Deer can be funny. sometimes we place a questional shot and the deer dies right away. sometimes we make good shots and they go a long way or even survive.

A buddy of mine shot a deer (7 point) With a smoke pole in oct., several years back. The deer was facing him and he shot him straight on in the brisket. the deer dropped like lead balloon with the shot. Then he got up and left the country. He found blood and hair and tracked the buck for a great distance only to loose him. One month later, hunting pretty close to the same area, a buck came out running a doe. He shot and to his amazement it was the same 7 point he had shot with his muzzle loader.
After skinning the deer out he found his muzzle loader slug in the deers back. It had followed the deers back bone and lodged jus about in its rump.
They can be some pretty tough boggers somtimes!

they are tough animals