Sorry to hear about the problems your friend is having. You guys really went the extra mile trying to recover those deer though.

I just had a similar experience with the penetration. A quartering away deer, hit with a Slick Trick tipped Terminator Select from a Bowtech Pro 38 DC. It was only a partial pass through. I did get an exit wound, but the last 9" of arrow was still in the deer when I dressed it out. I think she may have moved down some as the arrow was hitting her, but she really did not appear to react at all. My arrow did go through the shoulder blade on the way out though.

I had no blood at all to go on, even though the deer ended up going only 89-90 yards before piling up. Entrance and exit wounds were kind of high, but no blood at all, not even from the mouth an nose? Never saw that before this deer.

I agree that your friend should take a break. The Pheasants sound like a great idea. Be glad you still have some around (that aren' t the raggedy looking tame ones the State puts out on the game lands).