Hit Deer/Missed Deer - Which Way Do They Run?

We had a funny bull session at the camp last Friday night, with a topic that would have lasted until dawn if the beer hadn't run out.

One of the guys said - based on his observations - if a deer is hit and doesn't drop on the spot it always runs in the direction it was facing at the shot. But with a clean miss, the deer always turns around and runs in the direction from which it was coming.

Half the guys agreed this is generally true. The other half said hell no, it's just the opposite - a hit deer always turns around before running. The third half said they could not offer an opinion either way because every deer they shoot drops on the spot, nor have they ever missed.

(We always seem to break into three halves at the camp when a topic like this comes up, which isn't easy unless the ratio of beer to men is 5:1 or higher. )

Anyway, I told them I would see what the guys on the Texas Hunting Forum though about this, even though I'm not sure Texas deer behave the same as Louisiana deer.

So, what's your opinion?

I have had them run every direction from a hit or miss. Shoot at or hunt enough deer and they will make a liar out of you in hurry when you think you have them figured out.

Couldn't agree more.

I will say that in some places, it seems that the deer have an escape plan already in mind. Many of the deer I have shot at my place in Texas will take the exact same path and have had more than a few die within 10-15 yards of previous deer. (this is with a bow).

^^^ they said it best.
Every deer is diffrent. I've had them do both. Depends how well they are hit to I think dictates were and how they run. I've had deer with bullet and arrow double lung hit not make a move then take a few steps like "what happend?" Then they try to run and fall over.
I tend to neck shoot deer most of the time with rifle to save the meat.

From what I have seen they always go "thataway"

Unless you are shooting a ML on a calm day and then it can be and where did they go?

Should be enough online videos to get a decent percentage either way. Axis IMO will always turn and run in the direction they came from (and quite quickly).

Generally speaking, and just my opinion, a deer that's been hit will run forward, while a miss may cause it to run in any direction. The surroundings play a role as well. For example, a deer will likely seek cover quickly, meaning one that walks from the edge of a wooded area and into a food plot, will likely run back if shot at and missed. And if he's been hit, he just wants to get away quickly without taking the extra time and effort to turn around.

The point not to be missed is that the shooter should be able to account for what if any reaction the deer made at the time of the shot, such as kicking the hind legs (as often happens with a gut shot), or jerking the front legs (as often the case with a good heart/lung shot). Otherwise, they most likely had their eyes closed in anticipation of the blast. Concentrating on keeping the eyes open to be sure to see the deer's reaction to the shot is a good way to overcome flinching. I've never thought about it, but perhaps targets that change color at the point of impact is a good way to practice that.

True, but they always go "thataway" fo sho

I'll be honest though, I never paid attention, usually fall right there or you see where they ran. My wife's 1st and only buck a couple of years ago did get me. She shot and deer went everywhere, I saw it run in the direction it was facing, she swore it ran into the woods, then doubled back across the food plot (very small plot). Sure enough, it had doubled back and fell on the opposite side of where she shot it. I made the cardinal sin and started hugging her seconds after the shot, taking my eyes off the situation

I shot a doe in ML season this year on a dark, over cast foggy morning with zero wind. After the shot I had nothing but smoke in front of me for about 5 or so seconds. The doe was in the road next to an old fenceline. She was standing in the road facing the old fenceline and there was a well used deer trail in front of her. Deer ran all directions after the shot. When it cleared I had no deer on the ground and none in sight anywhere. I waited and walked to my Ranger that was parked across the old fenceline and drove towards the well used deer trail she was facing at the shot. I checked for blood on the road I parked on and then on the trail. Walked towards where I thought she was standing and no blood. Immediately found her tracks in the soft ground and she had bolted and ran directly away from me. She was laying 20 yards down the road in taller grass. She had made a 90 deg right turn and ran directly away from me after the shot. Had she been in very tall grass it would have been an interesting trail to recover her that morning. I will rethink where a deer is standing when shooting does in the future with the ML. I always range them so I have a starting point when I get down to the location.
The buck I shot this year I made sure he was facing west when I shot. He ran west for a few jumps then turned SE and ran a ways. He then turned NE and died running. He was heading back the direction he had came in from.

Yes sir, some run 200 yards and fall 30 from where they where shot, go figure....

yep

I was guiding a young lady one morning and she shot a nice little 8 point, the deer mule kicked, and ran off the direction it was facing...we gave it a little time and went to look, (in the direction it ran off) we looked for 2 hours...started to get real disappointed...I made one last sweep and for some reason I went the opposite direction that the deer ran off which was to the right, I found the buck about 75 yards to the LEFT of the way we thought it went. I guess when it ran off it made a circle and we didn't see it come back the other way...crazy

They run away.

From what I have seen have to agree with this.

But I would say I have had higher percent tracking a hit deer going with the path of less resistance then the harder path when we find them.

First one I shot this year, hit square in the shoulder, turned and ran the other direction. Second was facing me, shot him at the base of the neck, turned 90 degrees to the left and ran about 250 yards that direction. I think they have a place in mind for a go-to if something freaks them out and they run towards it. In the first case, it was brush. second was the direction he was headed before he turned to look at me when i whistled at him.

i had a clean miss with my bow on a buck on my corn pile and he ran the direction he was facing, a week or so later i connected with a buck (facing the same way as the missed buck) in the exact same spot and he ran the exact same way.

I'm with STX, I've seen them run all directions. Three does I shot this year all ran the direction they were facing, as did the buck I shot. Two spikes (MLD), one did a 180, the other made a 90 degree turn.

Interesting question. I'm a lung shooter, so the deer will typically run a short ways. Last 5 or 6 deer that I shot were on a power line right of way. They came from the south, moving north. At the bullet impact, they continued north, though cover was closer to the south. Generally speaking, thinking back over the decades and hundreds of deer, I'll say that they normally have, at impact, moved forward. But, when hunting the edges of bean fields, shot deer generally turned back towards the woods, since that was the only possible cover.

Last big pig I shot was coming across my right of way from the north. At impact, he ran forward and then began a circling motion back towards the woods. Shot number two, which hit planet Earth several feet from the pig, did nothing to change his direction. Shot 3 caused him to slide chin first to the edge of the woods.

As for which direction a wounded deer will travel, once back in cover, it has been my experience that they generally will move in a semi-straight path (if cover allows). By 'straight' I mean that a badly wounded deer will not do switchbacks or fancy evasion moves.

I wonder if caliber of the rifle has anything to do with this?

I asked my dad what he thought. He said "They run forward, ever see one run in reverse?" Guess he's right.

I have had them run in all different directions from shots. Some ran up hill some ran down hill some ran towards water and some ran away from it.



You can say that again! First doe I shot with my 54 disappeared in a big poof then movement about 40 yards from the shot out the side window of the stand caught my eye and sure enough it was the do I had shot crashing

Not on a deer, but yes we have shot hogs that threw it in reverse after being shot. And I have seen plenty of video of bucks jumping up on back legs and falling over backwards if that counts.

Well I have learned on THF, that if it's a .223, they drop right there. DRT

I have seen a buck(s) shot that were chasing a doe hit and never break stride. Fall down chasing the doe. At first glance you thought they were missed completely.

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.