And it could be you did nothing wrong. There are always the variables of: A) did deer move at last second & B) small limbs/vegetation that can deflect an arrow, but that you can't really see - until after the shot or broad daylight.
I have taken shots in low light conditions, found dry arrows and wondered how in the heck that didn't work. Come back the next day and see that there was plenty of small limbs in the way to deflect an arrow.
It is easy to have that happen in good light conditions. I have certainly trimmed too much around stand sights & can confirm deer don't like that much.
Regardless, it always sucks to loose one - especially when you never know what really happened? Did deer make it?
I arrowed a good buck a few weeks ago. It was my first shot at a good buck with the bow, since 2017. He was quartering to me some, but I knew I could put that arrow right behind his shoulder & kill him.
Another thing about hunters, at least as it pertains to hunting, is we are optimists! You have to be in order to keep doing the same think over & over & expect to have different/better results. I choose to disregard the normal definition of that & call it 'Optimism' instead.
I think it's only natural that some of that optimism will bleed over into the shots we take.
The buck from a few weeks back, rocketed up a hill after the arrow hit him. He sure moved like an animal that wasn't going to die soon. Within seconds, the doubt comes. Did I hit him an inch or two forward, shoulder only and not get vitals? Idiot!, why didn't you wait for him to get broadside! The more I thought about it & replayed it in my mind, it sure did seem like there was a lot of arrow sticking out when he ran and it probably hit too far forward. Searched a lot to find just a couple very small drips of blood, no arrow & no dead buck. We even had a little snow at that time - didn't matter.
Hunting a stand near there a few days later and a few does come by. Then a small buck following them grunting. Then a nicer buck following, grunting as well. Hey, is that buck limping? Too far & thick for a shot in that direction. But with the binoculars, I was able to see a good buck that I'd seen before in that area. With the limp, I'm confident it was the same buck I'd hit. Of course he didn't show me that side that had the arrow in it, but it was enough to convince me. And he was doing normal buck stuff, seemingly without a care in the world except for a bit of a limp. Pretty sure he make it (at least until gun season).
In hind site, no I shouldn't have taken the shot. If I could go back & not take the shot, I'd like to think I'd wait for more broadside.
But then there is always the optimist in me who knows if I execute this just right, the buck won't go very far.........
Now I'm not advocating taking bad shots. In 20 + years of flinging arrows, I think the shot at that buck was my first (& hopefully only) shot at a deer quartering to me.
But deer hunting is exciting and many times you've only got a couple seconds to decide, shoot or pass.
Combine that with the old adage of "take the first good shot you get (that may be your only shot)" and a little optimism - and sometimes it works & sometimes it doesn't.
Sometimes you get unlucky on good shots. Other times, shots that could have been bad, end well.
100% of shots not taken result in a deer you didn't wound/not find. But the other side of that coin is, 100% of shots not taken result in a deer you don't take home with you!
