I'm glad everything turned out good for you. Maybe he sensed he was outta shape and decided he was gonna stay out there and not come out till he was satisfied!
I have hunted with one of my uncles since my mom would trust me with him and so I usually park the truck in the same spots and run the same trails as we have for years, One day my uncle lost a lab cross in one of our hunting spots so we returned for the next few months searching for him with no sign of him until 1 year and a 1/2 later I was in the same forest parked in the same spot where my uncle had parked the day he lost the dog and when I returned to the truck there the dog was sitting in the truck waiting for a ride home! It was really amazing! He had really long toenails and was a little on the leaner side but other then that in top shape! He actually got alot better at hunting and was a lead dog for a few years after that!
