Originally Posted by
bpd1982
If you hunt long enough this happens to everyone. Sometimes we never know how it happened. If you are confident of your search that's all you can do.
Sorry, but I can't go along with that first line. I've only had to track one deer of many I've taken over 6 decades of hunting with a gun and all the rest went down within my sight. Archery hunting is different and you need to know how to track. It's amazing how many times I read where people have lost deer while archery hunting and it appears many were because of shooting too far or just plain not knowing what to do or how to track after hitting an animal.The OP didn't say what he was using when he shot this deer he didn't find or if he was on the ground or in a tree stand. Knowing those things might give us a clue as to what happened, but this sounds like it was shot with a gun and at a chip shot distance to not have a clue as to what happened or where it went. IMHO the OP owes it to the deer and all ethical hunters to do a lot more than he has stated before he gives up. Some may not agree, but that's life! I wonder if the OP would have quit after an hour if this had been a big buck, rather than a doe!!!