For many years it has been my belief that a deer, when hit with the bullet, does not associate that with any sort of pursuit. They feel a sting and than weakness. Once in cover, if left alone long enough and not chased, they will weaken, wobble, often lean on a tree if one is handy, then fall or lay down. No need to run in circles or random patterns. But, if you immediately jump down from your blind and start making racket trailing them, with all your civilian 782 gear banging around they'll often get into overdrive and run way further than you'd think possible.

The worst sound you can hear is the crashing and banging made by a big buck realizing that he's being pursued and getting up off the ground and hitting high gear. Give em time to die. My grandfather always said he'd take the time to have a cigaret. I don't smoke, but I'll usually give them 15 minutes before I begin the walk to where they were. Of course there's often, when the light is fading fast, the decision as do I go look now (while there's light) and risk getting the deer moving again, or wait the full 15. Normally, with my aging eyes, I'll risk going while there is light. That almost cost me that big 9 point I got this year. He was weak and down, but he wasn't dead. He just didn't quite have the energy to get up and run far.

I killed 2 deer with my .270, both perfect shots, one ran 60 yards, the other ran 250 yards. GF shot one with .223, marginal shot at the front of the shoulder, ran 25 yards.

Although hers ran the direction he was facing

They might do anything. The only thing I might be willing to even broadly generalize about is that they will usually go the direction they were headed-at least initially.

Kicking the hind legs is not the general sign of a gut shot. It is generally the sign of a killing boiler room shot. If there is any sign of a gut shot it is hunching up at the shot.

Shot my buck 3 years ago, good double lung behind the shoulder shot. He fell over at the shot stood up ran a 10-20 yard 1/2 circle and stopped in the middle of the sender I shot him in and looked around for 10 or so seconds with blood pooring out his side till he got wobbly and fell over.

Whoever said there is no telling what they will do wins in my vote.

I like y'alls style...I've seen 'em run the way their head was facing most times when they were hit. That's a great topic around the fire.

Of course Louisiana deer are backwards, sooooo

Thy usually just R-U-N-N-O-F-T

That's been my experience too. It might be because they are coming out of brush into a clearing and they run back into the brush but anyway, that is what I've generally seen Axis do. White Tail are just DRT

Dad said "The question was which way do they run, not fall."

Away

Last year I had a doe run straight into the woods, and then double back over her own trail and cut hard right at the woodsline. I'm guessing she got dizzy and fell and stood back up facing the direction she came, but it threw me for a loop. Tons of blood, very strong trail, and then it just completely turned off about 50 yards back (because the trail coming back was obviously just over the original).

Started doing big circles and eventually just ran into her and then followed the blood trail backwards, but I didn't figure out what she had done until that point.