Where does a deer head after the shot? Whattya think?

[Pullintoobs]

After you smack a deer, do you think it tries to get back to its bed? Every deer I have shot headed back the way it came from. Always wondered if it did that because it knows where it came from was "safe". I shot one a few years back that was not the greatest hit. Hit it in the liver. I did end up finding the deer the next day. This was before I became obsessed with finding their actual bed. I found the deer and it looked liked it died laying there looking around. Legs folded neatly under it. It was not a huge one but a respectable buck. I wonder if that spot I found that buck was his bed. I am going to go look at that spot after this season to see if that is the case. Or say you miss one and spook the out of it, Does it go back to bed or carry on with its normal activity for the evening?

[sticknstringarchery]

I have only shot two. Last season was my forst season both with fire arms. One went back the way it came out and the other headed on in the same direction it was headed. Here is the thing though. The second one I shot turned around right before I shot like he was going to go back in the direction he had come from when I shot him he turned and headed the way he was going to begin with. This almost makes me think that they must think that what ever shot them came from in front of them so they turn amd run away from the danger.

[BigHunt]

After you smack a deer, do you think it tries to get back to its bed? Every deer I have shot headed back the way it came from. Always wondered if it did that because it knows where it came from was "safe". I shot one a few years back that was not the greatest hit. Hit it in the liver. I did end up finding the deer the next day. This was before I became obsessed with finding their actual bed. I found the deer and it looked liked it died laying there looking around. Legs folded neatly under it. It was not a huge one but a respectable buck. I wonder if that spot I found that buck was his bed. I am going to go look at that spot after this season to see if that is the case. Or say you miss one and spook the out of it, Does it go back to bed or carry on with its normal activity for the evening?

good observation ive seen this time and time aging, last year the buck i shot ran the exact same path back the way it came.

[Dewey]

Two of my bucks that I shot went back to their bed and bedded down and died there. You could easily see that they had been bedding there for quite some time before. As a matter of fact that is how I found two of my best hunting spots because every year new bucks seem to move into those beds.

[Haus86]

Two bucks that I made poor shots on ended up back at one of their beds.

[dan]

Bedding areas are where deer feel safe... They head to a bedding area most of the time.
Liver hit deer will head to water though. I have found many deer in rivers and ponds that were liver hit.
As far as where they head right when they are hit? I have had them run back where they came from, in the direction they were going, and sideways... Most often back the way they came, they probably feel that they already checked that area for safety.

[Southy77]

I have shot deer that have both ran back in the direction that they have came from and continued on in the direction they were heading. I have noticed quite frequently that a wounded deer will head toward water. I have found a few expired either near or in a water source.

[Pullintoobs]

Two of my bucks that I shot went back to their bed and bedded down and died there. You could easily see that they had been bedding there for quite some time before. As a matter of fact that is how I found two of my best hunting spots because every year new bucks seem to move into those beds.

[Pullintoobs]

Two of my bucks that I shot went back to their bed and bedded down and died there. You could easily see that they had been bedding there for quite some time before. As a matter of fact that is how I found two of my best hunting spots because every year new bucks seem to move into those beds.

This is the reason I asked this question. Would be sweet to find another buck has taken up residence in that spot. Maybe I can add to my short list of bedding locations.....

[headgear]

Not all of the time but most of the deer I shoot head back the way they came from.

I'm not sure I would call every place you find a wounded animal a bedding area, it might just be an area close by they found safe. However if you look around you should be able to determine why that might or might not be a buck bedding area. Were there any bedding area characteristcs where you found the buck?

[Pullintoobs]

Not all of the time but most of the deer I shoot head back the way they came from.

I'm not sure I would call every place you find a wounded animal a bedding area, it might just be an area close by they found safe. However if you look around you should be able to determine why that might or might not be a buck bedding area. Were there any bedding area characteristcs where you found the buck?

I found that deer on small high spot. Probably the size of a car.It was leaning up against a tree like it just died in its sleep..At the time I did not even consider that it might have been a bed. At the time in my hunting I just considered a deer bedding area as the thickest nastiest patches in the marsh. i do not think I would have even believed that a deer would have been using that small piece for a bedding area. Boy have I learned alot since then...