RE: Shortest distance to recover your deer?
On the spot. Had an 8 point take one in the heart and both lungs, jump up, look around and fall over. Dead on the spot. Love when that happens.
I also had a doe drop on the spot. I was using a mechanical head, I think steal heads, the spiral cut kind (which is a P.O.S.). The head has a helical set on the blades so when it hits something, it torques the arrow. Which sucks. Any way, I shot this doe, the arrow entered and went through on lung, turned and headed straight up the animal. (thanks to that crap spiral design), and imbedded in the does spine. She droped on the spot. Id rather her have taken a clean pass through and run than to have a crap head twist up in her and not penetrate for crap. In this case it was not that bad, but I did shoot a hog that these heads would only sink a few inches in. Ive got plenty of KE on the bow I was shooting, the heads just suck. I tossed them right after the sec. use.