Max hunting distance

[Bowwild]

Determining distance takes practice and experience.  Of course range finders are helpful.  Strange, distance judging used to be a very important skill that bowhunters had to get good at. You don't hear so much about it anymore.  I think this is mostly because of range finders removing the "guess work" and to some extent, with "other bows" shooting a bit flatter, one pin set to 30 covers all the possibilities these "other" archers will consider.

I remember my 2nd hunt to WY in 1982.  My brother and I waited outside the sporting goods store for it to open in Casper.  We passed the time by challenging each other on how far various street items (signs, curbs, fire hydrant, etc.) were from us.  Then we paced them off (no range finder) to see.  We were pretty good on distances under 40 yards.  

Because of all this practice, 20 yards has become a unit of measurement for me.  It does look different in cover vs. open.  

I will sometimes break down distances in first 10 yard and then 15, 20, etc.  I try to do this BEFORE the critter appears (if I'm in a tree or ground blind).  Some folks will even push sticks in the ground or rocks at specific distances to help.  

I use a range finder these days to  determine such markers these days.  I can't remember a time when I've actually put the range finder on an animal though, usually too close by that time to risk extra movement.

I'm pretty sure my range estimation skill has declined over the years.  But it is still solid at bowhunting ranges.

[Traditional-Archer]

I hear a lot of guys talking about effective range and comfort zone and that is all great, but on the other hand I have shot at deer in my comfort zone at my effective range to see my arrow go over the deer’s back. Now the first time was at 17 yards, the buck jump 5 yards and gave me another shot and I harvested that buck. A couple years after that a good buck came into range as I thought at 12 yards I missed that buck on that one he jumped out to roughly 20 yards missed him again and as if he were looking back at me and laughing at me saying try it again at 25 yards, and I did. I watched that buck walk away from me looking back at me, I’m confident he was in his comfort zone laughing at me. I got him the next day.
I missed one two years ago at 20 yards standing in a scrape completely relaxed just having the time of his life, he jump out to 35 yards and I grunted him back in, he circle to an opening  at 32 yards I hit him right in the heart. The best buck I have ever shot.
I started hunting with my silvertip in 2006 shot a buck every year and at least one doe up to last year, the first branch I ever killed with my bow, but didn’t get that buck.
I can remember most deer I have shot and can only recall a couple I did not recover in all this time. Luck, persistence, skill, dedication, Commitment practice, practice, and more practice.
Most deer I have harvested were on average 17 yards, so does that make this my effective range. Or comfort zone I’m not sure. I think you just have to know what you can do with you equipment and skill level you have developed. Don’t get caught up in what everyone is doing you can have more fun telling us what you are doing. I look forward to hearing your stories and your journey as an outdoorsman

If you can after some practice put 6 arrows in the kill zone of a deer target that's great, but if the first arrow was not in, that would be outside of the zone.   The first broadhead shot
I take at one of my deer targets for the year for five years in a row has gone over the back.   That is at 15 or so yards.   It takes me a little conditioning to pick a spot on a deer target with broadheads.   Most years I am ready to go  before season out to my stump shooting ranges with blunts.   That first broadhead shot in late august is my wake up,  reminding me that i will always have work to do.

[Scott E]

Inside of 30 for deer 35 if things are perfect.

Elk 40 and in

Originally posted by forestdweller:
How do you guys determine what distance your game is from you in a hunting situation? I know that for me personally that 20 yards in dense woodlands feels like 40 yards in an open field. I never know the yardage of anything until I pace it off.

I take a rangefinder with me when I set up a stand. I use it to range different trees or rocks or other landmarks around my stand. When a critter comes in, I know pretty dang close what yardage he is at before I shoot.

Bisch

[alex321]

Surely it depends on the quarry? I imagine that a grouse or rabbit is dead the momement you hit it with a broadhead. As such, it seems to me ok to take optimistic shots from upto 50 yrds at these creatures..

On large animals, where shot placement is critical for humane death I believe that one is only limited by one's own accuracy...And that's personal to the archer..

Cheers
Alex

[Tom]

Like to have deer at/inside 20 yards and most kills have been in the 15 yard range. Both from trees and more recently from the ground. I did kill a red fox at 27 yds after missing at 9-go figure.

[Longbowcrowder66]

15 yards or less.

[Roadkill]

I will loose on rabbits at any distance they care to stop at.  My heavy shafts and rabbit points will put them down.  I do respect them as a game animal, but they are not tough.  Big game is always under 30 yards, hopefully much less than 30.

[ChasingWhitetails]

20-25 yds

[Bill from NJ]

Originally posted by forestdweller:
How do you guys determine what distance your game is from you in a hunting situation? I know that for me personally that 20 yards in dense woodlands feels like 40 yards in an open field. I never know the yardage of anything until I pace it off.

I always measure off distance to a bush, stump, clump of grass, tree, etc. with my trusty mechanical Range finder.

Anything within that area is toast.

Max distance for me personally is 20-25 yards.

Always mark your field of fire/kill zone.

If anything outside of this area, let it go. There is always another day.

Hope this helps.

[gvdocholiday]

20 for deer is absolute max under absolute ideal conditions(wind, deer behavior, amount of coffee I consumed that day, etc).

All the deer I have killed with my tradbows have been between 8-12yds however.

For Turkeys, I want them in my decoy spread...which I set around 5-7yds.

[Hummer3T]

mostly 20 but 25 max depending on size of game and situation.

[kennym]

My closest was about 2 yards from the ground, longest was 26 yards from a tree stand on deer.

So somewhere in that range, but mostly around 12 to 15 yards.

It is possible to extend your range, but it takes twice as many practice shots to perfect 40 as it does 20.   Personally, I have more confidence and clear headed concentration when shooting a deer that is totally unaware of my position at over 30 yards and a wound up tense deer that is under 15 yards.  A busy or tense and alerted deer over 30 yards is not a target for me, even if I know my accuracy is good enough at the time, which is also a bit of week to week variable for me.  If the parameters were carved in stone it would not be any fun, there will always be a bit of a gamble in any shot.

[Wile E. Coyote]

Maximum comfort 20yds, that being said furthest deer taken was 18yds and most between 12-16. Would stretch it out to 25 for elk.

[frank bullitt]

Don't have a max, just a comfort or should say, confidence zone.

[Ark.Buck]

I'm pretty confident out to 20 yds, but I'm really confident at 12!

[flyflinger]

20 usually but perhaps 25 under ideal conditions. Would rather let em walk than wound one.

[dnovo]

Over the last 30 years or so, my average kill shot distance on deer is about 11 yards. That being said, I have killed 2 that were 27 yards. I was shooting well at the time, was confident and the shot just happened.