Just throwing something out there which might help someone some day. Maybe we should limit this to bows although I am not sure there will be a difference.
It seems like if there is a group of deer, or even just a couple, the non-target deer often bound away with their tails flagging. Seems like hit deer reactions vary though. Tonight I had a shot at a doe at 30yds. I was in the woods and it was getting dark. I could see my pins and make an ethical shot, but it was too dark to follow the arrow. I have never been great at following the arrow anyway unless using lumenocks. This doe tucked tail and took off like a freight train. In my experience, this is a good thing. However, in this case, it doesn't seem to be. My buddy watched her exit the woods and continue her 100mph dash until she disappeared several hundred yards from him (probably farther). We both looked for the arrow and blood for over an hour. The point she exited the woods was probably close to 100yds from where she was when I shot at her. We scoured the woods exit area pretty darn good as well as the area she was standing when I shot her (or at her). Never found the arrow or blood.
That said, I am thinking it was a clean miss and I just didn't find the arrow in the leaves. However, it has me wondering. Generally on a missed deer they seem to jump, bound away with their tail flagging, then maybe stop 50-75yds away to see what is going on or maybe just slow down to a trot then to a walk. I just don't get it. This deer reacted like a heart shot deer. Hard to believe I watched her 100yds and my buddy watched her several hundred more and she never slowed down. If she was hit, it is pretty hard to believe we couldn't find any blood anywhere. Just weird.
It seems like if there is a group of deer, or even just a couple, the non-target deer often bound away with their tails flagging. Seems like hit deer reactions vary though. Tonight I had a shot at a doe at 30yds. I was in the woods and it was getting dark. I could see my pins and make an ethical shot, but it was too dark to follow the arrow. I have never been great at following the arrow anyway unless using lumenocks. This doe tucked tail and took off like a freight train. In my experience, this is a good thing. However, in this case, it doesn't seem to be. My buddy watched her exit the woods and continue her 100mph dash until she disappeared several hundred yards from him (probably farther). We both looked for the arrow and blood for over an hour. The point she exited the woods was probably close to 100yds from where she was when I shot at her. We scoured the woods exit area pretty darn good as well as the area she was standing when I shot her (or at her). Never found the arrow or blood.
That said, I am thinking it was a clean miss and I just didn't find the arrow in the leaves. However, it has me wondering. Generally on a missed deer they seem to jump, bound away with their tail flagging, then maybe stop 50-75yds away to see what is going on or maybe just slow down to a trot then to a walk. I just don't get it. This deer reacted like a heart shot deer. Hard to believe I watched her 100yds and my buddy watched her several hundred more and she never slowed down. If she was hit, it is pretty hard to believe we couldn't find any blood anywhere. Just weird.