AeroncaMike

First off, this is a great site. I love reading the different takes on what is right and wrong. Anyway.... So I have an in-law who thinks my hunting ways are horrible. He is a gun hunter who thinks that to shoot a deer, you need to track it for days, get close enough to wipe it's butt, brush it's teeth then shoot. He has shot monsters in the past, but on average, bags a deer once every three years or so. I bowhunt all fall. We all know that this means about the same thing..... stalking, waiting, getting in their face. When I rifle hunt, I am in the 16 foot enclosed, heated (opener was sub-zero this year) stand. I pop em at 50, 100, 300 yds. For me, bowhunting is the hunt..... the total package. Rifle season is not as fun for me, but I can fill the freezer with meat that my family WILL use and control the doe population. Some people freak out when I say that.
I am constantly hearing criticizm about how one hunts, who is right, who is wrong...... A student of mine is awesome with a bow and has shot deer at over 60 yards and scored great hits. He is very comfortable with his ability at those distances. According to some, that would be a sin. Like over 30 yards is always a supposed "luck shot"?
How do you feel about this? Are we unethical? Is it fair to judge someone this way?

badshotbob

A big part of hunting is skill which builds confidence, which leads us to know our limits. Eveyone's limit is going to be different. I don't find that shooting 60 yards is wrong for someone that can shoot to kill that far. Go for it. Good for him.

bubba74701

I know several guys that shoot that far and are great shots but say they only do it with no wind.To me I have no problem at 45 yards and pratice it alot.I feel that is the key to the distance is if the shot is practiced enough and you feel confident in the shot and nothing in between you and the shot like a tree limb or fence because small things such as that are hard to see at longer distances and definatly leed to wounded deer.
I know most people hunt in areas they hunt all the time but branches do jump in the way on purpose .
No matter what it still comes down to if you feel comfortable with the shot and the distance.

davidmil

So how about those Ravens?

moose1915

ive always thought that even with the fastest bow, a deer can take a casual step and turn a good shot into a bad one in a split second. ive had deer react to the shot at 30 yds, let alone 60. a stationary target is one thing, but a living and, possibly, moving critter? i dont think thats a great shot. if you could guarantee that deer wouldnt move, then take the shot. Otherwise, youre gambling.
just my .02
moose
ps -i know deer can be taken at those ranges, i've seen Nuge do it on TV, but i just don't think its a high percentage shot.

davidmil

Well, as long as we're going to do this I might as well put in my two cents worth on the deer taking the step. If you mind your P's and Q's and pay attention you can pretty much figure what step he'll make next. Arrow flight time from 30 to 60 yards isn't all that much different. If my arrow is traveling at a moderate 265 feet per second it doesn't take a genius to figure out it's only in the air another third of a second from 30 to 60 yards. Secondly, it's been my experience over the last 34 years of bowhunting that a deer at 20 yards is more skiddish at the sound of a bow going off than one at 30 or 40. The further removed from the sound the less they react. They may throw their head up and look, but they don't squat and bolt like they do at 15-20. It's all a trade off. The only real problem is finding a clear shooting lane and being able to make the shot with a good broadhead. I wouldn't feel comfortable with a 50 yard shot in my whitetail woods... but put me out west in big sky country and I'd be shooting. 60???? beyond my capabilities(in my mind anyway) I loose any semblance of range estimation once you start pushing 40... that's the big problem, not the deer taking a step. If you got the range down or time to range... well that's a different story... say like hunting on an open field. I know an old Pro shooter in Georgia that whacks deer at horrendous ranges with a bow.... but that's him. I wouldn't think of it. I have no idea how many he misses or wounds... probably no more than me.

3 Step

I think it's a gamble, at best, to take a 60 yd. shot. And you know gamblers......they tell you all about their winnings but never mention their losses.

willyqbc

I will preface this response by saying that I am relating almost exclusively to mule deer as we have few whitetails near where I live.
I personally don't see anything wrong with the long distance shooting, given a few conditions are met. #1 you are competent and proficient at the yardage you want to shoot, #2 deer is unalert and unaware of your presence, #3 no wind, #4 completely broadside, #5 clear wide open shot, #6 deer has been ranged accurately. In short, everything has to be PERFECT. Personally I will shoot to a maximum of 70 yds, and many members of my archery club are about the same, routinely taking shots at 40, 50, 60 and 70 when warranted. As far as the extra time to jump the string issue goes, what we have found is that at 50+ yds they rarely react, even after the hit they often take a couple quick steps then stop to look around before they fall over dead. The most extreme example of this that I know of is a fellow in our club who took a deer at 107yds. He has more than enough KE for the shot (got complete pass through), practices this distance A LOT and is VERY accurate with no wind. The situation was perfect as described above, so he took the shot. At the arrows impact the deer skittered a few steps, stopped, settled down and began to feed again before falling over dead. SO.... If you TRULY know you can doit, I say go for it!
Just my Opinion
Chris

moose1915

[quote]ORIGINAL: davidmil

+++Arrow flight time from 30 to 60 yards isn't all that much different. If my arrow is traveling at a moderate 265 feet per second it doesn't take a genius to figure out it's only in the air another third of a second from 30 to 60 yards. +++

not to be a dick, but thats 265fps where? at the bow? 10 feet away? shoot it through a chrono at 60 yds and then what? as soon as it leaves the rest it is going to begin losing speed.

Also, the speed of sound is , what, like 1,000 fps?there is time to react.

i understand that given the perfect conditions these shots can and are made, but I personally don't take em, i just try to be closer next time. I'm not being a whiner, just did'nt want some folks new to archery think that 40+yds is a chip shot, you know? Sorry, i obviously don't know how to quote, the part inside the +++ is the original, the rest is mine.
moose

DaveH

Man's got to know his limitations. For me, the only bowshots I'll take at ranges greater than 40 yards are at practice targets on the range. I know some guys on the 3D circuit who compete nationally every year and shoot targets at 70 yards and even further with amazing accuracy. Yet, when speaking with them, I always am surprised to hear them limit their shots at deer to 30 or 40 yards--one of them won't shoot over 30. The accuracy might be great, but the farther away the deer is, the more things can go wrong. The deer taking a step is one of the worst.