Back in the 80's when we would blast everything with horns that broke the hairline I shot a small 5 pointer with a 30-30 at about 10-15 yards right under the tree. We were hunting up on Skyline and I was sitting on a board in a cedar tree in about the thickest place I could find at least an hour walk from the truck. He came through the cedars about 7:15 and I shot him right in the shoulder. He went uphill and straight up the gnarliest steep and rocky bench I've probably ever been forced to climb on three legs running like cat. He looked like he was hit hard to me the bullet had knocked the deer down. There was no question he was hit. A baseball cap full of hair and a little blood at the scene. Close enough I could have about jumped on it with my knife in my teeth like a real man. I gave it about an 30 to an hour and started tracking. Once I got over the top of the mountain and was walking around all over the far said looking everywhere... by late morning I decided this was a futile effort. The blood finally petered out. I went back to the scene of the crime and sat down and pulled a sammich out of my pack and started to eat lunch. I looked around the scene there and about 1/2 way through lunch I noticed a little sapling about 1.5 inches around with a few splinters. Walked over there and about broadside height on a deer was a hole shot through it. Centered it. I took my limb saw out and sawed it off and I've still got it somewhere. I think it is in a box of old deer horns I was keeping for knife handles.

It happens to the best of us.

.30-30 Marlin Marauder with a 150 grain Silver Tip. First deer I ever lost shooting through a limb or sapling. Last time I didn't consider it a possibility if the deer wasn't laying dead within about 100 yards.