Handles

I took another person with me yesterday afternoon. Went back to the "P" and did as Uncle Norby said, look near a deadfall about 60 yards uphill. Sure enough, found blood. Followed it weaving through thick berry brambles for about another 80 yards UPHILL. He almost made it to the top when he turned and went straight downhill for 40 yards, made a loop about the size of a VW beetle, went back up hill to his original spot (bleeding more now, splashes about the size of a 3x5 card were everywhere, darker blood though will a little bit of lung blood) made another loop to the left of the original trail, came back, made one more loop above his trail, and that is where we ran out of light, plus we were utterly confused with all the looping. I headed back out this a.m. When I got about 10 miles away the roads were soaking wet. All of the blood was gone. I did a grid through the area for about 100X100 yards, checking all of the thick areas. Checked out around the pond and a drainage ditch. Nothing. I don't have a chance to go back until Sunday afternoon. By then I will be looking for a rack and some bones. Any other suggestions? If I don't find him I'm done hunting for the year. I can't shoot and lose a buck each of the past two years, and go back out there to try the same thing on another one.