I was always under the impression that if the stomach or intestines were cut, the deer would die eventually.

THe strangest wound I ever saw was on an otherwise healthy buck that was chasing does. He had a previous wound high & back right where the inner loins are. The holes were not visible until skinning, We figured it had been a good week that he had taken that shot, and there were no signs of infection or any indication that deer was going to die from that wound.