well again I say never say never
My buddy killed a 170 buck at my camp and all he hit was one nut off the buck and the back of the other side of the rear leg, and just cliped that main line on the back, not a great blood trail but did find it 1/2 mile or so from where it was hit, a one in a million kill ,
I think, but hey take em as you get em some times!
but sounds like he will be about, and never know mught get a second crack at him too, some times they don't know what happened and come right back
the buck I shot at came in two nites in a row
so I say get back in there and try again, rut is either on or about to so??
good luck