When you shoot a deer....

[daveycrockett]

Shot a big doe once that was vacuming up acorns, double lunged she ran 10 15 yards and went back to eating acorns. Rear end started swaying and she fell right there. Most I've shot do a death run of 50 or so yards.

[nd chickenman]

The strangest one Ive shot was a small buck that jumped in front of a doe that I was shooting at right after I released. I hit him in the lungs, he sprinted hard for 50 yards or so, hit a tree and both antlers flew off! It was in December so about ready to shed I guess. Use an antlerless tag on him!

[ksbowman]

Had them do anything from dropping on the spot,running off or walking away and bedding down. It all depends on shot placement.

[rolltidehunter]

the buck in my avatar i shot last year he was with another buck his size and several does.. i think there was 4 or 5 does with them. they were all around my stand eating acorns. i shot the buck and he did one big mule kick and  just stood there.the other deer just stood there too. they all started back eating. the buck got wobbly after a minute or two. he fel over and the other deer just looked at him and kept eating..... seems like with that many deer at least  one of them would of gotten spooked but they didnt... thats the only time this has happend to me

[rolltidehunter]

oh yeah and the arrow was hangin out the other side the whole time

[ChuckC]

I have had them run and I have had them kick, look around, and go back to eating.  

I believe if there is little noise to spook them, and you do not hit any major bones to cause a big impact, they are not in pain. .  

Something happened, they know not what though.
ChuckC

[Cato]

Seems to me it depends at least in part where you hit them.  A gut shot will hunch up and walk or trot off, run a little ways and then lay down. The ones I've heart shot have run like crazy.  I've slipped one between the lungs on a few occassions and they have done some of both; run a short distance and pinwheel or just run and not stop till they dropped.

I don't remember shooting a pig that did not leave in a hurry, but I have not killed nearly as many of them.

[Looper]

I've had all sorts of reactions, too. The last doe I shot was a broadside double lung. At the shot, she made one big leap and just stood there. After a few seconds, she started to walk off and simply fell over. I shot her from about 16 steps, and she never got more than 30 yards from me. Field dressing revealed my arrow had slipped between the ribs on both sides.

If I look back, I think that every time I've hit a bone, or if the arrow stayed in, the deer took off. The ones I've shot that just stood there, the broadhead slipped between the ribs and completely passed through.

[Bob B.]

I ahve had most of them run like a scalded dog, had a small buck jump, lick the entry, kept eating acrons, fell over dead.  I had a doe get shot, liver hit, walk away 60 yards, bed down, put head down ... she was done.

Bob.

[Skipmaster1]

I've killed well over 100 with the bow and 1 with the gun. All act a little differently. The gun killed one dropped without making a move. I've had deer run over 600 yards with a double lung shot like they came out of a cannon, Had them run a short distance and crash into trees, walk away slowly(usually gut shot), had them bolt 20 yards and stop and look back and even had a few never even lift there head from what they were eating and just tip over a few seconds later. Most of the double lung shot deer I have watched only lived about 12 seconds.........what they did in that 12 seconds varied a lot. I think at all depends on how relaxed the deer is and where the shot is.

[Pheonixarcher]

"I think at all depends on how relaxed the deer is and where the shot is."
  I agree skipmaster. I have had similar experiences. Two seemingly 'identical' shots on two different deer will likely yield different results.
  I shot a doe some years back that barely flinched at the shot, stood there a few seconds, then casually turned around and walked back the way she came in. I thought I had missed. About 15 minutes later, as I was starting to pack my gear up to come down, I heard a huge crashing sound. I turned around and watched her roll down the hill, where she had walked up, and she died in sight. "I knew I hit her". It was an 8 yard shot from about 25' up, and I only clipped one lung.

[straitera]

Can't remember a deer not bolting after the shot other than spined.

[Bowwild]

I've hit two deer in the spine over the years which dropped (of course I missed my spot). Of all the other deer I've had only one react as if it wasn't hit by just taking a quick jump then walking 10 yards and toppling.

The others hit the road very quickly, sometimes with little regard for brush and small trees in their path. I have seen the vast majority of my bow-killed deer fall in less than 70 yards. The last 3 recurve-killed deer have died in less than 55 yards from my tree stand. Subtract the 16-21 yard shot distance and these deer went just a bit over 30 yards before cashing it in.

[Mic W]

I have only one time had a deer stay still after I shot it. It was a very windy day and it reluctantly  came into a clearing to feed.After I shot it looked back then walked a few steps and then fell over. It had no idea what just happened and seemed to be confused as to what to do.

[jonsimoneau]

I've had them react pretty much every way that has been discussed so far.  A deer running with his tail tucked is a good sign but a deer running with his tail straight up does not always mean a bad hit. The deer that I have shot that just walked off were always gut shot. Thankfully that one has not happened to me in a number of years.

[caleb7mm]

had one bound three times then die and fall over. the rest take off like a rocket

[TxAg]

Well, sounds about like what I expected. Every now and again I hear about a deer that wnet back to eating and fell over dead a few seconds later....gota love that tracking job.

Never had that happen. Seems they all die on the run between 75-150 yds as long as I do my part.

[Car54]

All of mine ran like their was no tomorrow...except the ones I spined(they dropped like a sack of potatoes).

[KSdan]

All the above!  . . .  

I do think if you shoot when they are slowly walking (my favorite shot!), most do not react with the harsh bolt reaction. I do think the 2 blade head may have some affect on this as well.

I never stop a deer to shoot! In fact, I would rather they start to walk slowly before I draw. I have never really observed a deer that was relaxed and slowly walking "jump the string." And I have had a lot of deer just walk off, jump a bit then walk off, or bolt then stop to look back as they walk off.

My 2C
Dan

[scottfix]

Ive shot my share of deer over the years with a bow, and every one reacted the same way . . . .  ran like they were on fire.