bflem55, I answered your other post about hitting the 12pt. and losing it. My grandson hit a 4pt his 1st buck with a crossbow Mon. night found a little blood and then the arrow. only about 2 drops of blood after that. 4 of us went out Tue. morn. did a grid search nothing. I then walked on top of a ravine with a creek down below and, about 300yds laying in the small creek was his 4pt. buck. years ago my son lost a buck same way and I had him stay at the last blood and I went to a creek that ran through there. I walked up the creek and then back down the creek. I found his buck almost laying in the creek. a deer when wounded gets a fever and needs to drink a lot so I would check the creek bottom you talk about.