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Ethical distance for bow #4041849 02/11/13 02:32 AM
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I am new to bow hunting and practice 4 times a week. My question is on distance as I have my pins set all the way to 50. What is the max distance you would recommend attempting a shot at. I will shoot over 5000 arrows between now and hunting season and do not want to injure an animal because I took too long of a shot.


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Re: Ethical distance for bow [Re: Ramsey] #4041884 02/11/13 02:39 AM
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A lot depends on the conditions surrounding the shot. Weather is important. If it is cold, you will probably have more clothes than what you practice with. Wind is obvious. Are you shooting from a tree or a ground blind?

Never shoot at an alert deer. They have exceptional reaction times.

The deer I hunt in Texas are fairly skittish and smaller bodied. I limit my shots to 30 and under.

The deer in Kansas are much larger and less skittish and I limit my shots to 40 and less.

Since you are new, I would recommend keeping the shots to 30 and under for the first few and drop some hogs to get a full for it and see what distances you are comfortable with.

Get em cheers


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Re: Ethical distance for bow [Re: txshntr] #4041924 02/11/13 02:49 AM
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I would limit shots on game to 30 yards or under, I practice to 50 though.

I can punch bottlecaps at 30 yards with my bow, but shooting a game animal is a whole different story.

i prefer them at 20 yards or under to be honest


For it is not the quarry that we truly seek, but the adventure.
Re: Ethical distance for bow [Re: txtrophy85] #4041986 02/11/13 03:04 AM
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Thanks that is great advise. Now I have to unstink myself


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Re: Ethical distance for bow [Re: Ramsey] #4044603 02/11/13 11:20 PM
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i have taken a 35 yard shot b4....but i stick to around 20 now.


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Re: Ethical distance for bow [Re: Ramsey] #4045613 02/12/13 04:01 AM
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Out west I shot a buck at 67yrds. Spot and stalk. Open country. Hunting whitetail in Texas is verry difrent. The closer the better.

Last edited by jruss; 02/12/13 04:02 AM.
Re: Ethical distance for bow [Re: jruss] #4045623 02/12/13 04:03 AM
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Originally Posted By: jruss
Out west I shot a buck at 67yrds. Spot and stalk. Open country. Hunting whitetail in Texas is verry difrent. The closer the better.


absolutely dont do this


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Re: Ethical distance for bow [Re: sprinkler specialist] #4045845 02/12/13 05:23 AM
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Originally Posted By: sprinkler specialist
Originally Posted By: jruss
Out west I shot a buck at 67yrds. Spot and stalk. Open country. Hunting whitetail in Texas is verry difrent. The closer the better.


absolutely dont do this


Why?

Re: Ethical distance for bow [Re: DFWPI] #4045850 02/12/13 05:25 AM
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All my set-ups for whitetail deer and pigs, hunting a feeder, is usually 18 yards. Deer are very fast animals and can duck an arrow at a very close range.

Re: Ethical distance for bow [Re: DFWPI] #4047423 02/12/13 07:41 PM
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All of my feeder setups are at 25 yards from where I sit whether ground blind or tripod. If they are in front of the feeder it is 20 yard pin, if in back of the feeder 30 yard pin, but I practice up to 50 yards.


Re: Ethical distance for bow [Re: GLC] #4047458 02/12/13 07:57 PM
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I'll shoot at paper out to 80 yards but 50 yards is max on deer. That is if I can control my buck fever well enough to feel comfortable that I can make an ethical shot at 50.


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Re: Ethical distance for bow [Re: GLC] #4047468 02/12/13 08:03 PM
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I don't think there is an across the board ethical distance. There are too many different factors and skills in both hunters and the hunting situation to dictate what is ethical all the time.

Some with grill me for this, but I practice out to 100 yards sometimes. I am not acurate enough to take a shot at an animal at that distance, but I believe it helps and makes shots that are 20-50 yards seem routine.

Also I lost several animals when I first started bow hunting not due to shot distance but instead due to poor angle and poor tracking skills. Since then I have resolved that if the angle is not right I will not shoot and I have learned to be what I would call a very proficent tracker. I have probably killed 40 big game animals with a bow in the last 5-6 years and have lost only a couple hogs, everything else has been recovered.


Re: Ethical distance for bow [Re: traviselmore] #4047942 02/12/13 10:35 PM
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like to see those pics. alot of animals for bow. i figure with all the rifle pics, there should be plenty of bow pics?


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Re: Ethical distance for bow [Re: sprinkler specialist] #4048111 02/12/13 11:28 PM
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I shot a deer walking at 47 yards and hit him right though the heart. So to me it all depends on your ability and the specific scenario. Plus a deer is more likely to duck your arrow at 18 yards than he is at 40 yards.

Re: Ethical distance for bow [Re: sprinkler specialist] #4048125 02/12/13 11:34 PM
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Originally Posted By: sprinkler specialist
like to see those pics. alot of animals for bow. i figure with all the rifle pics, there should be plenty of bow pics?


I have some pics from the last two years or so on my previous posts. Most I don't have on photobucket. I have been fortunate to get to do more hunting in the past few years than I previously was able too.


Re: Ethical distance for bow [Re: sprinkler specialist] #4048256 02/13/13 12:17 AM
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You ever hunt coastal blacktail with a bow? If you have you would know why.

