Friday evening I decided to sit in a treestand in Allegheny County looking to fill my 2B tag and top off the freezer. I hunt hunted this stand quite a bit in the early season but saw more bucks than does from it and never got a shot at a doe. Come late season, this spot seems to hold more does in bigger groups so I gave it a go on the frigid 12 degree evening.
 
The action began quick when I spotted a 15 inch 6 point I was quite familiar with and a doe about 150 yards away. They never fed my way. At 3:15, I had 3 does and a 13 inch 8 point come strolling past at 30 yards but behind a bunch of honeysuckle. 15 minutes later the same 8 point came past at 15 yards without the does.
 
Near the end of shooting time, crunching from behind me caught my attention and 3 does were headed my way. The lead one came through my shooting lane at 20 yards and I stopped her for the shot. The shot felt good and she only went about 40 yards before stopping to sway back and forth, then down she went. I thought I smoked her. After waiting 15 minutes I began to lower my bow and her head came up, she stood up and walked way. My hear sank. I thought she was stone dead. I climbed down to get my arrow. There was dark blood covering all of it and some blood in the snow but there was a faint smell of gut on the shaft. I began to think liver, so I backed out for the night with the very cold temps and let her go till morning, knowing the meat would be fine.
 
I got back in there this morning at first light and found her about 40 yards from her first bed. I can't believe she gout up after 15 minutes and walked off after seeing the shot. You can see the entrance in the picture. The arrow entered there and exited liver and slight gut on the other side. I have no idea how she made it as long as she did but I am quite sure she died soon after I left. When I cleaned her out she was cold inside.
 
Man, she was tough!! Taken with the CamX crossbow, Black Eagle arrows and a 3 blade Swhacker.

Congrats.

Nice deer. They can be tough. I have a similar story with a muzzle loader shot. I never did find that deer.
 
BH

There's some sound advice for all the mentored hunters.

Deer are real tough... when hit by a bad shot! 10-4!

Congrats Gene.
All I got was a case of pneumonia and the flu.   Spent 2 days in the hospital.  Didn't get out yet.

BeenThereDoneThat.
There's some sound advice for all the mentored hunters.

Deer are real tough... when hit by a bad shot! 10-4!

huh? 

Huh..... hell? No deer is "tough" because it doesn't die from a bad shot. They suffer!!!

Not starting any trouble,but the shot looks dam perfect. I'd take take arrow placement any day. Sometimes it just a matter of centimeters. I'm sure that deer die relatively quick. My son shot one same way,the shot was almost identical. He watched him bed down within 40 yards, he waited till dark and assumed he was dead,walk to where it bedded and the deer jumped up and ran 40 yards and bedding again. My son called me and asked me what would be best,I told him to back out quietly with the cold temps I knew the deer would be fine,we returned a dawn and he never moved,arrow angled back nipped the liver and creased the ponch. 

Does that make a deer tough??

I'm not calling anyone out because a shot went awry. I know various reasons may cause a perfectly placed shot to go bad. It happens but never the less, the deer didn't stay down or slowly bleed out because it was tough.

I'm sure dpms would have called the shot back if he could have unforrtunately, that's not possible.

BeenThereDoneThat.
Does that make a deer tough??

I'm not calling anyone out because a shot went awry. I know various reasons may cause a perfectly placed shot to go bad. It happens but never the less, the deer didn't stay down or slowly bleed out because it was tough.

I'm sure dpms would have called the shot back if he could have unforrtunately, that's not possible.

I would not call that shot back at all. I have hit many there and all have died within 30 seconds. At the angle I was shooting, and the elevation the deer was to me when I shot, I would hope for that placement every time.
 
I can't explain why she lived as long as she did. The arrow did deflect back somewhat when it entered. I wish I would have taken some time to explore around the innards to see exactly what was hit, but most of it was already crystalline from the extreme cold and my hands were froze by then.