Was the shot from a stand or on the ground??? If from a stand, and the arrow lodged in the opposite side shoulder, he maybe be above all the goodies, which would explain why the deer was not at the end of the blood trail. Look how high the blades REALLY are on an animal and you'd know exactly why I say this. Dark blood is either LIVER or MUSCLE, HEART blood is A LOT, and a SHORT TRAIL, don't try to over-rationalize. I know it's your DAD, but sometimes we are WRONG about where we "thought" we hit them. Trust me, I have a doe with a hole in her head because she moved that far on the shot, and i thought it looked like it was a decent shot, except maybe a bit high when i released and watched the arrow fly!!!!

Update?
Deer is dead somewhere IMO. Look for the ravens to be on it.
Dark blood in my interpatation is liver.
Was this deer quartering away? Sorry if I missed that in the read somewhere.

I had one this year make it a half mile with a hit like that. He went pretty much downhill all the way if that helps in your situation.

I would grid search the area. Take a GPS and walk everything within a half mile start close and make circles. use the GPS so you can see where you have went dont leave a spot on the GPS screen uncovered. also check out his bedding area that is where he will head back to somewhere he feels safe. check water wounded deer willgo to water to help replinish their blood loss. Main thing dont give up you owe it to the deer

I am inclined to think such, but also sounds like blood coming from a muscle. Ive noticed that liver blood is dark, but usually greenish as well.

If you have a dog try to bring them out to look they can smell the carcass allot better than you I know mine found one I lost last year. Keep looking sounds like he drilled him and he should be far, it's not often a mortally wounded deer will do a death run but occasionally they do. Good luck

Deer should dead. If all the info is right then he got liver and you guys went too early. What happened to the blood trail...... fat or hide covered the hole. Simple.
I shot a doe this yr and waited 2hrs just to be safe. I thought I either had 1 lung and liver or both lungs. I wasn't completely positive on the hit so thats why we backed out. When we took up the trail we had good blood for about 70yds....... then it became sporadic. It was dark and we only had one flashlight so we decided to back out and come back the next day so we didn't push her. Little or no blood and a pushed deer = a lost deer. We got back out to the rd and and started walking back to my car. I put my light in a filed and saw what I thought was a clump of snow in the field. My buddy was at a different angle and saw brown...... he said that's your deer. We went and got it and found that her hide had covered the hole. I had to move the hide at least an inch to get back onto the hole. When I field dressed her I found out that I gotten a double lung hit. Shwe ran a total of 125yds.

we looked again today and couldn't get very detailed because its shotgun season here in ohio and we didn't want to be in the thicket... we are def. going to keep up the search and the water idea is an idea we will consider

thanks

i wouldnt mind to hear more comments?

Dont just consider the water idea, do it. More times than not they run right to the nearest water source to lay down in/around it. Search until either you run out of property, or you know deep down that you gave it all you got.

Now strap on the boots and go pound some ground!

i can't wait till gun season is over soo we can look better!!!!!!!!