went to a 3d shoot to get away this weekend..long story there,but anyways they had it set for ibo...shots averaged 25 plus yds.what do you guys feel is an ethical shot on game.i personaly keep it under 20 your thoughts,...
depends on persons ability. i have seen personally a friend of mine shoot a standing deer target leathly and consistently at 100 yards with his recurve bow. but he refuses to take a shot over 30yds in a hunting situation.
i hunt alot with my compound in the early season and later on i use my longbow. my distances dont change with either. 25yards and under. any further than that, i feel there are too many "what if's" to justify the chance of wounding an animal.IMO
I try to stay 20 yards and under for deer/turkey/hogs but pratice out to 40 yards and shoot aleast 5 days a week year around. I killed my biggest buck ever a 170+" buck at 30 yards off the ground while stalking this fall.I made a perfect shot he was down in 60 yards I watched him fall. To be honest I never thought I would be able to shoot 30 or 40 yards with a longbow but since starting to pratice at those ranges and shooting almost daliy it has become almost easy to me still I will not shoot over 30 yards on game.
I depends on your ability for the most part. I like to keep my shots at 20 yards and under.
When hunting I keep my shots under 20 yards but when playing its fun to shoot a longer distances. :archer:
Depends on the situation. I prefer closer but take the best, shot I think I can make. My limit is 45 yards and I have killed elk, deer and hogs at that range. You can count the animals I have shot and not recovered on one hand so don't get the idea that I am just flinging arrows all over the place. If I think I can get a better slam dunk shot I can wait for it. For instance at last years Texas Sweat I had a broadside shot at a giant hog, 12 yards in the dark at a water hole. I was content to wait for him to come down to the waters edge in front of my blind for a 7 yard shot that I probably would not miss even in low light conditions. As it turns out the hog turned broadside to the other guy across the waterhole who took the shot and I didn't get the opportunity. I will pass shorter shots if everything is not perfect but usually under optimal conditions I will not hesitate at a longer range. Just because I shoot that range doesn't mean I condone or condemn anyone else for doing so.
Regardless of a hunters ability to shoot, distance
adds a variable that cannot always be measured.
Experience and confidence come into play when deciding on an ethical shot distance.
The more experienced, and confident I become...the closer I like them.
I remember the first time I passed a shot with a recurve that I would have taken with my sighted compound. I lowered my bow to the ground after it got dark with a feeling of satisfaction I had rarely ever had before.
And so it goes.
Amen to what Bonebuster said!
The closer the better, to each his(her) own ability.
Mick :)
My abilty is under 25,BUT i try to stay close.
yes Buuuuut if ya clean the IBO range think about how much confidence that would give ya at your hunting range :)
rusty
30yds is about my limit and like others have said, "closer is better".
I think this is a difficult one to answer in black and white terms. It's fine to set a max distance but, as any hunter knows, it truly depends on the situation.
Personally, under ideal conditions, I can keep very good accuracy out to 50 yds. But, on a live animal, I prefer 25 yds. or less.
After several hours in the freezing Wisconin cold I want them close enough to drop arrows onto. :-)
STEVE- I personally don't try and take a shot over 20 yards, but I don't practice out much past 25 consistantly either. For the game and how I hunt I find it hard to get a shot, where I hunt much over 20 yards anyway. I feel that a person who practices consistantly can shoot at game up to 50 yards effectily, but again personal ethics, bottom line know where you are effective and stick to it, too many animals lost by letting ego getting in way of ethics (yes, happen to myself before and hate it). 3-D wise, I understand your frustration, but understand that most of them are set up for competition not hunting. The old NFAA course was set up to 40 yeards I believe, but the old timers (no offense to anyone) use to practice that often. I have many times went to a shoot where I didn't feel comfortable shooting to far for me, so I just shoot where I feel comfortable keep my own score and don't turn it in. Though it is nice once and a while to challenge yourself and push the limits.
