I can't believe it. I've been waiting so long, and today a shootable buck (for me) came in. I was using some estrous lure and calling a little, when some does came in, and the buck came charging in after them. He was a 4 point, but for me that's a shooter (I've never shot a buck).

He came in quickly, and then stopped at 12 yards right in one of my shooting lanes. I drew back, put the pin at the bottom of his chest behind the leg (it's sighted in for 20 yards), and that's when it happened. When I released, I saw the arrow hit. It was about half-way between his back and stomach, about 8 inches behind the back of the shoulder blade. A gut shot. What happened????

I didn't have buck fever. I know what it is, I've had it before, and this was not the issue. From 12 yards, I can hit something the size of a softball every time. I had practiced the night before, and I was right on.

Looking back, I think right before I released, the buck took a step forward, causing the arrow to hit too far back.

Anway, he ran into a pine grove 30 yards in front of me and disappeared. He came out 20 minutes later, with a piece of intestine hanging from his side. He walked slowly to the edge of the woods 35 yards to my right, and went into them. I waited 15 minutes, got down, looked at the arrow (just a slimey substance covering it), and returned to the house. That was at 7:30. At 1:00, my dad and brothers and I went searching for it. The blood trail was non-existant, there was just some hair. I'm positive we covered nearly every square inch within a quarter mile of my stand, and we found nothing. He must have gone farther than that. We looked for him until sunset. Nothing.

I'm absolutely sick about this. I would pay anything to have made that shot a complete miss, rather than a gut shot. Looking back, I can't see anything I did wrong when I shot.

At this point, is there any chance of recovery left? What's my best route? I'm going out again in the morning, hoping beyond hope he might show up again.

Thanks,

-Spike Buck