BAD LUCK, GOOD LUCK, THE UNKNOWN

 Here's some examples:

Muzzleloader Season 2021: 

Shooting from the cemetery stand on New Year's Eve I stop a doe with a "Bleeeeeeat!" I fire. The scope kicks back cutting a bloody half-moon from nose to eyebrow. Between the smoke and the cracked eye I have no idea which way the deer went or if I hit her. We find hair. Then a small drop of blood. Or was that mine? The three of us, Savage, Bird and I crisscross the cut. After about an hour Savage stumbles across the doe. The shot was right behind her shoulder. Perfect. She'd run 200 yds. I was unlucky to get cracked in the head and lucky to find the deer. If we had given up we would have been left with the unknown.

Muzzleloader Season 2022:

Hunting the stand above the Hassidic's I missed an easy broadside shot at a big doe around 8 am. A snow storm was predicted to hit around 1 pm. The deer were feeding where I was at. Around 10 am another doe presented a shot at about 50 yards. I could tell I had hit her and found blood in the snow. But then I lost the trail. I needed to find this deer before the storm hit. I walked in circles in the area I saw her last. Nothing. At noon I gave up. Around 2 pm I went back in the woods, completely dejected. It was snowing hard. I'd given up any hope of finding that deer. Then I almost stepped on her, already half buried in the snow. I hadn't looked in this direction. The unknown was now known, and I was joyous.

Muzzleloader Season 2023:

Hunting the same stand above the Hassidic's this morning in the rain. I woke up late thinking the morning would be a washout. When I couldn't detect raindrops the guilt got me out of bed at 6:45 am. No  coffee. I threw on my hunting clothes and drove down to the curve in the road. I parked the truck and was in the stand by 7:15 am. Then it began to rain. I hadn't fired the gun during the entire (very wet) season. I said a little prayer for ignition, given the opportunity. Things looked bleak. Then, at 8:30 am I spotted a deer coming towards me through a bunch of deadfalls. At 200 yards i could tell it was a buck.....a nice buck. Then I lost him. I raised the gun. Fogged scope. I pulled out my napkin and cleared it. It was only a matter seconds before the buck was standing, head up, facing down the hill, 100 yards broadside. A few more steps and I wouldn't have a shot. I settled the crosshairs on his shoulder and fired. KA-BOOM! My prayers were answered.......well not entirely. All I saw was smoke. When it cleared the deer was gone. Had I dropped him? I climbed down from the stand without reloading. The rain was coming down harder. No deer. No hair. No blood. How could I have missed? I have no idea which direction the deer ran. I searched for hours. Nothing. Forget blood. It's been raining all day. Tomorrow I'll expand the search area towards Julie Picasso's, just looking for a body. If nothing else, the two previous years have taught me a hard lesson. Never give up. Now for the unknown. To be continued....