Hey Guys, Sorry I haven't posted. I actually haven't even read through the thread yet. I've spent the last 2 days looking either before work or after (worked very short shifts) and all night long and haven't even had time to check my computer. I thought I owed it too the animal to check at every free moment I had. I gave it all the effort I could and have come up with nothing. Spent 2 days looking with 3 other guys. Grid searches, sitting on top of a valley and glassing, you name it. I even had 2 other guys come in, told them nothing except where it was shot at and let them try and track him without letting them know what we found. They made it exactly to where I did and lost him. Basically, after where I found the broken arrow I found nothing until 70 yards away where I cound two baseball size spots of blood. Its a weird spot right beyond that is a crushed white gravel road about 15 feet wide and found no blood on that but he had to have crossed it at some point but no blood. Beyond that is some waste high switch grass, searched that for hours and no blood. Grid searched in with some other people 8 feet apart for 500 yards back and forth for five hours. Nothing. Searched a fence line that is 8 feet high that has about 15 feet of trees before the a very short grass field starts. Nothing. I have to say I search for a good 800 yards in every conceivable direction that the deer could have gone. Nothing. The area is loaded with coyotes so I'd hope Id seen some deer hair even if they got him but nothing. Two days and about 40 combined hours of looking from 6 people and nothing more than a few spots of blood 70 yards from where he was shot at. Def. not Lung blood, but a little darker. Im thinking (as well as the other hunters that helped me search) that it was a shoulder hit.
I'm sick to my stomach now because I can't find him. Not that he was the biggest deer ive seen hunting but that I lost and animal. I am truly Hopefule he'll makes it. He was a huge deer so I'm hoping he's got the energy to make it. I'm going to head back out here in a few minutes to see if I can hear any coyotes yelping in any particular spot but that all I can think of now. Thanks to all who tried to help. I really appreciate it. I'm sorry I didn't get back and respond until now, but I've been searching for 2 days straight other than some time I had to go into work. I recruited a couple guys who are big bow hunters and used there expertise to help. Everytime I had some time to check my computer I thought it would be better to be in the woods. I Only got about 2 hours of sleep last night so really need to get some sleep now but again, thanks for all who gave their thoughts on what to do.
Good hunting to all, after this I now hope that everyones arrows (and bullets) find there spots and no one has to go what I went through. At least I now know what it feels like to have the biggest buck of your life walk out in front of you and feel that type of buck fever. Thanks again.