Ok guy, I screwed up and know it so go easy on me but I took a marginal shot today and gut hit one. I am always so picky with my shots and careful but really got caught up in the moment this morning. I've been hunting hard this season with nothing to show for it. Passed on a few small does and now I really wanted to score before gun season. A doe or nice buck would do now. Anyway I'll try and keep it short, 6:50am the buck starts walking towards me about 150 yards away. He was drifting away from me so I bleat a few times and the bugger is coming in on a string. Came within 20yds but I had branches blocking a clear shot. He looked like he would still present a shot so i waited. As soon as he was about to walk into the open at 15yds, that 6th sense kicked in and even though he didnt see or smell me, he wasnt going to continue on. He turned and was walking parrell to me and presented a just about broadside (if i remember correctly) 40yd shot. I'm good up to 30, but convinced myself i could make this shot. It just pained me to come so close...oh and its quite possibly the biggest buck ive ever shot. I leaned to shoot around a branch and let one fly. Elevation was perfect for vitals but i believe it was well far back. I saw him run 100-130yds and stop and stand. He took 2 steps into this big brush pile. I watched that area for 30 min and didn't see him come out although I did have a blind area that he could have snuck out from but it was uphill and towards a field, don't think he'd do that. I got down and silently went to the area he was, no arrow and no blood. I think i saw the arrow in him when he was standing after running. Not sure though and if it was the arrow, it seemed to be sticking out way further than it should, as in no penetration. I was shooting rage 2 blade at about 290fps, I would think that would pass thru a gut shot. Anyway, I didnt look far or long, just where he was standing as i didnt want to bump him. I walked home and its been 4 hours now. I'm guessing I'll go look for him in another hour. I know i should wait at least 6 but this is killing me. I hate that I took the shot when I know I wasn't strong at that distance. I think when I leaned a bit to get a clear shot, I looked at my pin on a slight angle so the windage was off a bit....my only guess. I shouldn't have shot but it was so close and such a nice deer and only 10 days left in our bow season that I talked myself into it. I'm sick at myself. Recovery or not, I think I'm done for bow season I'm so disgusted.
On a side note, any comments on eating gut shot deer should I recover? It was 30 this morning, its 50 now (11am, 4 hours later) and a high of 60 today. What's the meat situation going to be like? I read everything from its ruined to no problem to just take backstraps out in the woods. Ok, need to go kill another hour somehow before starting the search