RE: question about a shot, need help
what did the blood look like, any bubbles, pink, chunks of any color, with that much blood i'd bet the deer is close, you mentioned a solid line of blood and pretty good size spots, is the area thick you may have been very close to the deer, they are amazing when running low on blood, in the morning i'd go to the last blood and check on your hands and knees around the area, if this did not turn up anything i'd start making a circle, slowly, also look on twigs and limbs in the thick stuff around this, was this a pretty straight down shot, you mention going above the lungs but the deer was very close and you said you were in a stand, im having trouble figuring out the angle. is it possible you clipped a lung?
i hope you find him for piece of mind, best of luck