Puddle,
What you have descibed with your deer is not uncommon, even when shooting the 30-06. I have seen this many times with deer I have hit with my 06.
When the heart is well hit, or the aorta is destroyed there is no blood pressure left in the animal's system to push blood out. The blood simply pools in the bottom of the thoracic cavity. If you have been lucky enough to punch a hole in the bottom of that cavity, you may see some blood that has dripped through the hole. This is another problem that can occur with the use of super premium bullets. They tend to leave fairly small exit wounds. Sometimes this allows the skin to move over and close off the exit, thus preventing any blood trail. Paying a dollar apiece for component bullets may ensure they exit the animal, but can not ensure a distinct blood trail.
