Interesting isn't it?
What seems like tricks to us is only instinct to them & what their reaction is going to be depends on
so many factors, mostly with arrow hits.
The sound of the bow, speed of the impact, are a lot of it but equally important is if the broadhead hits bone
or just slips thru them. They have no idea what an arrow is or what the bow sound is, heck they don't even know
what a rifle shot is.
So many times we assume the deer are using tricks to get us off the blood trail, they don't know their blood is
our primary tracking system, the so called tricks they use are only what they use against every day predators on their
trail. The ones that use their nose & eyes both just like they do, Deer Think We Can Smell Them & Their Tracks just
like they do with us.
I watched a family of about 5 deer on [a clear-cut hillside] being chased by about 3 dogs, the lead Doe followed the common
trail at full speed, leading the whole group, when they got a good 100 yard lead on the dogs she turned hard left straight downhill
jumping brush down to a lower trail & started sneaking back in the previous direction, as the dogs passed by the deer all stood
perfectly still, when they were gone by, the deer took off hard & uphill back on the previous trail going the opposite direction all
the way out of sight & the dogs continued on the top trail out of sight. Wish I could have seen if the dogs ended up running in
circles or not.
Learned behavior I guess, maybe even inherited understanding, who knows.
I have been there in the same situation as you described.
I used to bow hunt & wish I still could, I miss it every day. Bad ticker has pushed me out of that but, you keep on keeping on.