I went to a Deer Classic here and the speaker was touting taking the "withers shot" as being an instant dropper. Fast forward to that year's deer season and a nice 10 point was down in the creek bottom below me, but partially obscured by brush. His top half withers were showing though, which I figured was high lung or low spine. 7mm-08 140 grain Barnes TSX and don't use those for deer. Anyway, he ran at the shot up and out of the creek bottom and he wasn't supposed to do that. The bolt was cycled and I was on him again as he stopped for an instant at the top of the hill. If I shoot again, I'm going to wreck that far shoulder I remember thinking. Okay, he didn't drop right there either and he should be just over the hill like they always are. Nope, two days of looking and five drops of blood were all that I ever found. I rue the day for not pulling that trigger a second time. Too hard a bullet with that spot below the spine and at the top of the lungs that isn't worth a darn for putting down a deer. "Soft" SST Hornady's have worked way better ever since.
That video shows the guy saying the deer is still breathing and then he still approached it and from the wrong, hoof side too! Then clue #2 was that deer has it's eyes half closed. Dead ones don't do that.
