Back Hit...advice?
 

I had a small buck in last night, but thought I wasn't going to get a shot at it due to the angle. I was in a treestand, about 16feet up, and the buck came in from behind me in thick cover. After passing directly beneath my stand (my scent prep must be working!) he proceeded to walk directly away from me. I waited at full draw for him to turn and give me a shot, but he was still walking straight away until he was almost out of range. At the last minute he turned slightly to the point where I thought I could get one into the boiler room. Just as I released the arrow, he turned back away (!) and my arrow hit him in the back. He bounded once, the arrow fell out, and he trotted off into the woods.

First off, yeah, I certainly learned my lesson and won't shoot at another MOVING deer. :bash: Should have known better (the shot would have been dead on had he not moved, but...he did). Anyway, I waited a bit, got down and looked at my arrow. It only penetrated about 2-3 inches, with fat on the broadhead, very little blood on it. The broadhead (fixed type) was pristine. No nicks or anything on it, so I think I just skimmed it along his shoulder blade or something, given the odd angles. No blood anywhere on the ground. After a couple hours, I went back in when it was dark and looked again in the area I had watched him walk into (about 70-80 yards away), but found no blood. Same thing this morning. I spent quite a while looking and found nothing at all.

Question: Am I safe in assuming that I 'just' hit the fatty part of his upper back, and that it's only a flesh wound, or is there a possibility that he's out there dead? I'll spend every effort possible if it's anything more than a nick, but with that little penetration, damage to the arrow, or blood, I can't help but think I just gave him a piercing.

Sounds like it. But it doesn't hurt looking.

Should always follow up on shots I have seen people think they didn't even hit the deer and find them less than 100 yards out dead

Definately give it a good luck around w/ good daylight... but sounds like a superficial wound..
always owe it to the animal to give it a good follow up..

Totally agree, and I did spend a few hours looking around the area. Without a blood trail, it basically became a bit of a grid search. I've been beating myself up about that shot, and will definitely avoid moving targets from now on, even when they're under 20 yards! I was mostly posting here to see if my conclusion (that it was a superficial wound) was likely to be correct.