Its funny I read this story now for I just had this happen here in Il last weekend, our first firearms season here in Il.
I pull up to my hunting spot at second day of season, see a REALLY nice 10pt chasing a doe in a cut bean field at 1330hrs and they bed down there in wide open, seeing me. I change clothes, make a stalk of about 150yds, doe busts me. Both stand up. I am on ground with shooting sticks and ML. Guesstamate distance, set crosshairs accordingly, send it. Buck is facing me, I take a front on chest shot. 50cal, 110grns powder, 250grn Hornady SST bullet.
Buck crunches up, turns and across field to neighbors small timber patch. I leave deer go till 3pm. Hear another gunshot about 20 minutes after I shot my deer on farther up neighboring block. Go to timber edge where deer ran in. No blood. Find blood inside and began tracking. Sparse, but decent. Cover 200yds, blood runs out in open cut bean field, on hands and knees last 75yds, nothing.
Gets dark. Go home. Next day, see truck at neighbors property and as am leaving note to call me, owner of truck walks up. I introduce myself and tell my blight. He tells me he heard me shoot and short time later sees buck running at him with doe but buck was was acting hit pretty good, finishes him off with neck shot and her in the ribs. Both down.
He said he looked for me, but did not see me or my truck. I park at landowners house by barn and walk in to keep from tearing up road.
I ask about how bad the buck was hit and he said that it had missed the heart and lungs, slid along the brisket, hit tip of liver and busted up the guts, lodged in rear left hip. I told him that I was glad he got it for I had no blood to continue to follow it and he was another 500 yds away from where I had lost blood. I shook his hand and left. Content the deer was not coyote food. I still have not filled my tag. I would not have taken the deer if he had offered it. I did not kill it in my book.