Maybe he will show back up in a day or two. If the dog didnt find him, maybe he will be ok

I was just messing with you about the bad shot comment. Happens to everyone and it always sux

There’s a good chance if ran to that pond either he’s dead in it and hasn’t floated yet or went to water to clot the wound and got up and left. I’ve seen a lot of wounded deer go to water when they are hurt

I had one lay in water once. Alot of blood. I jumped him.out of the creek and he was getting along pretty good. At that point the blood was very spotty at best and he traveled another mile or so that we could track. I assumed brisket and maybe he would make it. We tracked that deer a really long way.

JWalker that hilarious on the shoot comment 😀

Good luck cowboy

I can take the ribbing, no one can be harder on me than me. I just believe if you can't shoot you shouldn't hunt. I know it happens but it's getting more consistent with me and not sure why. Two of the last three deer I shot have been wounded, and not recovered. The one I shot last year showed back up on camera about two weeks later for a couple days then disappeared. I have to believe he died. I guess the only good part of it is I hunt and manage my own place, so if I draw blood it counts as a kill weather I find it or not.

I’m kind of having the same thing now with my new rifle. The 8pt I shot here at the house was hit a little far back. That shot I know was my fault. The new rifle has a very light to me trigger and apparently I squeezed it a little to hard before I was actually ready and it surprised me when it went off. Luckily the shot was good enough and be dropped right there and died fast. The doe I shot at the camp was also hit a little back. She dropped also and was dead quick. I think that one was because I held away from the shoulder and was farther back then I thought. I’m not sure but I wasn’t happy with myself on either shot. I’ve been spending time just shooting this rifle and getting more used to it. I’ve even bought plastic life size deer targets and shoot them at 100 and 200yds. Hopefully I can get this straight.

My problem is I don't take the time I should to prepare to hunt. Have too many other things going on. When I took hunting more serious I put more time in preparation. I don't shoot like I should then blame it on other crap, like wrong rifle, wrong bullet ect. Gotta take more self responsibility, and either prepare properly or don't do it.

One of the things I was told was don’t pull the trigger with your finger tip. Put your whole finger in and squeeze. If the gun surprised you when it went off, usually a good shot. The tip of your finger you can feel the trigger pull and sometimes will flinch when you think it is about to go off

Man I hate quartering shots, can't tell you how many end up like this. IMO wait for a broadside shoe, high, low, left or right if you are aiming at center of lungs you can be off any way and still have a dead deer.

Last two bucks I shot and let get away were quartering away. It goes against instinct to shoot in the ribs.
I’m still surprised you got bone with no blood.

It still bothers the crap out off me, any brisket or leg shot should have hair, broke bone should have blood. Shot was steady, I really wonder if I didn't hit a bone and not get an exit wound. But I walk a long way and never found anything outside of food plot. Wood are fairly open and easy to see in for most part. Not knowing is tough

Did he jump straight up when you shot? Lots of times with a leg or brisket shot they jump straight up in the air. Not a mule kick, straight up from all 4s. I’ve never made a low leg shot that didn’t have blood and I’ve made a couple over the years and never recovered them. No such thing as a tracking dog back then.

A buddy hit one the same way and we never found it. Pulled it and took out one leg and shoulder but nothing vital.

The ol’ -06 flinch…

He just turn around and ran off, no kick no drop that I could tell, I would have said clean miss if it wasn't for meat and bone. Bone was just a small fragment.