Last night I was sitting in my po-up blind looking over deer feeding in the alfalfa. Saw about 15 does and small bucks. About a half hour before dark, two big does were feeding fairly close and I readied for a shot to fill a doe tag. The closest one was 45 yards and almost broadside, slightly quartering away, feeding calmly. So I let 'er fly. She started to spin as the arrow was in flight and it caught her right behind the last rib, angling forward. I figured I got the off lung and if I was lucky maybe clipped the near-side lung. As she sun to leave, for a brief second I caught a glimpse of the fletching sticking out of her side just behind the last rib on the right side.
The two deer ran about 100 yards over a little rise in the field and stopped where I could only see their heads above the rise in terrain. I took my eyes off them for a brief second while I put my binoculars up to my eyes. Through the binos I could see just the head of one doe standing there. She was looking around, and then alternately looking down and to her right. I watched for about a minute when she finally trotted off alone. This was going to be an easy recovery.
Because it was getting dark, I only waited about ten minutes before getting out and walking over there. Nothing. No blood, no deer, nothing. I looked all around me for any kind of sign and found nothing. As it was getting dark, I decided to go back to my truck and get a better light. I searched the whole area, even went back to where they were standing when I shot. I found no evidence of a hit, and no arrow. I spent about an hour searching all the trails on that end of the field. Never found a drop of blood. I decided to come back in the daylight. First thing this morning I once again searched the area where she dropped out of sight. Nothing, not even a drop of blood. I searched all the trails and walked all the perimeter of that half of the field, and anywhere she could have went without me being able to see her from the blind. Nothing.
By now I am thinking maybe my eyes had played tricks on me and I had not hit the deer at all, even though I am positive I saw the arrow in her side. I went back and spent quite a bit of time searching the area of the shot, looking for the arrow, blood or hair. I even looked for about a half hour along where the arrow could have skipped if it had missed. The alfalfa is short and spotty here and if the arrow was there I would have found it fairly easily.
I am at a loss to explain this. In 33 years of bowhunting I have never come across a situation like this and I just don't know what to think. If you can solve this mystery you are a better man than I.
The two deer ran about 100 yards over a little rise in the field and stopped where I could only see their heads above the rise in terrain. I took my eyes off them for a brief second while I put my binoculars up to my eyes. Through the binos I could see just the head of one doe standing there. She was looking around, and then alternately looking down and to her right. I watched for about a minute when she finally trotted off alone. This was going to be an easy recovery.
Because it was getting dark, I only waited about ten minutes before getting out and walking over there. Nothing. No blood, no deer, nothing. I looked all around me for any kind of sign and found nothing. As it was getting dark, I decided to go back to my truck and get a better light. I searched the whole area, even went back to where they were standing when I shot. I found no evidence of a hit, and no arrow. I spent about an hour searching all the trails on that end of the field. Never found a drop of blood. I decided to come back in the daylight. First thing this morning I once again searched the area where she dropped out of sight. Nothing, not even a drop of blood. I searched all the trails and walked all the perimeter of that half of the field, and anywhere she could have went without me being able to see her from the blind. Nothing.
By now I am thinking maybe my eyes had played tricks on me and I had not hit the deer at all, even though I am positive I saw the arrow in her side. I went back and spent quite a bit of time searching the area of the shot, looking for the arrow, blood or hair. I even looked for about a half hour along where the arrow could have skipped if it had missed. The alfalfa is short and spotty here and if the arrow was there I would have found it fairly easily.
I am at a loss to explain this. In 33 years of bowhunting I have never come across a situation like this and I just don't know what to think. If you can solve this mystery you are a better man than I.
![shrug[1].gif](http://www.iowawhitetail.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug[1].gif)
