Ethical range for Bowhunter's
03-20-2005 | 09:26 PM
#32
Giant Nontypical
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Dover, PA USA
RE: Ethical range for Bowhunter's
Matt, so what you're saying is that you WOULD take at shot at 45 yards? White tail, moose or elephant. You would take a shot over 40 yards. If the deer were on drugs standing in the middle of a power line, couldn't hear, smell or see you. Your would take that shot?
Given that I am sure of the yardages? It would still depend upon a bunch of things, wind, angles etc. On an animal like an Elk or Moose under good conditions? 40 yards? 45 yards? (drugged and just standing there?
)Yes I would take that shot all day everyday on a relaxed animal, probably further than 45 yards. I have that much confidence in my ability, equipment and arrow capability. I practice out to 80-90 yards, and shoot ALOT. Not a shot I would take for granted for sure, but well within my ability. Is that for everyone? [:-] Absolutley not.
A smaller animal like a deer? I have passed the dopey 45 yard deer countless times for the chance that his dopey butt will wander a little closer.
But under ideal conditions, as in a bedded animal at an exact known yardage around 40? Absolutely.
Have I ever had that opportunity? Nope........but I'm ready for it.
But like was mentioned we're talking about a very rare occurance in the true hunting world.......perfect shooting conditions, perfect animal position, etc etc. Reality most times dictates what can and cannot be done, and most times the "cannot" wins.
Not sure about the Elephant thing........
03-21-2005 | 06:27 AM
#34
Thread Starter
Giant Nontypical
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 5,525
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From: creemore Ontario Canada
RE: Ethical range for Bowhunter's
Wow ! I never expected this thread to be as busy as it has been in the past few hr's .
I figure that my effective range would be 30yrds max in the wood's and 50yrds wide open depending on the situation as Matt has spoken of ,if all the variable's that matt speak's of ,such as if the deer is feeding and isn't bothered I'd take that 50yrd shot but if tthe deer is a little edgy then I'd think that I would have to pass on that shot.
nubo
I figure that my effective range would be 30yrds max in the wood's and 50yrds wide open depending on the situation as Matt has spoken of ,if all the variable's that matt speak's of ,such as if the deer is feeding and isn't bothered I'd take that 50yrd shot but if tthe deer is a little edgy then I'd think that I would have to pass on that shot.
nubo
03-21-2005 | 06:58 AM
#35
Giant Nontypical
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 7,208
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From: Pittsburgh, PA
RE: Ethical range for Bowhunter's
I don't really have a set max distance. Normally all my shots are well under 20 yds. My furthest is only 24 yds. Depending on the situation I might push it out to 30-32 yds if everything felt right. I practice to 45-50 but under no conditions would I personally shoot a deer that far. Not becuase I don't think it can be done, its just that I like the up closeness off bowhunting and want to shoot the deer under my conditions.
03-21-2005 | 07:21 AM
#36
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,890
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From: WEST PALM FLORIDA
RE: Ethical range for Bowhunter's
There is absolutley no standard for this........really
03-21-2005 | 07:31 AM
#37
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,555
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From: Maine
RE: Ethical range for Bowhunter's
ORIGINAL: Matt / PA
There is absolutley no standard for this........really.
Even the same animal at the same yardage standing in the same spot can make for 2 very potentially different outcomes.......is the animal alert?, relaxed?, bedded? Exactly broadside? etc etc. A bedded animal at 35 yards can be a much easier shot than a wired one at 20 and so on.
Also individual skills and type of game your after changes this quite a bit.......A moose standing broadside at 40 yards is a very different shot than a deer in the same position.
The situation, animal position, size, lighting and everything else I can think of can make a shot that is easy one day, impossible the next.
Everyoen out there just needs to take all the variables into consideration before trying a shot on a game animal that might have seemed easy on it's 3D foam cousin a month earlier.
Maybe a decent rule of thumb would be, take whatever range you are comfortable with on the range, and realistically knock 5 or 10 yards off that for effective hunting yardages.
But like I said........every once in a while that bedded buck laying out there at the very edge of your comfort zone is going to look a lot like the "bedded buck" 3D target you were shooting a few weeks ago, and it's up to you to decide if you can do it, and I am not going to tell you that you can't.
There is absolutley no standard for this........really.
Even the same animal at the same yardage standing in the same spot can make for 2 very potentially different outcomes.......is the animal alert?, relaxed?, bedded? Exactly broadside? etc etc. A bedded animal at 35 yards can be a much easier shot than a wired one at 20 and so on.
Also individual skills and type of game your after changes this quite a bit.......A moose standing broadside at 40 yards is a very different shot than a deer in the same position.
The situation, animal position, size, lighting and everything else I can think of can make a shot that is easy one day, impossible the next.
Everyoen out there just needs to take all the variables into consideration before trying a shot on a game animal that might have seemed easy on it's 3D foam cousin a month earlier.
Maybe a decent rule of thumb would be, take whatever range you are comfortable with on the range, and realistically knock 5 or 10 yards off that for effective hunting yardages.
But like I said........every once in a while that bedded buck laying out there at the very edge of your comfort zone is going to look a lot like the "bedded buck" 3D target you were shooting a few weeks ago, and it's up to you to decide if you can do it, and I am not going to tell you that you can't.
In 12 years of bowhunting I've never shot an animal beyond 28 yards, many closer.
[8D]
03-21-2005 | 06:34 PM
#39
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,720
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From: Cornwall, Pa.
RE: Ethical range for Bowhunter's
Matt, I too shoot long yardages. I'm more than confident at longer yardages than many archers at reasonable hunting distances. Confidence in your ability and equipment is one thing, an ethical shot is another. As I'm sure you are aware that deer react to bow nose at 20 yards in less than .002 of a second. The so called, Jumping the String. That generally means a clean miss if you're fortunate, to a poor hit if you're not so lucky. Now you're looking at a target, which in the time it takes the arrow from release to impact can move completely out of the target area at a walk. I consider an ethical shot as being a clean, quick kill in the vitals. Launching a broadhead in hopes of hitting the target is not what I would consider an ethical shot. I'm not disputing your ability, I'm sure you could hit the big 10 point at 50 yards. But the adrenaline, cover, target movements and all the little obstacals like wind, branches and another deer walking into the arrow far outweigh the risk on this kind of shot.