If you centered the hip, you'll probably find him. I did that twice years ago by accident, and found both deer within about 150-200 yards. Good luck and keep your chin up.

Alot of guys make the same mistake but wouldn't admit it. Just learn from it and you will be a better hunter for it.

Ram, don't give up just yet. You mentioned he was quartering away at 20 yards, how sharp was the angle? if he was quartering away at a sharp angle there is a good chance the arrow drove up into around the stomach/liver area maybe further. I once shot a doe that was facing almost straight away from me, the arrow entered about 1/2in outside the hip and exited in the middle of the chest, she only went about 30 yards and dropped. Its hard to tell from your description, but i wouldn't give up just yet, he might no be very far.

You didn't say how far you were able to watch him after the hit or his reaction (were his legs "pinned" together by the arrow), or the location of the arrow in the ham.

I would concur with most of my peers here. Recovery on a ham hit deer isn't as remote as one might think. I have seen it done 3 times and recovered deer three times. One only went 40 yards the other two went quite a ways but the trail wasn't that hard to follow.

If it was quartering away at a severe angle you probably only got one ham unless the arrow entered way back in the rear of the leg.

Other than try and recover the deer, all you can do now is learn from your experience. I don't know what your practice routine is, but I would trust you practice with your equipment faithfully. If not, that is a huge problem. That said, I know of people that practice but when a deer comes in they suffer an emotional meltdown and just have a hard time holding it together. They could no more pick out a "spot" on a deer to shoot than the man in the moon. One gentleman I know of dropped his bow when a deer came to his stand he was so nervous. In a case like this, one needs a number of deer encounters to get this problem under control.

Don't be too discouraged. Learn from your mistakes. Rise from the agony of failure and become better, become successful. I have seen even the best of hunters make unbelievable blunders, but they don't repeat the same mistake twice. Those who have never failed have never played long enough to get a callouse.

Now go get that buck.... and show us the pics!

Are you saying you have stuck, and failed to recover three deer this year? Are you saying you missed a twenty yard shot that bad? If you are, frankly you need to get out of the woods, forget deer hunting the rest of the year, and learn how to get it done without wounding animals before you return to the woods.

Went back out at 1:00. Found a great blood trail.

My hunting partner showed up and we follow the blood trail until it ended, and it was starting to get dark. About 1/4 of a mile. Across a hillside, across a field, a stream and up the other side of a hill. We marked the spot, and I will be out again first thing in the morning.

Muley69, I have missed three this year, but this is a first for me. I usually get two a yearwith my bow and a doe or two with my muzzleloader, and until this year recovered every deer. I am glad that you get everyone that you hit.

I shoot indoor all winter and do 3d shoots all summer. I also shoot almost every day at home.

Thought about going out with my Coleman Latern. but we have had some rain again this afternoon. Not sure it this would realy work or to just wait till morning. By now the meat is bad and I could possibly ge thurt.

If you shot this deer this am, then the meat is not bad yet. If you knew rain was coming or is coming - your best bet is to look for that deer before the trail is washed away. According to your story you shot at 8:00 am. It is now 11 hours later. If the arrow hit an artery that deer should be dead and close by. I'd get the lantern and be out lookin for that puppy...you owe it to that deer. I also agree with some of the others...It seems something is wrong somewhere in order to wound three deer in 1 year or your luck is extraordinarily crappy this year. Was the deer looking at you when you shot?. If he was quartering away from you and you hit him in the hip up to the fletching, you may have penetrated his stomach maybe liver also. In any event, I'd be out looking for him. Good luck on findin him! Hope your luck changes (bad things happen in three's right!)!

RAM96, my apologies, I thought you said you just wounded your third deer this year. I obviously misread your post. I certainly do not hit every thing I shoot at, and wife is lucky for it. I wish you the best on your recovery, and again I apologize for my rash judgement. It just seems everytime I come on this site there is another "I wounded one" thread. It happens it's part of the sport, but three in one season would have been a little nuts. Good luck.

My luck has been very very crappy this year.

I am sorry if I am a little testy but I am a very ethical hunter and am extremely upset with myself and the fact that I have not recovered this deer..

I pass up more shots than most. I will not shoot unless I am sure of a clear shot and it is well within my comfort range. If anything I held too long today to double check everything and the deer moved just as I released.

I don't think the meats bad either, but if you've got rain coming...I would be grabbing the latern and my boots, Hope you find him. Keep us posted.