I can think of 5 different deer that I did not shoot but I was with on the tracking jobs that ended up in small lakes or sloughs when we found them. All 5 were gut shots just like we figured and in each case we let them go till morning. They had all the land around the lake or slough to run but instead they choose the body of water. They do it for a reason I believe. My dads Canada Moose he shot died in 10' of water. That moose could of stayed in the huge woods but instead tried swimming across the lake. They don't do it by accident I don't think.