40 yard shot
02-06-2004, 06:07 AM
#31
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 39,056
RE: 40 yard shot
All I said was you can't feel bad when one gets away. I have been hunting for 25 yrs. I don't take a bad shot and have lost a few. Life's tough. Whats worst is how out of control the deer population has become. There are 2000 killed by bumppers in my county alone. I am personally surprised that some areas haven't gone unlimited kills yet. It's coming soon however. Virginia did and reined there problem back in, in most sections but they stll have out of control areas.
My second point I will say, it's easy to track a deer when very few will travel through the area. When their trails are highways that becomes much more difficult. As you track your deer you will jump up a few dozen or more. It's more unethical to let disease set in and wipe out the whole herd. Anyone heard of the chronic wasting disease. Wisconson Hunters want to chime in and talk about your expirence with this problem?
My second point I will say, it's easy to track a deer when very few will travel through the area. When their trails are highways that becomes much more difficult. As you track your deer you will jump up a few dozen or more. It's more unethical to let disease set in and wipe out the whole herd. Anyone heard of the chronic wasting disease. Wisconson Hunters want to chime in and talk about your expirence with this problem?
02-06-2004, 06:23 AM
#32
Fork Horn
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Virginia
Posts: 156
RE: 40 yard shot
What part of Virginia are you from? I live in Madison and have hunted in Greene, Orange, Powhatan, and Rockingham counties, also. I have never heard of a deer herd that bad except maybe in northern Virginia somewhere.
02-06-2004, 01:49 PM
#33
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Heaven IA USA
Posts: 2,597
RE: 40 yard shot
Range is always a controversial subject when it comes to shooting in a hunting situation. It doesn’t matter whether it is a gun or a bow. It can be a tough call because we are talking about spilling blood and that should never be taken lightly.
Perhaps what it boils down to is attitude more than range. There are people that are satisfied with just killing something and there are those that are truly enamored with every detail of the hunt. I find with a person that just wants to kill something range is not the culprit in the equation. Sure he may fling an occasional “Hail Mary” but his real transgression is that he has not practiced enough with his weapon to master it and he has failed to learn the intricate habits of his quarry. He is just as likely to maim and wound at practical ranges as he is at 40 yards and beyond. Worse than taking long shots is the fact that he is oblivious to the body language of his prey and the consequences of shooting at poor angles and yet he makes no effort to improve.
On the other hand how can anyone make an iron clad rule declaring 40 yards is to far for ANYONE to shoot when we all possess different levels of skills with the weapons we carry a field? Would you tell Jeff Gordon he can’t drive over 55 MPH because it is unsafe? Would you tell Roger Clemens he can’t throw his fastball to Barry Bonds because you can’t hit it?
I remember on more than one occasion seeing Chuck Adams say that he would rather shoot an animal at 30 yards than twenty because of their reaction to the sound of the shot. (That was when bows were not as quiet as they are now so what would a modern bow sound like at 30 yards.)
Yes there are risks with longer shots. Yes animals can and do move. Yes outside elements can influence the shot. But all of those things can happen at twenty yards as well. In bow hunting there is no “sure thing” at any distance! I do agree that we should get as close as we can. That is part of our quest, part of our skills that should be honed. But there are times when one runs out of real estate and you have a decision to make. Are the conditions right and are your skills sufficient enough to make an ethical shot? Hopefully everyone is honest in their assessment of their personal skills and makes the appropriate decisions.
Checking my journal shows I have shot deer at the following ranges: 3 at 40 yards, 1 at 43 yards, 1 at 44 yards, and 2 at fifty yards. One of the three at forty yards was a doe that was just nicked; hit (low) just enough to find a couple of drops of blood on the ground but nothing on the arrow. She routinely came by with two fawns and I saw her with them the following day so she wasn’t severely injured. The other half dozen were all easily recovered (I wish I could say the same on some of my twenty yard shots) some never went out of view. I used a laser rangefinder with each of these deer and the conditions were right to attempt a shot. Obviously more often than not I will have to pass on animals at these ranges because conditions are not right to make the attempt. In many cases I have had to exercise the same discipline at twenty yards and less. Ethics aren't always measured in yards.
Perhaps what it boils down to is attitude more than range. There are people that are satisfied with just killing something and there are those that are truly enamored with every detail of the hunt. I find with a person that just wants to kill something range is not the culprit in the equation. Sure he may fling an occasional “Hail Mary” but his real transgression is that he has not practiced enough with his weapon to master it and he has failed to learn the intricate habits of his quarry. He is just as likely to maim and wound at practical ranges as he is at 40 yards and beyond. Worse than taking long shots is the fact that he is oblivious to the body language of his prey and the consequences of shooting at poor angles and yet he makes no effort to improve.
