I have a book by John Trout Jr called Trailing Wounded Deer however this one is out of print but he is now out with a newer version called "Finding Wounded Deer."

I have bow hunted for nearly 40 years and I knew many of the things in his book but I also learner a lot.

If possible always try to follow your arrow into the deer [but this isn't always possible] pay special attention to the deer's reaction to the shot and mark landmarks where the deer goes to make tracking easier. The arrow will also help determing the type of hit largely due to color of the blood and other matter on the arrow, how much of the arrow is left [if it's broken off] how far up the arrow is the blood.

Muscle/Bone hit- Follow gently right away.
Lung/heart/artery-20 minutes or immediately if you see the animal go down.
Liver-4 hours
Paunch-10 to 12 hours or overnight is better but mark the spot where you need to start tracking.

I could go on and on and rewrite Trout's book but it would be better to buy it . . . you will not be sorry.

Bowhunter