Re: Ethical distance for bow [Re: traviselmore] #4048494 02/13/13 01:40 AM
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Originally Posted By: traviselmore
I don't think there is an across the board ethical distance. There are too many different factors and skills in both hunters and the hunting situation to dictate what is ethical all the time.

Some with grill me for this, but I practice out to 100 yards sometimes. I am not acurate enough to take a shot at an animal at that distance, but I believe it helps and makes shots that are 20-50 yards seem routine.

Also I lost several animals when I first started bow hunting not due to shot distance but instead due to poor angle and poor tracking skills. Since then I have resolved that if the angle is not right I will not shoot and I have learned to be what I would call a very proficent tracker. I have probably killed 40 big game animals with a bow in the last 5-6 years and have lost only a couple hogs, everything else has been recovered.


Yeah but how many of them from a 100 acre high fence. No offense, I like to hunt there too, but those animals don't have the area to run off to like a free range animal. And I seem to recall a couple of needed follow up shots as well. I think if you need to take a shot over 50 or 60 yards you need to hunt with a rifle. Those shots can be made but at that range the smallest gust of wind or movement of the animal can create a nightmare.


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Re: Ethical distance for bow [Re: sprinkler specialist] #4048504 02/13/13 01:41 AM
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Originally Posted By: sprinkler specialist
like to see those pics. alot of animals for bow. i figure with all the rifle pics, there should be plenty of bow pics?


Don't be a jerk and call him out on something like that. I've seen a lot of the pics he has posted. And I know people whom have seen him shoot and apparently he is a hell of a shot.


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Re: Ethical distance for bow [Re: passthru] #4048611 02/13/13 01:58 AM
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Originally Posted By: passthru
Originally Posted By: traviselmore
I don't think there is an across the board ethical distance. There are too many different factors and skills in both hunters and the hunting situation to dictate what is ethical all the time.

Some with grill me for this, but I practice out to 100 yards sometimes. I am not acurate enough to take a shot at an animal at that distance, but I believe it helps and makes shots that are 20-50 yards seem routine.

Also I lost several animals when I first started bow hunting not due to shot distance but instead due to poor angle and poor tracking skills. Since then I have resolved that if the angle is not right I will not shoot and I have learned to be what I would call a very proficent tracker. I have probably killed 40 big game animals with a bow in the last 5-6 years and have lost only a couple hogs, everything else has been recovered.


Yeah but how many of them from a 100 acre high fence. No offense, I like to hunt there too, but those animals don't have the area to run off to like a free range animal. And I seem to recall a couple of needed follow up shots as well. I think if you need to take a shot over 50 or 60 yards you need to hunt with a rifle. Those shots can be made but at that range the smallest gust of wind or movement of the animal can create a nightmare.


I agree that there are differences in animals. Of the animals I have taken with a bow I have taken the vast majority probably 30+ on my on land or property that was not fenced. I live in nc so we do not have ranches of any kind and our deer are probably the wildest I have seen anywhere. I agree that almost always shots that exceed 50 yards are iffy. I have taken only 2 animals at 50 plus yards, and most are 40 or under.


Re: Ethical distance for bow [Re: passthru] #4049019 02/13/13 03:34 AM
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Originally Posted By: passthru
Originally Posted By: sprinkler specialist
like to see those pics. alot of animals for bow. i figure with all the rifle pics, there should be plenty of bow pics?


Don't be a jerk and call him out on something like that. I've seen a lot of the pics he has posted. And I know people whom have seen him shoot and apparently he is a hell of a shot.


You beat me to it....

Re: Ethical distance for bow [Re: sprinkler specialist] #4049039 02/13/13 03:38 AM
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I've killed probably 30-35 deer with my bow over the years, and at least that many pigs. I have a few pics, but not that big into taking pictures of does and small/cull bucks, nor those of pigs. If it is a big pig, or a special circumstances for deer, then I might snap a picture.

Re: Ethical distance for bow [Re: DFWPI] #4049383 02/13/13 11:34 AM
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I limit myself to within 60 yards and I would prefer under 45. As shots get longer the effects on a arrow increase alot. Ive seen a 4 foot wind drift at 40 yards before.

Re: Ethical distance for bow [Re: traviselmore] #4049816 02/13/13 03:28 PM
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i see alot of rifle pics, 1 bow pic.
i ait calling anyone out. just be kewl to see.
7 big game animals a year with a bow for the past 6 years..should be some pics? like 40 of them!


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Re: Ethical distance for bow [Re: sprinkler specialist] #4052389 02/14/13 11:51 AM
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I'm still sick about a 31 yard shot on a morning so still the deer crunching corn at 31 yards sounded loud. At the sound of the shot that deer lunged forward to take off, only about 10" to 12", but enough to make a DL into a gut shot. I watched in horror as the shot headed straight at the back of the shoulder changed impact point not because the arrow was off target, but because the animals reactions were so fast. A little wind with the wind rustling and that deer probably wouldn't have heard the bow and I would have a nice 12 pt with tall tines on the wall. All I have now is that knot in my stomach. So ethical distance is relative, but no matter how good a shot one it on a target, and there are some great ones out there, we can't control other factors that can create a lingering death for an animal.


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Re: Ethical distance for bow [Re: passthru] #4052501 02/14/13 01:35 PM
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Step up with the big boys and smack one at a 100. It all boils down to shoot at the distance you feel confident at.


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