I wonder if he did get this buck I really hope he did. This buck is more than likely going to die. I just hope he looked hard like he said seems like a good hunter though and he will learn from his mistake

you thing about bow hunting is if you dont like the shot you wait.thats what i would have done.you may have made a fatal shot but your probably in for a hard search.good luck though.keep us posted

I think if he'd found it he would have told us. Looks like another one for the critters to dine on.

I just got home and was finally able to get on the computer, so here's a quick update...After my class I drove home and got into the woods about 10:30-11am. Made it to the spot where I had shot him, but there was no sign of blood...it ended up raining here last night and most of the morning. I went back to where I shot and replayed where he ran away from me so I followed that path. He ran into a hollow and then on some flats above the main road, deer usually travel this so I expected him to bed down out there some where. Well I walked back and forth on that I don't know how many times and couldn't find a thing. I moved up and down to each flat, checked all the fallen treetops, I then hit the field above it and walked through all of that. They have a tendancy to cross over the field or run around and come out on the other side. I walked all of that checking a small patch of pines (once I thought for sure I found him...I saw something brown and white laying in the brush and got so exicted, I started walking toward it to then see it jump up...turned about to be a very large housecat...) I then walked into a deep hollow filled with more treetops and laurel directly across the field...still not a thing. I checked every possible spot I have known deer to go or bed and anything that I could see, but nothing. No deer, no arrow, nothing at all[X(]. I walked for roughly 7 to 7 1/2 hours looking everywhere I could. I hit the neighboring property to see if he possibly ran down in there as well. I didn't make it all the way through there, but I plan on going back tomorrow evening. I thought for sure that I would have found him today, so it's not looking too good at the moment. I don't know what else to do. Just pretty bummed about the whole thing

I just don't "get" all these whining "ruined one" threads.

They are all the same a big long "tale" and then a "help me".

What do you think you can get from a messege board that is going to help now?

You don't know to give it time to die instead of chasing it all over the county?

You knew you were taking an iffy shot and did it any way.

You ruined a game animal, period.

Well I don't know what to say. I'm speechless I say you go back and look just as hard as you did yesterday. Taking that shot was on you. I think you got buck fever then just wanted to stick an arrow in this buck. Now he is ruined.[>:]

Just a tip to help in your next adventure out. The deer probably died in a relatively short distance. Cover that distance over and over, it can be amazing how close you can come and not see the deer. move slow and be thorough. Finding hom now, won't get you the meat, but may provide some closure.

Well all that I can ad to all of this is when you go back today listen for crows and look for buzzards with you got any penetration at all that buck is dead. Good Luck.

[quote]ORIGINAL: Bees

There are always choices, but you live and learn and one thing that bowhunters learn is that they are just not going to be able to shoot and kill every deer that they have in bow range. Sometimes you just have to pass.

I learned that I won't take a shot on the last day that I would have passed on the first day. I won't take a shot at a buck that I wouldn't take on a doe.

hopefully you'll find your deer, good luck...
[/quote
That is very well said bees> the part about not taking a shot on the last day that you would pass on the first.

If you have a dog put him on leash and try walking him out there with you he may just smell something you can't see but you must keep it on a LEASH. Crows are a excellent way to locate a dead deer also. I am sure you have learned a valuable lesson from this though. The best buck I ever got took me about 8 hours to find but that was because I hit him to far back. I walked around 7 miles to find him back and forth through the timber. But I stayed at it till I found him. Good luck and don't give up yet. You owe it to him.