OK, so Zaft took a bad shot (and isn't he supposed to be some great archer?? Hmm...) and HE DID NOT ACTUALLY RECOVER THE DEER. I say that cause he was unable to use the meat, so he only revered a deer's remains, or recovered a deer's antlers.

So your question is answered by your own example. Is any shot better than no shot? NO. Zaft proves it or he would have had some meat in his freezer. He got lucky that the farmer even told him about the deer instead of walking over and getting it himself.

The better question to ask is "How far can I and do I want to track this deer if I shoot?" The place I hunt now only offers me about 40 acres, so I could shoot a deer and he could run off the property and I MAY have a hard time getting permission to get him,depending on which way he goes. So, I need to take good shots.

Maybe if you have 1000 acres its not as big a deal, you can walk a few miles tracking deer, but I think the Zaft buck deserved a quick, humane kill as much as any doe I have ever shot.

--Jim