bad weekend

[FFAHunter]

so i have trail camera pictures of three big bucks on the property i hunt and i really wanted to get a crack at one of them this year... well it happened. afternoon hunt about 5:45 i turned to see a big 8point walking to me. i got up and pulled back and took the shot presented to me. im not quite sure what went wrong but i know i hit him. my dad and i followed him for 85 yards and lost the trail. we found 8 big puddles of blood and then nothing. we waited for 2 hours to go get him because my arrow had fat on it so i thought i might have gut shot him. after 80 yards, the blood just stopped. it started as dropps and turned into puddles with chunks of fat in it, and then nothing. we went back this morning to look for him. we walked for 4.5 hours looking and found no more blood then we found the night before. here he is, he wouldve been my best deer by far

[timba]

thats too bad you couldn't find him,I had that happen to me too with a doe a few weeks ago.

[YorkArcher]

If you haven't had it happen, you probably will have it happen....

All you can do is respect the animal enough to do everything you can to try and recover it....

Once you have exhausted all of your choices...

pick up your bow...

learn from the experience....

get back in the stand!!!!!

[ladybowhntr]

I wouldn't give up so soon. It's cold enough the meat will last. Look for crows, they may give him up for you and you will get your trophy afterall!!!!

[bullmoose38]

Hang in there buddy! I know how you feel. I wounded my first deer ever this year with the bow and it bothers the heck out of me. Its part of the game I guess. Lift your head up and get back in the tree. It sounds like you gave it all you had to look for him.

[J.Harvey]

do you have any near bye water sources, if it was a gut shot deer that is where i would be looking