I've shot quite a number of deer that were less than 5 yards from the base of my tree stand.
Taking this into consideration, do we really need long ATA bows for top accuracy to hit the 8 inch vital on a deer? I've never shot a compound that I couldn't hit a tennis ball sized spot everytime at 15 yards, when tuned for hunting.
No, in my opinion for those type of shots you do not need a long axle to axle length bow to shoot accurately.
However, when we consider that some hunting situations require us to plan for the unexpected then physical characteristics such as a long brace height, longer axle to axle length and a smooth and consistant cam style can be extremely helpful in helping to make up for unforgiving conditions.