I'm writing this post asadvice to all of you, to keep anyone from having to go through what I have experienced for the last four days. I shot a nice buck Saturday AM. 18 yards, broadside, I watched as the arrow disappeared right behind the shoulder. this 140-150 inch deer did the classic mule kick and crashed through the brush. I knew in my mind this deer was dead and waited about 20 minutes not to track but to look for the arrow right near the stand. I couldn't find the arrow as there was a big brush pile right behind the shot so I figured it was buried. I decided to leave and come back in an hour or so to take up the trail. I think the buck got up when Iheaded for the truck which was in the general direction the deer went in. We tracked this deer for over a halfmile. Good blood , but only where he stopped. We back off and come back Sunday. Finally no trail to follow. BOTTOM LINE....WAIT, WAIT, AND WAIT SOME MORE! DON'T GET OUT OF YOUR STAND AND WALK ANYWHERE NEAR THE DEER UNLESS YOU HAVE AN ARROW COVERED IN BRIGHT RED BUBBLY BLOOD.I KNEW BETTER AND NOW I PAID THE PRICE!

http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=2272257

It is hard to wait, we get caught up in wanting to put our hands on it, we have all or at least many of us have lost a deer to this dreadful urge. If you have bowhunted for any amount of time then you do know, like you said. Just learn from this, sorry that it happened to you. It just sounds like you pushed him and/or the shot wasn't in the ideal place. Keep ya head up, you will get other chances, but I know how you feel, nothing makes it better does it? Time will though, and success.

If you hit him like you said you hit him, the only explanation for not recovering him is a dull broadhead. A razor sharp head behind the shoulder, deer is dead within minutes.

There's no hurry to put your hands on him. If he died in a minute, he'll still be dead in a n hour! If the deer ran in the direction you need to go to back out either find another route or wait it out on stand.

He's still out there. I'd go & look for him again. If he's a wall mounter, then at least you have that. Yeah, we do get kinda goofy when it comes to waiting after a shot. Hopefully, you'll still recover him.

Honestly, if you hit him behind the shoulder and he wasn't dead in 20 minutes, you hit him high and it was above the spine.They can move so fast, he could have ducked a little and made the shot hit above the spine. Just hope the arrow came out and he won't die a terrible death from infection.

First off let me say i am sorry for your loss i fill your pain. I have been in your shoesmore times than i care to say and most likely will again.
I also try to learn as much as possible from each expeirence.
Sounds like so have you. Tracking a deer to soon is one of the worst thing we can do when we are not so sure of the shot but sometimes our minds plays tricks on us? Making us think we made a better shot thanwe really did.
Losing any animal like that is about the worse thing a hunter can go threw[&:].
What to do after the shot sometimes can be asimportant if not more than the shot itself.

Couldn't agree more!!!

I am not criticizing you at all...deer hit through the center of the lungs do not go half a mile. therefor you actually hit him somewhere else (fletchings CAN decieve), or your arrow deflected internally (very possible if you are certain of your shot) I had it happen once, with luck it deflected 3-4" up a ribto the spine.

I agree with you. wait wait wait....its a lesson you wont forget, i havent.