I hear from a lot of new archers that have questions about bowhunting range. It's probably the second most asked question is how far should I shoot when hunting. It wouldn't be right to give a particular yardage because how far one shoots is up to the shooter and their known shooting ability. As for me, I can hit a kill zone on a target at 30 yards, but when hunting, I'm going to take the closest shot that I can which for me is 20 yards and under because I want a quick-clean kill. There's nothing wrong with taking a 30 yard shot if it's within your effective range and you are confident the results of loosing an arrow will produce a kill. There's a difference from shooting a stationary target and a live animal. A live animal could be stationary or moving so the timing of the shot is important for a kill shot.
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You know you're talking to a good (and ethical) hunter who, when asked how far his/her shot was on a clean successful one-shot kill, replies 'Too close to miss...'.
I do it all, high on the ground !
And we just illustrated my very first comment. Off the rails, baby. Thanks, Chuck!
LOL, Chuck! Are you supposed to get high before or after climbing a tree?
Chuck, Have they legalized marijuana in Wisconsin 😂 that’s just nonsense.
How about disproving some things, that go along with this. First..."you cannot bow kill a deer unless you are high in a tree". Next, "you can't get close to a deer" unless you are high in a tree.
I couldn’t agree more with you Mr. Green about that thread on the other site. It goes south before you can blink an eye. Plus add to the fact that they are all experts and you end up with a s#*t show. LOL
A much wiser and productive use of your time, my friend!
I haven’t been over there in a while. This last month has been busy with the TAS World Championship in Indiana and the Regional Championship in Ohio last weekend. I did manage to get out and hog hunt during the week. I had a couple small piglets come in that weren’t no more than 20lbs. I was patiently waiting for some bigger ones. Unfortunately I didn’t get a shot this time. It’s been my experience the bigger hogs let the small ones to roam ahead and the big ones stay back in the thick palmettos. The big hogs didn’t get big by being stupid.
Rick,
I’m not following you about the LW. I haven’t seen it.
Darren,
If you happen to be speaking of the conversation over on LW, Oh My Gosh! That is comical, and it's exactly why I opened with the comment of how quickly this topic can fly off the rails.
Some people insist on making simple matters complex or difficult. This one's pretty easy in my mind. Be responsible, prepare as best you can, own your choices and know that sometimes you'll make the wrong ones. Live and learn. If you can't do those things, be a spectator instead of a participant.
Rick,
All good points you made! Just recently in a discussion someone made a comment that you shouldn’t hunt if you‘re not an expert shot. My reply was there’s more to hunting then being an expert shot and if you want to get good at hunting, you need to hunt!
This is a topic that can come off the rails in no time flat! I don't know of any generally successful bow hunters with more than five trips to the woods, myself included, that hasn't missed, or wounded (and lost track of), an animal they shot at. And none of us feels good about it when it happens. Unfortunately, it's a part of bow hunting and it's going to happen.
That said, about the only way to answer this question is to say that one shouldn't take a shot they're not 100% confident in taking, regardless of the distance. Closer is better, of course. The point is, if you're asking yourself whether or not you should loose the arrow, the answer is likely, "No." I think for inexperienced hunters, there needs to be some discussion about all the variables in play at the moment of truth, and the exact circumstances of that exact moment can't really be predicted or, in some cases, even anticipated. Wind, familiarity with the shot one is considering, the exhilaration of the moment, what lies beyond your target, etc. The list goes on, and every circumstance feels unique, it seems, particularly to new hunters. And it's a bit of a Catch 22 - how can you obtain the experience if you don't take the shot? In the end, we all have to make (and own) our own decisions.
That's life. That's bow hunting. If you don't have the stomach for it, there's not a thing in the world wrong with shooting stumps, or paper, or foam, or coyotes 😁