typical recovery distance?

[Bodork]

What would be a reasonable distance to expect a mule deer to travel before expiring? Assume a close range lung shot-18 yds or less. Non-spooked animal.

[joe ashton]

My average is about 60yards.  Some have just stood there then dropped and one went a long way..

I've never shot a mule deer but I can't see them being a whole lot different than most other animals with a hole through both lungs!

I would say 40yds to 100yds on a well placed shot through both lungs.

Bisch

[mwosborn]

Originally posted by Bisch:


I would say 40yds to 100yds on a well placed shot through both lungs.

Bisch

x2

[30coupe]

Originally posted by Bisch:
I've never shot a mule deer but I can't see them being a whole lot different than most other animals with a hole through both lungs!

I would say 40yds to 100yds on a well placed shot through both lungs.

Bisch

What Bisch said! When they can't breath, they don't get far.

[Bob B.]

My average is 40 to 60 yards with very few that went farther or not even 40 yards.

Bob.

[ChuckC]

I believe it depends on the scare factor at impact.  

If you made a lot of noise, or if you hit a heavy bone, causing more trauma, they run harder to get away from the perceived danger.  A deer can run far in just 5 - 10 seconds.  IF they are not so scared, they tend to jump away to the first cover, stop and watch, then keel over, or bed and die.  All in seconds (assuming a double lung hit).

As above, I have put an arrow thru the chest of several bucks that responded by kicking, looking around, and, in one case, going back to feeding.

Everything eats deer and turkeys. Their normal response to anything out of line is to get out of Dodge.  

Normal ?  0 to 100 yards might get most of them.

ChuckC

[Sam McMichael]

The longest was about 80 yards, but most went down within 20 or 30. Granted, I have not killed a large number of dear with the bow.

[rkelly]

After 50+ years doing this, I agree with Chuck C.
But there can be exceptions.