[xxclaro]

I had a baffling and rather upsetting occurrence last week, and I'd love to hear some thoughts on what might have happened.

I had snuck within 40 yards of a bull elk. He finally cleared the bush he was in and was broadside to me, and perhaps a few yards to my right, so a very slight quartering away shot. I took the shot, and watched my lighted nock home in. At the moment of contact, the light shot to the left, going up high and landing about 30 yards to the left of the elk. I figured I must have hit an unseen branch or something, but it made a pretty loud smack. The elk ran probably 70-80 yards, then stopped momentarily. I got bino's on him, as did my partner, and both saw blood on his chest right behind the front leg about halfway up....perfect, I thought, musta been a passthrough that just looked odd. He moved off into the bush.

So, went to retrieve the glowing arrow and found it was just the nock. I went over to where he went in and found a small drop of blood, about 100-150 yards from the point of shooting. We walked back to camp for knives and lights, which was almost 2 hours round trip. Began blood trailing, and it was very slow going. Bblood was restricted to leaves that brushed against him at chest height, one side only. We trailed for several hours, and blood drips/smears were often 10-15 yards apart. We finally lost the trail altogether and decided to try again in the morning.

Back at it next morning, we finally found a couple more drops and managed to add a few hundred yards more trail, till we were down to the barest wisp of blood wipes on the odd leaf. Lost trail again, and kept searching till the rain started. No magpies or ravens present. Went back next 2 days, looking for birds and checking places I thought he might have went. Nothing. I'm baffled as to what could have happened. It's a 475gr arrow at about 290fps with a Magnus Stinger Buzzcut 125gr. I was pretty devastated and it's still eating at me a bit. Any idea of what could have happened? All in all we trailed him for a good long way, he never stopped or lay down, and I've probably bled more off a shaving cut! I just can't figure it out.