ORIGINAL: crutch
You know, I have watched alot of hunting video. I have seen some of the "pro's" miss a deer or maybe not make such a great shot on a deer, even at a closer range.Like mention, there are alot of things that can go wrong the farther you are from the deer.IMOthe farther the deer is, those chances of something happening go up.
I like to stay around 30 to keep those chances as low as possible, because I don't only owe that to myself!
Crutch
I understand what you are sayingbut at the same timeI know howmuchpractice I put inand the precautions I takewith my bow to keep it quiet, fast, and accurate (like most doI'm sure).I letthe situation dictate the best shot. I could have a deer come in at 30 yds.that's real spooky and jittery and Iknow that is not going to be an animal that I willprobably get a good shot at and the probabilityof it jumping is higher due to its behaviorso I will more than likely sit tight and let it walk. But giveme a 40-50 yd shot (quartering away/broadside)at a calm deer that is feeding/grazingor otherwise undisturbed and you may as well Cancel Christmas for that one. It comes down to individual choicesthat we all make based on our personal confidence levels/shooting abilities, hunting/deer experience, and situational details of each hunt/shot. If you know your bow, know your range (to target,rangefinders help), know your ability, and judge the deer (behavior), then you alone are the one best suited to make the call on what shots you take or don't takeand if they are ethical or not. Just my .02.