Ive tracked a lotta deer for people in 20 years and I have nothing to base this on but my own observations but it seems like every time I track a deer that has "watery blood" involved its either hit low in the chest or in the brisket area.Sometimes it starts off bleeding good then dries up after a short trail or you find an occassional spot over a longer period then it quits but you usually dont find the deer.Bright side is quite often its not a lethal shot and you will see the deer a few days later or hear about another hunter taking one with a graze mark from a bullet on him.

I feel much much better now that you said you found a white hair. He should be ok. Yes it sure sounds like a brisket shot.

Maybe you should let the area settle down a little and get back after him?

Good Luck.

Sooner or later it happens to all of us. I hit and lost one deer with a rifle my whole life and every once and a while I wonder where I went wrong. It was an easy broadside shot about 80-90 yards and I was sitting. I took my time reloading because the reaction to the shot looked so good. That deer threw blood like you would not believe and ran across a creek. I looked and traced blood for about 3 hours and could find nothing. I had to find a log to cross the creek and years later, I now think he doubled back and fell in the creek and was pushed under in a turn in the creek where some junk was piled up. I know what you mean, it has been over 20 years and it still bugs me what exactly happened. But on the other hand, the Guy that posted about tough deer pulling through wounds is right. I have shot deer that were missing front legs that were healed over and may have been that way for years. The main thing is that it seems to bother you. Some idiots brag about hitting a deer and losing it as if it was as good as hitting it and getting it.

Deer are creatures of habit
 

Don't kick yourself. Sounds like you did what you could.

One time I was hunting hardwoods of the Shenandoah. Watching a ridge side from the ravine. Heard something to my back and right. Saw a 3 pointer cross the ravine and head up the ridge about 80 yards from me, headed away. Followed his path straight up and disappear. Then heard something from where he disappeared from.

Saw him come back down at an angle towards me, flagging. Brought up the -06 and followed him in the scope to where he stopped about 45 yards dead across the ravine from me, my level. I shot once, twice, thrice. He went down on the first shot but got up, went straight back up, away from me and disappeared.

That's when I noticed the 200#+ 8 pointer behind him. i was so focused on him I failed to see the other buck. I missed him. This was on a tuesday.

After trailing, finding one spot or dark red here and there, the trail petered out. I trailed him footsteps in the leaves until after dark. Next AM, I picked up that trail and continued and never saw another spot of blood. The tracks petered out on the logging road he traveled. I lost him.

Fast-forward to Saturday, last day of the season. 7AM, watching a draw between two ridges. I hear crash-crash from my stand. As I watch the area I heard toe crash from, a 3 pointer appears. about 90 yards away. I raise the -06 again and squeeze. He drops.

As I approach him, he's dead with a heart-lung shot. I notice his rack and recognize him. This was the buck i wounded on Tuesday. I discovered the bullet wound to his left front 'knee' Little more than a flesh wound, I had severed his tendon which caused him to drop momentarily last tuesday.

Don't ever give up. Deer are instinctive AND habitual. This plays to your strengths as a predator.

True Story!

Thanks guys for your stories it helps. I'm gonna go out tomorrow night and sit in the stand. Like I said in a previous post he was still scraping and rubbing trees so he still must have does on the brain. I'm thinking he'll be back. I don't think he knew what happened. Since he doubled back right past the stand again. Thanks again good luck.

So you had one buck hit and shot at another what state do you live in where you can kill two bucks in a day?

you can kill 2 per day in Florida { -;

You can kill two in a single day in Nebraska. However, that means your year is ov as you can only kill two bucks/year.

I live in CT but at the time I lived in MD.
And I was hunting in another state entirely.

Who wants to know.

Can shoot 2 per day and six per license year on a regular license in VA