"Get closer" is easy to say but there is a place for long range shooting. One example was the elk hunt I mentioned. Now, the day before I shot that bull we got the same one bugling and stalked for over half an hour, finally getting within 80 yards of him downwind, an exhausting stalk. But I couldn't get a clean shot as he wouldn't exit the dark timber. The next afternoon was my last chance to get a bull, I could not get downwind of him and he was not going to hold there long enough for a stalk before departing over the mountain and disappearing.

It's easy to say "get closer" when you're not the one who dropped $700 on a non-resident take, a couple thousand on other miscellaneous expenses, burned half your vacation for the whole year, and drove 28 hours each way and your only alternative is to eat your tag. So I put in the time and went prepared to make that shot it and only if I had to...and boy I'm glad I did my homework.

A blown stalk is no big deal if you are local. There's always tomorrow. When you will only get 1-2 stalks after all the time/effort/money mentioned above, the proposition changes. I'm not advocating Hail Mary shots, but if you are prepared, practiced and capable of doing it...