On the other hand how can anyone make an iron clad rule declaring 40 yards is to far for ANYONE to shoot when we all possess different levels of skills with the weapons we carry a field? Would you tell Jeff Gordon he can’t drive over 55 MPH because it is unsafe? Would you tell Roger Clemens he can’t throw his fastball to Barry Bonds because you can’t hit it?
I remember on more than one occasion seeing Chuck Adams say that he would rather shoot an animal at 30 yards than twenty because of their reaction to the sound of the shot. (That was when bows were not as quiet as they are now so what would a modern bow sound like at 30 yards.)
Yes there are risks with longer shots. Yes animals can and do move. Yes outside elements can influence the shot. But all of those things can happen at twenty yards as well. In bow hunting there is no “sure thing” at any distance! I do agree that we should get as close as we can. That is part of our quest, part of our skills that should be honed. But there are times when one runs out of real estate and you have a decision to make. Are the conditions right and are your skills sufficient enough to make an ethical shot? Hopefully everyone is honest in their assessment of their personal skills and makes the appropriate decisions.
Checking my journal shows I have shot deer at the following ranges: 3 at 40 yards, 1 at 43 yards, 1 at 44 yards, and 2 at fifty yards. One of the three at forty yards was a doe that was just nicked; hit (low) just enough to find a couple of drops of blood on the ground but nothing on the arrow. She routinely came by with two fawns and I saw her with them the following day so she wasn’t severely injured. The other half dozen were all easily recovered (I wish I could say the same on some of my twenty yard shots) some never went out of view. I used a laser rangefinder with each of these deer and the conditions were right to attempt a shot. Obviously more often than not I will have to pass on animals at these ranges because conditions are not right to make the attempt. In many cases I have had to exercise the same discipline at twenty yards and less. Ethics aren't always measured in yards.
02-06-2004, 04:15 PM
#34
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ridgeland MS USA
Posts: 850
RE: 40 yard shot
I could care less about how far someone else can and will shoot a deer. I personally won't take a shot past 30yds, however, my dad will fling one out there at 50yds, but he can consistently group 6 arrows at that distance, I can't.
The problem I had with some previous posts was the total lack of respect for the animal, not caring whether they wounded an animal or not, that is pretty sorry IMO.
The problem I had with some previous posts was the total lack of respect for the animal, not caring whether they wounded an animal or not, that is pretty sorry IMO.
02-06-2004, 04:37 PM
#35
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Quebec/canada
Posts: 140
RE: 40 yard shot
The controversy of that post rely on two opinion.
1)shoot at 40 yards.Too many things can affect precision,at 20 yards you will reduce bad shot.
2)"If I dont find it ,it is meat for predator".That is where the respect of nature(animals)get me mad.Such a comment should bannish from hunting such a person .Luckily the majority on this forum won't agree with Oneidaeagle.
Taureau noir
1)shoot at 40 yards.Too many things can affect precision,at 20 yards you will reduce bad shot.
2)"If I dont find it ,it is meat for predator".That is where the respect of nature(animals)get me mad.Such a comment should bannish from hunting such a person .Luckily the majority on this forum won't agree with Oneidaeagle.
Taureau noir
02-06-2004, 06:00 PM
#37
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: North Texas
Posts: 932
RE: 40 yard shot
My second point I will say, it's easy to track a deer when very few will travel through the area. When their trails are highways that becomes much more difficult. As you track your deer you will jump up a few dozen or more
02-06-2004, 06:09 PM
#38
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location:
Posts: 373
RE: 40 yard shot
taureaunoir before you start critisiing pepole about stuff why dont you read the post i put up i was just wandering what pepole thought about a 40 yard shot at no time did i (say its meat for a predator) that was feild mouse.. so before you start something why dont you read... and for everybody else that thinks there way is the only way for bowhunting iam glad i dont hunt with you.. i would like to hear what these guys say when they wound a deer at 10 yards i think i know what they say its the broadhead fault!!!!!!!!!!!! wounding a deer is the worst feeling you have as a bowhunter.....me i wouldnt take a shot at a deer striaght down from my treestand i dont feel comfortable taking the shot for you guys that do good for you i cant do it.. i dont question people on it nor do i call them unethaical only time when i question people is when they take a really bad shot.. some of you guy better make it decafe in the morning... good luck
02-06-2004, 06:19 PM
#39
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: North Texas
Posts: 932
RE: 40 yard shot
i would like to hear what these guys say when they wound a deer at 10 yards i think i know what they say its the broadhead fault!!!!!!!!!!!! wounding a deer is the worst feeling you have as a bowhunter.....me i wouldnt take a shot at a deer striaght down from my treestand i dont feel comfortable taking the shot for you guys that do good for you i cant do it.