[Skybird]

Two scenarios. The animal was wounded, fled, became tire,d walked slower, spirits loosing the body, and it finally went down somewhere. Happens like thios in the game.

Or it crossed during its escape the tracks that led it to you, and you did not realise that you suddenly did not follow the tracks anymore that it left when escaping, but that you now follow tracks that the animal left before you hit it. Animals crossing their own tracks, can be really a bummer.

Spend a reasonable amount of time for searching. And when you feel like it, move on and forget it. You lose an animal, and thats it. While not getting a score, the hit nevertheless counts for your skill level raisings regarding the weapon you used.

You also get a warning by Doc not tol let animals left int he wild. A meaningless message that is, it has no further consequences in the game.

Moose are tough - You have to hit them right, or with a real slam. Possible that it still lives, and will live on.