Made a good shot on nice buck about 7PM Thursday night.  Gave him 45m to an hour.  No blood at the scene or where the arrow broke.  Arrow broke off about 4-6" from the point.  Clean as whistle but sitting in water.  The arrow looked consistent with a shoulder hit but there was no blood or hair at the sight and I was still confident in the hit I saw.

Looked on hands and knees real hard and could find no blood, hair, or tracks along the path I watch him exit.  Still positive of the good hit but confused at the lack of sign at the shot location.

After a few hours of tracking, I start really focusing on where I last saw him leave the creek bed.  Pulled out my compass and started working that direction carefully.  A tip I learned first here on Trad Gang from Roger Norris via Ron LaClair.  The travel direction was also into the wind and he smelled to high heaven like a rutting buck so I thought I might get a wiff.  Did this for a long time and I finally stumbled on some blood while checking a runway.  Once I found blood, it was a good trail and he was piled up right there.  Found him about 10PM.

Hit was just like I thought.   I think I got the stuff above the heart.  Pretty much where I'd like to hit every one.  Leave the pump, take out the plumbing.   He went about 70 yards before I found blood.  Only another 30 after that.  I was real close to calling it a night and working on a plan to do a body search in the daylight.  Discussing the situation with Steve-O, we agreed the shoulder muscles may have blocked the entrance hole to delay blood loss.

Love to hear other's thoughts on the nature of the blood trail.  I'm sure this has happened to others throughout the years.  I tend to go overboard writing about blood trail details but I've learned so much from these forums on the subject that I think it is very important for we as bowhunters to share information and recover every animal possible.  I'm afraid this is the type of deer that would not be recovered with out some knowledge and persistence.

Got this trailcam pic right before the shot.  Just a few steps from a "Whip":
 

My best buck yet.:
   

This is the first time I've used a finger tab for hunting.  I tried it a few days ago and it seem to fix an apparent torquing of the string habit I had somehow developed.  Black Widow 3 under tab.

Tall Tines 60# @28".  Easton 400 FMJ.  145gr Grizzly broad head with 100gr steel adapter.

GREAT BUCK...what a stud. Your persistence paid off!!! Beauty of a deer and shot

Beautiful buck!

Wow. Great buck!  Congrats!
Tab convert!!

That is a real beauty, well done.      Black Widow 3 under tab is my favorite.

Can you tell us about the head you used, the bow weight and about penetration.  Seems like you should have had at least a light blood trail from that shot placement.  By the way that is a beautiful buck, congratulations and great tracking.

Great buck and great work on finding him!

Sounds like you got a solid impact on the offside shoulder joint, so he quickly broke off the projecting shaft then  bled internally from the severed aorta  but no exit hole for the blood to drain out. If you don't get a lung, blood wont back up and out the higher entrance wound until the chest cavity fills up. Happens  when shooting from an elevated stand into a deer quartering or turning away slightly.

Stud of a buck congrats

It happens.  My bud Ron Thomas shot one several years ago in a foot of snow.  Not one drop of blood from the double lung.  Not 1!!  He showed me pics of the trail.  Nothing.

great buck congrats

Great job that's a big Michigan buck there

I'd say Mangonboat is right on the money. I was 15' up and it was only a 10 yard shot. I could find no damage to the heart or lungs themselves on field dressing. I will aim a little further back on that angle next time. I believe the arrow broke very quickly. I had to use pliers to pull it from the shoulder.

John, it was a very sharp Grizzly single-bevel. 250gr total with the 100gr insert.

Nice deer.  I too recently switched to a tab after years of glove use and it's made my release much more clean and consistent.

Beautiful buck.. Congrats..

Congrats to you! What a buck and way to be persistent on the tracking job!

Nice deer and good job not giving up! You are correct that blood trailing is one of the most important things we can know how to do well.  

Beautiful buck mick!! Way to stick with the track job and remembering your shot placement

Great Job working out that like of blood trail.
Congrats!  

Congrats on a fine buck! That bow looks familiar