Wow~ Took you 4 pages to unload the tale, but what a tale it was!
Thanks for such honest reporting. I'm sure many can benefit from reading of that level of persistence...how often people "give up" based on no blood and perhaps wrongly conclude a non lethal hit.
Your story telling is truly inspirational...and motivational to all who hunt! Never say never!
I shot a sika in front of the shoulder once...it ran flat out 50 yards to the right, then back past me 50 yards to the left (now it ran a total of 150) then back to me and took a 90* turn straight away and dropped in sight 50 more yards so about 250... In Blackwater Swamp on E. Shore of MD, it made hellish racket in all that water, but it was quite an exciting time!
Stuff happens when shooting. Animals move, things go wrong, we drop our bow arm to see if we hit...etc, etc, etc...
I'm so happy for you! Likely gives you pause to think how it could have turned out were it not for one friend's persistence... Good on you both!