I agree with you that cuts don't cause nontypicals but we are talking about an arrow tipped with a razor sharp broad head. I don't really call that a superficial wound.

Even if a deer gets wounded by a rifle, it isn't always going to grow a messed up rack.

Every buck with one side messed up isn't a necessarily wounded deer either.

Who cares what marks that deer has on him... Look at that pig behind him.. LOL.... Ya, like everyone is saying, its hard to tell.. In my opinion, when a deer grows a weird rack, they have been hurt pretty bad and usually have some sort of limp. If that is where that buck was shot, I don't think that injury would cause him to grow a weird rack.. I am surprised, if that is where he was shot though, that he wasn't spin shot. One luck buck for sure.. Good luck getting one of them this year.. Very nice pair of bucks you got there......

Kill it and get a closer look.