RE: Fatal hit or not???
 

hey Buckridge
The blood you're describing sounds like the same kind I tracked yesterday. Bright red little drops mixed in with quarter size drops. She sprayed more as she jumped from logging trail up into the woods, partner saw where she went, but we couldn't find her after 20 minutes of looking. She crawled under a dead fall and when she made a break, too late. Her initial wound was in the shoulder.

RE: Fatal hit or not???
 

If the deer didn't stagger, or appear hurt while running away is not a good sign. Especially if his tail was up the whole way. Normally, a deer that is hurt badly will not run with thier tail up. They will either flicker thier tail, or they will have it down when they run.

A deer that is gut shot will apear unhurt, but you would have found gut matter in the blood. The blood you found was more than likely superficial and not lethal enough to kill the animal, at least quickly.

JMHO

Sorry you didn't get him.

RE: Fatal hit or not???
 

Sounds like a low hit. Theres one thing I've learned a deer can bleed a whole lot and it will look like fatal blood but they actually recover. Let me give you a quick scenario. Last year my brother shot at a buck with his bow at about 30 yds. we had good blood and tracked the deer for probably 300-350 yds. before he hit the open field. We found places where he'd bed down and find more blood. The blood was bright red. Well we made it about half way across an alfalfa field and lost him. We thought for sure with the amount of blood we were seeing the buck went and crawled in somewhere and died. Well the first day of rifle season came around and our Aunt shot the buck and he was just fine. The wound was just behind the leg and below the shoulder, his arrow went in and out without peircing anything fatal. Chances are he's fine, but you never know?? Hope this helps?