Help/opinions???

My dad shot a deer and it flopped dead in its tracks. Then started crawling around after a couple minutes then got up and trotted off. We’re giving it a little bit but can’t give it all night due to coyotes. Anybody had experience with a deer doing this???

I think it was a high shot personally.

Wasn't dead in his tracks...Sounds like a neck shot that missed the bone.

What color of blood, how much, good trail leading away? Could be a low shot, where was he aiming?

Most likely. Hit right above the spine. Temporarily paralyzed it.

If that’s the case, there won’t be much to trail, and the deer is likely to live at least long enough to make recovery difficult, at best. Give it your best shot, but don’t expect too much.

Well we went to DQ and heading back out. I hope we find it.

Seen this many times, by my own dad twice. If that deer just walked off after laying there, sounds gut shot. They will drop and stay there motionless, then in a few minutes kick around a bit, lift the head, and then get up and walk away, they will not run. I know you said "trot" so I get the feeling that deer wasn't sprinting in a run for its life.
This is why I have hunters keep the gun in the window. Seen to many get up and walk away even after several minutes.
Another good thing to do, (depending on how alert dad is) is talk through the shot. I have many hunter tell me exactly what they did wrong an hour after the shot. It takes a while for the rush to wear off and their senses come around.

That's very bad that he got up and took off after laying there a few minutes. Odds of finding that deer dead tonight are very slim! Odds of finding him at all in the next 24 hours without a dog aint much better. He hit close enough to the spike to stun him but dang sure not a vital hit. Chances are he will end up dead either by Yotes or infection though.

I shot a couple does that did that, one with my bow and one was a 12 ga slug hit. The bow shot was a perfect broadside double-lung hit from the ground but the arrow obviously hit a rib and tweaked the spine just so. She dropped like a sack of taters. While not "minutes", she did lay there about 10 seconds or so before getting up and running into the woods. She only made it about 30 yards before piling up.

I've also had hogs drop like a rock before getting up and running off.

One of our guys lost deer same way. Waited 5 minutes and got truck. Said head was moving. Wtf. No deer. We had 7 guys looking and nothing to go on. Always anchor them with a second shot if needed.

We found him by the grace of god!!!

Is there any water nearby? Wounded deer sometimes go lay in the water...

good!!

Awesome. Where was shot and how far did he go?

Searched for an hour and a half then my dad wanted to take the easy way back. I told let’s take a route neither of us searched. While walking we spotted him only 30 yards from where we crossed coming in. Just couldn’t see him going that way cause it was so thick but going the other way he was sitting on the side we could see him. Crazy search just glad we found it. It’s been a tough year! But now we’re cheering 🍻

It was high but the deer went about 80 yards. He went under the fence and had blood on the fence. We though he took the main trail but he took a straight left and was only 30 yards off it. I don’t know how we missed him at first but it’s so thick. I’m just glad we found it. We have so many coyotes we couldn’t take a chance of leaving him over night.

I’ll put up pictures tomorrow. It’s a unique palmated deer we’ve had on camera recently.

You did good not taking the same route back. Anytime you are searching for a deer always walk a different route back, gives you another look in a different place.

Good deal.

Not the best picture but I know people like pictures on here so here is a couple.

He’s got some great character. Glad you found him.

Good job staying committed to finding him. Congrats to your dad.

That's a very interesting rack.

Looks like an older buck very much in decline.

Glad you found him.

Glad you found him. Trailing can be tuff at times, but you did the right thing and stuck with it.

Glad you found him congrats.

Heck yes! That's an awesome deer!