Old wives tales...

[Pygmy]

You are entitled to your opinion..I'm just commenting on my observations over a few years...Well....QUITE a few years..

[bubba]

I have to agree. Any deer I have shot that took off, went to water. it is simple. They are trying to replace fluid volume they are losing. it is called hypovolemic shock. Look it up.

[arrow nocker]

someone is definatly thinking about me cause my ear is itching.

I like it when my hand itches and i am suposed to come into some money like the wives tale.that one is busted.LOL

[mxsmitz201]

the wooly bears!!!! the more brown on a wooly bear the more severe a winter.

i can tell what the weather is going to be if i rub my nipples....

[Pygmy]

I have to agree. Any deer I have shot that took off, went to water. it is simple. They are trying to replace fluid volume they are losing. it is called hypovolemic shock. Look it up.

Bubba...Medical terms aside, I can't believe that a deer that is badly injured and in fear for it's life is responding to thirst, or anything other than an instinctive urge to escape and hide.. I know where you live...Anywhere up there where there is water, there is likely dense escape cover..

[Doc]

The one thing that is probably true of any general rule of thumb regarding Ma Nature is that for every rule there are a jillion exceptions. And of course, I can easily come up with one example of a badly wounded deer that ran away from water, up hill ... lol. Probably could come up with a bunch more if I sat and thought about it a bit. I can only remember one deer that died near the water (actually in the water) and that one was simply because she was crossing the crick heading toward the hill. She just didn't happen to make it past the water.

Actually, a good rule of thumb is that a deer will go somewhere, and that probably will be away from the hunter that shot them.

[growalot]

There ya go Doc ...doing good until that last sentence...lol....12 yrs ago I shot a big ole doe and she actually summer saulted down the hill...First deer shot out of my climber...I though crap!!...For I was still in a walking cast from my Easter accident and Mr.B was in a cast from his foot being crushed...I sat there rather deflated thinking of who to call for help when all of a sudden I hear a commotion and darn if that doe wasn't scrambling up the hill!... she died right on the trail I shot her on........backed the pick up up to her and dragged her out with that....Ya just NEVER know what an individual deer will do......

[Guns&ReligionCop]

I agree every situation is different but if you made a bad shot and you couldn't find the deer I would definitely recommend checking nearby water sources and as a deer weakens it will likely take the easier route if theres no thick cover nearby. Like I said though, I don't think is always the case and there always exceptions but I wouldn't call it a old wives tale