I spoke with my friend over the weekend and asked why he didn't look more. Apparently, the buck disappeared behind some cover before it vanished into the woods. They assumed it went down a deer trail or at least in that area where it was heading. They looked all around the entrance of the woods for blood and found none. They went into the woods and looked for awhile along the trail. They looked for a couple of hours then gave up with no blood. He said it entered the woods in an unlikely spot and died where no one can see. He was extremely disappointed that he wasn’t able to find this deer for his son and share that memory for years to come.
It's hard to grill someone or make accusations when you weren't there. This sort of thing happens from time to time and has happened to myself once. I shot a nice buck that I did not recover till the next day. He was hit hard, but traveled a very long distance before expiring and I believe I walked right by him that same day, and never saw him laying there. Coming from the opposite direction the next morning revealed him behind a blow down and dirt mound. Thankfully I was able to recover the meat and rack on him. Do I think the guy should have made more of an effort than what it sounds like he did? Yes. He should have. 50 yards is hard to take. I'm wondering if that deer wasn't still alive while he searched and eventually circled back in and died. They've been known to do this. But I'm willing to bet if you search for several hours and did not find any blood, anywhere in the vicinity, you'd most likely come to the conclusion that the kid missed as well. That's a tough one. I agree though, there isn't much to celebrate here. Sure the kid got a rack, but IMO, its a pretty empty feeling to have a set of horns and a wasted animal behind it. But I certainly won't stand on a soap box and condemn the guy for what he did or didn't do because I wasn't there and the story, for the most part, is all second hand hearsay.
I agree with Muzzyman hard to Criticize when your not there. I Shot a doe 5-6 years ago in SC with a rifle at 50yds and there was no blood or hair on a white sandy road from where I shot Her. We did a grid search for her where we thought she went, and didn't find her until we were walking back to the truck and just happened to walk up on her. she went in the woods where we though but then doubled back and went down about ten yards in the woods. she didn't bleed until she went down. When Hunting anything is possible.