One other thing, last year was at a 3-D shoot and talking to some people meet now and then (old wheel buddies). As we shot a few targets together, they complained that they thought the course was to easy for them, and targets should be farther distance. After 3 targets of this I said "you don't need them farther to make it more challenging, just change it". They looked at me and said how. The next target I didn't step up to the stake but stood in the brush with a little shot hole, and took it, (like a hunting shot). They thought I was crazy but after some pushing from me they tried it and said it was harder. So the next few we did this and then on the last they said the worst thing to me, "Heck we can shoot better than you no matter what you do!" Well, I walked up to about 18 yards, layed down (which I love to practice, not jsut because I am lazy ha-ha). Drew and shot the target in the vitals, (yes little luck here). Stood up and turned and said, "okay, who is next?" Do you belive not one would even try.
Grey Buffalo, Bonebuster and toddster are right on the money! Hunting and 3D are NOT the same. It's fun to try (long) shots at the target range. They are set up for the wheelie guys and wide open. Step off the stake and you are back to the real world. (For eastern woods hunting anyway) I also dig shootin' close and through cover with my legs twisted around. "I Don't Need No Stinkin' Score Card!" ... :rolleyes: ...
Oh Yea.... My ethical distance, 20 yards.
... mike ... :archer: ...
I see now why there has been virtually no interest in the IBO offering a Trad only Worlds this year. :(
There is no way I can tell anyone what THEIR ethical distance is. And anyone trying to tell me mine is simply blowing smoke.
Smoke
I practice at 25 yards outside, but when bowhunting, I like to keep shoot game between 10-20 yards.
I don't have a set yardage limit. Depends on the animal I'm hunting, and the situation.
I do have a set yardage limit. I will not shoot at an animal over 150 yards away. Won't do it.
ChuckC
As a follow up.... I really don't spend a lot of time sitting in the woods judging distances and I am guessing that I can't tell twenty from twenty five yards in most of the places I hunt.
I want the critter close. If I feel good about the shot, I will take it. If it doesn't feel right, I watch it walk.
By the way.... 20 yards is under 150 yards.
ChuckC :knothead:
QuoteOriginally posted by Terry Green:
I don't have a set yardage limit. Depends on the animal I'm hunting, and the situation.
I"ll second that
quote:
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Originally posted by Terry Green:
I don't have a set yardage limit. Depends on the animal I'm hunting, and the situation.
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quote
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I"ll second that
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I'll put a third on that. I couldn't tell you if it was 20 or 25 yards. I just know when I look at the animal I'm hunting whether or not I can make the shot. The closer the better, that's where the challenge is for me.
Daren
I received advice on this very subject from the fine folks here. As it was stated to me "If you should you will and if you shouldn't you won't." Some of the best advice I've ever been given.
I'm with T. Green
20 yards max but the closer the better.
My personal shot distance for hunting stays home when I go target shooting. 3D isn't hunting, and even if I won't shoot a real deer at 40 yards, I don't see anything wrong with shooting a foam deer that far. As a matter of fact, I find it a lot of fun and it helps me a lot when it comes to killing real deer at 20 yards and under.
York rounds were shot out to 100 yards. NFAA field maxes out at 80. These things came about long before Allen ever went to the harware store. Yes, bowhunters often took shots a lot further back then than we do today. But they also understood that long range proficiency makes short shots a no-brainer.
Bonebuster- Very well said!
As for myself, bow hunting to me Is up and close hunting. My farthest shot ever has been 21 and 22 yards, both were doe's that I double lunged. My shooting distances vary depending on how good I shoot before I head on out for a hunt. Some times Its only 15 yards, the next time maybe 20 to 22 yards. For the most part It's usually In that 18 to 20 yard range. Traditional bows don't have the fastest arrow speeds out there and allot can happen when we start getting out to that 25+ yard distances. Allot of steps can be made by that animal regardless If we think It's relaxed at 25+ yards with our slower bows. I don't ever see myself shooting any farther then 25 yards. I haven't tried It yet and believe me I've had some great P&Y bucks at that range that I let walk on by. It sure Is fun though practicing at 30 to 40 yards and It has made my shooting better at 20 to 25 yards by doing so.
Each to there own though.
I've had trouble with alerting deer if they're right up at point-blank distances. Those suckers can hear you! For me it's easier to draw back undetected if they're out at least 15 or 20 yards. Helps if they're distracted too. A key to getting a good shot is not spooking the deer any more than you have to.
