The road back...I hope.

[David McLendon]

I grew up a kid with a string looking for a green hedge limb to fit it. My uncle was a traditional archer and friends with Dan Quillian so I was lucky to have early exposure and I soaked it all up. Getting old has it's pitfalls and overall I've been lucky as tomorrow I'll be 60.
  I'm right handed and left eye dominant and I made the change to left handed bows and shotguns which meant all new well chosen toys.
 Several years ago I started experiencing problems with my right eye, dryness, blurred vision. I went to my optometrist who made the decision working out of his league said it was a spring allergy and gave me some prednisone drops. Turns out I had/have a very rare form of glaucoma in that eye called Posner Schlossman syndrome. Shortly thereafter and as a result I had a retinal detachment which was macula off and extreme tunnel vision. What that all boils down to is that after thousands of dollars in multiple surgeries which were all anatomically successful but functionally they suck and I have reliable vision out of my left eye only. It's unlikely that I have enough function in my right eye to provide enough depth perception for instinctive shooting. Right now I'm set about finding that out, I'm not looking necessarily for what I had before because I know that is gone. Twenty reliable yards will be a victory. If that isn't possible then Ill have to go toa sight and range finder to be ethically responsible. I sure do hate gadgets and hope for the best. We'll see.

[Bvas]

Hope you the best and admire your dedication.  
If you hunt from a stand or blind, you shouldn't need a range finder. Simply step of the distance to specific tree or objects around you ahead of time.  Even without full depth perception, you will be able to estimate distance based on whether game passes inside or out of those known markers.

[David McLendon]

I haven't climbed a tree in 9 years, I hunt in a Ghillie still hunting which is really in my favor. In years past I have had to wait for game to walk far enough away for me to draw my bow. Hopefully that kind of luck will continue. Its been a while since I have bow hunted while all this has been going on. Its where it will be now and up to me to make something out of it if I can.

[Bill Carlsen]

Hate to say it on this forum but your situation may require a sight and a range finder. I would also consider a blind like a Double Bull or something similar. I had a detached retina fixed about 10 years ago and it caused double vision when I look to the left. Really messed up my shooting for a while. Took me a while but I had to change my shooting to be more head on than I was used to. It is very natural to me now and I have enjoyed great hunting success despite the issue.

[Sam McMichael]

Happy birthday, sir! If you can shoot out to 20 yards, you are good to go for hunting. Hopefully, the doctor can do something to improve your vision. If not, perhaps pre-measuring distances, as suggested by Bvas, will help.

I don't blame you for staying out of trees. I have had several falls lately, myself. Fortunately, I haven't fallen out of a tree stand, but I have busted my butt a time or two.

I'm glad to hear that the ghillie suit is working well for you. I have a ghillie, but am not really comfortable shooting the bow with it, though. It is amusing that you say that you sometimes have to allow deer to walk away to have room to set up a shot. The ghillie is sure working for you.

[ChuckC]

David, I wish you the best in your recovery and future.  I can tell you this though.  Learn to set up your shots for close and tight and keep them there and twenty yards will seem like a mile.

Ten yards is doable with some learning and depth perception is really not a function that close.  

A ghillie suit is a fine way to go in my mind... take a look at the Rancho Safari ultra light long coat.  You need to trim it up short on the bow side of chest and inner arm. I actually cut off the bow side arm at the elbow and not have no issues at all with clearance.

Good luck and stick with it.

[George Vernon]

David,
I've had useful sight only out of my left eye for many years.  Still don't score well with the academic types of distance perception tests.  But I'm deadly out to 40 yards with my traditional gear.

Your brain and eyes are a truly remarkable tandem team.  I believe you will be pleasantly surprised how they will learn to compensate for instinctive shooting.

And yes, I shoot left handed as a result of my eye problems.  Remember the lefties are the only ones who hold the bow in the 'right' hand!

[George Vernon]

David,
I've had useful sight only out of my left eye for many years.  Still don't score well with the academic types of distance perception tests.  But I'm deadly out to 40 yards with my traditional gear.

Your brain and eyes are a truly remarkable tandem team.  I believe you will be pleasantly surprised how they will learn to compensate for instinctive shooting.

And yes, I shoot left handed as a result of my eye problems.  Remember the lefties are the only ones who hold the bow in the 'right' hand!

[elkken]

David there is hope ... I have had amblyopia, lazy eye, since I was a young child and cannot see well out of my left eye only shapes and light. My depth perception is terrible but some how my brain has adapted and I can do many things well that require a fair amount of depth perception.

I am now 68 and have shot trad gear since childhood. It will just take you time and lots of practice and keeping your shots close.

Best to ya, Ken

[Bowwild]

One of my good friends, and the best of two bowhunters I know, is missing an eye. I don't want him ever hunting me.

[redfish]

I think that you will be able to adapt. I have been pretty much one eyed all of my life. I do have vision out of my left eye, but not much. I do pretty good instinctive out to around 20 but can't say after that since I haven't really shot much past 20.
I guess since I have never had much sight out of my left eye I really don't know how to compare, or what I might be missing.
I just learned to do it with what I have.