i would just fell bad if i did not get my deer.

But the "Rest of the Story"... it usually is gut shot. And I tell you, if this deer didn't run in a pretty straight line tearing up straw in a Georgia pine head, I don't know if we'd of found it. The blood was almost non existant. We found one place where there was a drop about the size of a quarter where he jumped a ditch. We had lost the blood 1/2 hour before, we'd only gone 40 or50 yards. I decided he had to cross that ditch and maybe would squirt some when he landed. I crawled slowly along the other bank and found the blood and tracks again. The rest was pin head size and then only every 15 or 20 yards. The reason it was so close before we saw it, there was NO white showing anywhere. The deer must have did a full gainer and when he flopped he was upright with his head caught under his belly with his legs up under him and he was held in an upright laying position leaning against a pine.

Davidmil,
Just a question. Knowing what you do now with 25 more years of experience, would you have waited to track longer or still done it the same way?

I ask this because sometimes we make a "perfect" shot in our eyes when it is actually not. Even though you "knew" you made a good shot, you could have been wrong. With the blood trail you describe, it sounds like you should have gotten off it and come back later, just in case.

Just curious.

If I answer that truthfully, the ethics posse will tear me to shreads. I decline to answer. In this case, I did flat out know, it was crystal clear as the deer squated to light out. I was in a friends old gun stand that was 7 feet off the ground. The deer may have been 8 or 10 feet off the arrow when I released.I was seated. That deer I would do it the same way. Took a few minutes to collect myself, checked the arrow and went to get my friend who was 250 yards away in one of my stands. That all took 30 minutes. The only deer I usually will not follow within10-15 minutes is one I have no idea about the hit, rare indeed. The other, is when I know it was a bad hit. Again, a real rare deal I think. Really, most of my deer fall within sight or at most within 75-80 yards. They're dead within seconds. I did jump the gun once but with plenty of day light I proceeded. The hit wasn't what I though, but I kept going. I jumped the deer twice, the last time 500 yards from where I started. I saw him fall 125 yards away on the next ridge. I sat there until the last bit of light watching him with my binos. I finally saw the tail quiver and he never raised his head after that. When I got to him he was dead and it was dark. I believe in doing what you're comfortable with. I don't subscribe to all the talk of wait an hour and all that. That's just wasted daylight to me. If your tracking skills are not up to the task, by all means wait. I've never just walked out of the woods and said, "I'll come back tomorrow". I'll at least pursue real slow and quiet for 75 to 100 yards. But hey, that's me. Yes, after 35 years I do what I'm comfortable with.

David, I agree with you on trailing. If I'm confident in a good hit, I follow up right away. It usually takes some time to calm down, gather your equipment, etc, anyway. Interesting to hear on this thread about a couple of shots almost identical to the one I made. I hope that others learn from this as I have.