I know that this is going to stir up some controversy, but, I think that it has to be said this year.

I am no arhcery god, and the guys on here know that. The previous two years, I wounded one deer each season, so, I have been there, and I have taken the ribbing! Two years ago was a big buck, he was at 20 yards broadside and I and I made a bad shot, I hit him high and back without a pass through! Last year was a doe, I made a poor choice on when to shoot. I was aiming at a large doe which was with several other doe. I stiopped them with a grunt and settled the pin on the large doe. I did' t pay attention to a smaller doe which was standing in front, but behind the large doe. This small does head was right at the large does rear-end. Well, when I shot, the small doe ran in front of the arrow and took it in the low neck/high brisket area. Both were my mistake, simple as that.

Each of these deer I put my time in. The buck was in a over-grown golden rod field. I followed his blood trail, which was just small drops for several yards then stopped. Well, I backed out for the night and went back in the morning. Crack of light had my best friend, my girlfriend, and I out to where I took the shot. I reinacted the entire shot (I took my stand and had my best friend come in like the buck) then I judged where the deer had went. I marked the places that I saw him. Well, we found the blood again and it stopped in the same spot as the night before. So, we worked slowly on our hands and knees trying to find any blood. We followed the path that he had taken and we still didn' t find any blood. Well, we got into the woods and no blood. Well, we split up and started grid searches of the area. We looked everywhere possible. We searched bedding areas, fields, creek beds, ponds, stageing areas, ect.... You name it, and we searched it. Well, we stayed out until that afternoon, then we home for a break. Well, that afternoon my bestfriend, girlfriend, my dad, my grandfather and I all headed out again. We kept searching, and still nothing. We searched till dark. Well, the next morning I was back out there looking for that deer, but, to no avail. I put in probablly 20-24 hours of searching for that deer. Later that season, I saw that buck breeding a doe on a cut-powerline probablly 120 yards from where he was standing when I shot him. After season, I was pheasent hunting and I smelled something NASTY!!!!! Well, I followed the smell into one of the fields that I had grid searched for that deer. Well, I found him laying in that field. I thought that maybe he had died of infection, but, I found hair and broken headlight glass on the road, along with skid marks, so, he was hit by a car.

The doe last year was about the same thing. My best friend and I tracked that deer that night after waiting awhile. The blood stopped, so, we backed out. Well, the next morning we were back out there. We searched and we were following the deers tracks for well over 150 yards, well, I had to go to work but my best friend kept at it. Well, he found some more blood, just drops every once in awhile on the trail. Well, after work I called his cell phone and he told me where he was, so, I headed out to help track. Well, when I got to where he was, he had covered over a mile. We kept at it, and finally, we saw that deer feeding on the edge of the woods, so, we just gave up. We put probablly 13-14 hours of tracking in on that deer.

I SHOT THE DEER, I MADE THE DECISION TO TAKE THE SHOT, I MESSED UP THE SHOT, so, I NEW THAT IT WAS MY DUTY TO GIVE IT ALL I GOT!!!!!!!!!1

You put so much money and time into that moment. You spend hundreds of dollars on equipment, clothes, tags, ect.... You put TONS of hours in practicing, scouting, hanging stands, ect....... then, when that moment comes, you make a mistake, so you should put in the time on the tracking. Why not? You have already poured so much time into that moment that it should just be expected.

Two or three hours of tracking may sound like alot, but, it isnt. When I am tracking, I take my time, I don' t rush things as that is when mistakes start. Heck, it may take me over an hour just to cover 50 yards.

Most deer shot with a bow will die eventually. If you weren' t confident in the shot, back out. If you were, wait a little while and go after it. If the sign isn' t good, don' t give up, you owe it to the deer, put in the time, the deer is more than likely dead, you just have to find it.