Do you take this shot?
 

You saved up your money fora "once in a lifetime" trip to somewhere that you've always wanted to hunt. A place where the bucks are bigger and the hunters are fewer then they are back home. Your dreams have been consumed with visions of frost covered mornings and swollen-neck giants chasing does. The time has arrived and this is it, you're going to come home with a new trophy for the wall.

On the last morning of your hunt you still haven't put your tag on that buck you've always dreamed of. You've seen some good bucks and had a few encounters with smaller bucks, maybe even shot a doe or two but your vision of that big rack sticking up over your pickup bed are slowly fading. Then out of nowhere appears a giant buck. We're talking 170" plus. Possible the largest deer that you've ever seen on the hoof while hunting. He's 100 yards and closing. You get ready for the shot, but he never comes closer than 70 yards. You grunt, bleat, snort-wheeze, growl, rattle, and pray but he wont' come any closer. A hot doe has his attention now and you're done for.

The terrain in front of you is as wide open as open can be. There's not a limb between you and this deer for 100 yards on either side. He's standing still - hasn't moved a muscle other than his ears in what seems like an eternity. You've practiced out to 50 yards just because you had an extra pin and know you can hit a pie plate 7 out of 10 times - but he's at 70 yards. The wind is calm and he's not spooked.

Do you sit back and smile that this magnificant animal will live to see another day? Or is a smile and a memory not good enough for you? Do you aim high and let one fly? Hoping that you catch a break and fulfill your dreams.

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

I haven't even picked my bow up yet. [8D]
Ok so maybe I have, but the thought of taking a shot never enters my mind.

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

I would climb down and crawl to him, if i cant get a shot doing that atleast i tried, it was better then sitting in the tree and just not doing anything.

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

Nope, I did this at 60 yards after only owning my first bow for two weeks. My shot was short and way right so I had no chance. After telling a few people and then realizing how stupid I was I vowed to never shoot farther than I can ethically shoot.

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

Its bowhunting and about getting them in close. Ill save that shot for my Flintlock!:)

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

In the exact scenario you write about, no. I don't take the shot. If I've practiced @ 50 yards, and can hit a pie plate 7 out of 10 times......No. Assuming 50 is the farthest I've practiced.

Actual hunting scenario? I'm sure gonna think about it, there's no question of that. I can make that shot, and I'm confident I can kill that deer cleanly....But I can't honestly say whether I shoot or not.

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

The farthest i can practice out to is 50 at my home which i do quite often. I have no idea how high i would have to hold over at 70 yards.

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

To far for me and plus I have a 168 so I missed this by 2".:)
The only place I would like to hunt again would be Colorado. JZ I think personally I have everything I need here in Wisconsin.
Actually Canada would also be cool to go and try once in my lifetime.

T

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

70 yards?

Not worth the risk. Make it 50 and see what answers you get, 'cuz 50 is still a poke with a bow, ain't gonna be shooting at foam on this one.:D

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

As posting X2 insults the intellegence of some, let me say that I unequivocally agree in absolute entirity withthe content of this particular response. Pardon me, while I spit in my Mountain Dew bottle.:D

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

No, I wouldn't take that shot.

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

I pass 'em up at 40. 70 yards.. not even a consideration.

But you knew my answer already. ;)

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

20 yards past where I have practiced at? Regardless of how my groups were at my max...no shot at 20 more yards beyond.

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

NO WAY. But I did pick up my bow and stand up as soon as I saw him.

But I know guys that have done exactly that and brag about it.[:'(] You noticed I didn't call them my friends.;)And they will never get an invite to hunt with me!!!

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

Bow = NO
.270 = YES
He would have to be in the 30-35yrd range for me to do it with my bow.

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[Deleted by Admins]

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

I know this much.... if you take the shot and hit the deer.... even if its a drop of blood... you'll pay for it just like you killed it.

If you don't take the shot... then you can very often get another trip in a year or two at a discount (depending on how much of your outfitters reputation is on the line putting you ON a big deer). But if you don't shoot then you don't pay... so my money is staying in my pocket and my arrow on the string.

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

With a bow? My old rule still applies and it is non-negotiable. If I can't get within 30 yards, I have not earned the right to draw my bow. What good is killing a deer on a once in a lifetime hunt if I do something I personally would be ashamed of? I'd have to think of what I did every time I looked at the mount. No way.

If I had my muzzleloader in my hands though, there would be smoke wafting in the air and a .50 cal ball hurtling downrange. ;)

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

Only a total jackass would try that shot, or ask if someone else would.

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

Definitely no way I would take the shot. I would be dreaming of holding a rifle instead for my bow. But taking the shot wouldn't ever be an option.

