Thanks all. Just cleared the processors. On his scales it was 196. On our hunt club scales he was 190 even. So he was a 200 class buck.
Came in with 4 does. Not worrying them but pushing them some.
I shot him with my Savage smokeless muzzleloader at about 50 yards.
He dropped and stayed down for a full minute or longer. I was almost finished reloading and I saw him get up and half drag, half run off.
It's been raining like the devil here for two days so I got down and tried to find blood. Not one drop where he was laying OR where he ran....
He was sorta dragging when he left so all I had to go in was drag marks. If there was blood with the leaves and ground wet and the light rain still falling I could not find it. Walked up on him about 80 yards from where I last marked him.
The bullet did not go through so I guess that all blood stayed inside. Very lucky to find him. One guy helped me and we drug him the 100 yards to the buggy. I would have sworn he was 500 pounds.
I passed on this buck on the last day of last years season. He was not as heavy on the mass and not as tall or wide. I kicked my butt for awhile for letting him go last year but sorta glad now that I did.