the apples. the 2 smallers bucks made scrapes and squared off in front of me while the bigger buck hung back at 50 yards. Soon after a doe walked into the field and they started chasing her. From behind me in the corn comes a doe and she walks right in the middle. Now they are all running everywhere. I could just see them at the top of the orchard moving around but things eventually settled down.

I heard something behind me and turned to see a 2 1/2 7pt that I had seen all summer. He has a wide rack but very short tines and I had no intention to shoot him. He walked out in the field to my east so I thought I'd play around with my grunt tube. I got pretty agressive and out of the apples come a 1 1/2 8 point. It stop 16 yards in my opening and is looking for me. From behind him, comes an absolute MONSTER 10/12 pt. All I saw was the wide heavy, dark rack and knew 'Shooter'. He starts to make a scrape and sees the 8 pt entering the woods and takes off after him. I draw back and can't see my pins, my peep had turned so I let down and adjust it. I draw back and grunt to stop him at about 25 yards broadside and released. I heard a loud crack, swear I knocked him over and then he takes off, down behind me, crosses by the corn and takes off on a dead run and I lose sight.

It was getting dark and I wanted to check my arrow. I got down and couldn't find it or any sign. I followed the tracks thru the corn before it got dark. I backed out and called my Dad who showed up about an hour later. We looked well into the night and again Saturday/Sunday. I've covered every piece of ground that I have access to and wasn't in someones backyard (and I even covered some of those as well.) The only thing I found was about 15 yards from the shot a place that he stumbled over a downed tree and it looked like a patch of gray brisket hair. Not a drop of blood anywhere.

I'm speechless. Never have I lost a deer, but then I'm still not sure where I hit him or if I did. The shot just didn't feel good and I couldn't see the arrow flight. I also noticed later on that my drop away rest was still in the up position. My Dad thinks front shoulder but I saw him running on the side I shot and he was not carrying it nor could I see any mark and he moved thru the corn. I just don't even know what to think at this point.