That goes for bow noise and broadhead whistle as well. Anyone who's participated in a broadhead 3D shoot can tell you how noisy they can be, sometimes due to tuning and sometimes broadhead design. It helps to pay attention to this before the season.
Anyway, 20ish is a good distance for me. Maybe a little farther if conditions are right. Not that it's much like hunting, but I do shoot pretty accurately way farther than that on the 3D range.
:campfire:
With ideal conditions I'll go with a 25 yard shot but I perfer my shots to be under 20 yards. The last 5 does I put in the freezer were no futher then 20 yards and as close as 11 yards.
:archer:
20 or under. under is better good fun stalking
Yep, what Terry said......
I'm pretty conservative if I feel comfortable with the distance I'll let the string go. :goldtooth:
I figure if you know you shouldn't take a shot but take it anyway, it was unethical. Distance doesn't really have too much to do with it.
I practice at unknown ranges; and up and down hill. When I PACE off a shot I take with total confidence and make...its normally 33 paces.
I have shot deer at longer ranges; my elk shots have all been closer; and too the bear shots ( 17 all under 16 yards) I have shot over antelope at 45 paces.. But my favorite shots are the up close ones that I hit the spot on. This year it was 2 1/2 lengths of my bow- and I liked that shot better than I ever thought I would.
Ethical is knowing your within your abilities; and feeling confident about the shot.
I want 20-22 yds, but honestly like around 8-10 yds. When I went on a bear hunt the baits were right around 15-18 yds and I felt comfortable with that.
At the 3D shoots is not only fun but educational to shoot longer ranges. My friends and I have launched arrows a good long distance at targets.
When I am hunting things don't happen like at the range. When I make a shot it developes quickly. I see the opportunity. My mind either starts looking for a way to better the circumstances, or my mind tells me, "I can hit that". In the first situation my concious mind starts figuring how to get a better shot. In the second situation the shot is away.
After the shot I can pace off or take a guess at the distance if I wanted, but I don't really know.
This is the results of practice under lots of situations and distances. It works. Worrying about the exact distance doesn't help.
BigArcher
This isnt a questions to make generalizations on.
It depends on your ability and maybe you aiming system. Some people are not being ethical if they take a shot over 15 yards. Some people can reliably hit at 35 yards.
One's ethics are for each to decide for themselves and then live with those decisions. Laws are decided by groups, ethics are a more personal matter. There are many things others do that don't fit my own ethos yet are legal.
Each shot is a new situation and whether I take the shot is decided by many factors based on my experiences and practice. I decide my limits, you decide your own.
after taking loads of deer with wheel bows out to 45 yds i have come to the conclusion that anybody that is consistant on whitetail deer past
20 yds with traditional bows has my utmost respect these animals are speedy with lightning reflexes!
every hunting situation has differint variables
trust your ability to make the shot that comes,
if it don't feel right don't take the shot!
mans got to know his limitations quote [Clint Eastwood] :thumbsup:
I don't have a clue.Each shot and each person is different.I will shoot at a target as far as my bow is capable of sending an arrow.When hunting I just see what the day holds for me.No numbers set in stone.jmo
Aloha,
I practice a couple times a week and shoot out to 45 yards.--- (FOR FUN) On game my comfort zone is 20 yards or less. That being said, last time I went hunting, Jan. 2, I (MISSED). Shot distance was 15yards, 10yards, and 15 yards. Perfect stalk, perfect set up, and all the time in the world to make the shot. Didn't seal da deal. Couldn't help but shake my head and laugh.
Mark
I shoot a lot of IBO & ASA shoots.they are back to 35 to 40 yards..but hunting I like 25 & in.Targets dont look and stomp at you.. :archer:
got to agree with Terry G.
I practice out to 40 yards daily, and would take a shot at an elk at that distance, and feel confident doing it. On the other hand, I would not feel confident shooting at a deer ( deer are pretty small down here, thus the difference in size of kill area) past 30 yards. I wouldn't shoot that far if I could shoot closer though; as many have said, closer is better.