Hicks

Rough Cut, First of all, as others have mentioned you're not alone. I'm certainly no expert as I've hunted 9 seasons and only taken two shots on bulls. But I can definitely relate to your frustration. Last week I spotted a herd bull @ 7 am that was leading a dozen cows across a huge rocky bowl at 9500' toward a major pass. I just barely got to a lone pine right below the pass and put a slick-trick in the "pocket" at 42 yds. After waiting 3 hrs on what I thought was a double lung hit, we followed a 200 yd long blood trail that vanished a quarter of the way back across the open bowl and above 3-4 drainages that we erroneously assumed he went down into. After hours of hands and knees at the last sight of blood and 2 1/2 days of scouring every potential drainage BELOW and ALONG the same line of the blood trail, I found him uphill and over 1/2 mile backtracking on his original line with huge wound openings on both lungs, albeit the 2nd lung was just clipped. 2 1/2 days and two sleepless nights knowing the meat sitting in the 80 + degree heat may be a total loss was NOT supposed to happen,..ever, let alone w/my first bull. You did your best I'm sure. I hope this helps a little with what you must be feeling. I've been depressed for days with what I could've or should've done to have found that animal faster. Good luck next year and keep the wind in your face!