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

NOPE. 40yrds is my limit on animals. I got pins out to 60 but thats just for target(fun)

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

X2, i picked no way!

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

No, I wouldn't have any idea of where to aim. How much hold over? I go home with memories of what might have been. Besides that doe just might bring him in. You never know.

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

Never!!!!!!!

Right on BHF! Bow hunting is up and close hunting, not a shooting sport!!

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

Given the situation...no


If it were ME though, I'm prepared to 80, just because I shoot a LOT. I do the majority of practicing at 40 to 80. I was shooting 100yards yesterday. I have my hunting bow setup for accuracy, and it's my backup 3D bow, and I'm trying to make it my primary 3d bow.

I'm thinking VERY hard about it, and I might take the shot. Given the wide open field, no wind, and the animal isn't alert. I would almost bet that the animal doesn't even notice my bow going off at 70yds.

Here's a 100yd group yesterday with my target arrows (Fatboys)

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

If I am only hitting kill zone 70% of the time at 50 yards and have never practiced at 70 yards, then no way do I take that shot. Maybe with a camera so I have a picture to bring home. You have nothing but a hope and a prayer, if your lucky to either miss cleanly or hit something good, if not, you wound the deer, never recover him and he goes to waste. I think we owe it to the deer to keep the arrow on the rest here.

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

Nope! At 50 yrds I would probably take the shot. I just depends on the conditions. It's hard to say until you're in the exact situation but 70 is out of my league.

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

Sorry Matt but in my eyes thats not a group. Its a bunch of arrows stuck in a target from 100 yds away. I shoot out to 100yds also and can hit the bag but for the length of time that arrow is flying that deer can move a good bit.

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

If you take away the two fliers, I would consider that a group. We are also talking 30yds closer than this. I'm thinking about the shot. What would scare me away from taking the shot is what you said though, it gives them a lot of time to move.

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

This question has been posed in a number of different forms before.For me the answer is no I don't shoot! I am sure a lot of us are fairly proficient out to 50 or 60 yards,some of us perhaps even further,but at those distances there is much more to it than our shooting ability.
Will the animal move suddenly?If a buck is tranfixed on an estrus doe he certainly could break and run toward her in the blink of an eye.In my mind that is not even close to a responsible shot to take.

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

True. And for what its worth that is pretty good shooting!

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

Would you be happy with that group at 15 yards minus the 2 drifters? I wouldn't be but thats me.

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

Very good point Schultz! That sheds a whole new light on the subject! Also why would one want to shoot that far at a deer with your bow??

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

It happened to me at 90 yds and 60 yds!

I didn't shoot, but I sure did blow that grunt call like crazy!!!

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

EXACTLY! you gotta be kidding me, sorry bro but that is ridiculous to think you can shoot that far. Heck a deer could take a step or two in that amount of time. If you can't hit deer vitals 100% of the time target shooting, you are shooting from too far. A persons range should end when their 100% accuracy at vital sized area ends.

I realize you got into target archery big and all, but it won't be pretty if you carry that mindset into the woods. You may be the best foam killer in the world, but an 80 yard shot on a living animal, a deer sized animal no less, is crazy.

We aren't talking caribou, moose, or elk here, that have lungs the size of suitcases.:D I am reaching for the camera if I see he wont come closer. Actually, I would turn to my hunting partner and excitedly whisper "are you getting all this?!?!" as the red light is blinkin.;)

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

That is an unrealistic range for me no matter what the conditions. Justin, I had a scenerio identical to the one you described, except for the range, my dream buck was only 19rds away. It was in Alberta on the second day of my '06 hunt.I had rattled him in around noon time. He came out from between the spruces in this pic. He came straight towards me, then turned slightly (branches in the way), looked around for the bucks that were "fighting", and walked straight away from me to my right.
I actually thought about taking a half a$$ shot at him, as I literally watched my dream buck simply walk out of my life. He wasn't a 170" buck, more like 150" though. I'll never forget that day as longas I live. That's why I had to take a pic of where I first saw him.:)

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

No way, not at 70, not at 60....maybe at 50 - maybe.

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

I would get closer to him. No reason to sit there and stare at the buck of your dreams...might as well take some sort of action to get him.

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

I have killed Elk and Deer with a bow at 80+ yards, but I would never just fling an arrow by aiming high and hoping I got lucky.

Being prepared for a certain shot and being able to make it is an entirely different thing than flinging an arrow and hoping for Luck.

That said I pretty much impose a 50 yard limit on myself anymore. The eyes are not what they used to be;)

Dan

RE: Do you take this shot?
 

I hada similar situation on a hunt in Illinois largest deer I had everseen (trail cam pics had him at 160+) in a green field at 53 yards and I had only been shooting out to 40 I did'nt take it. But I got a 50 yard pin now.