Should bowhunting be a close-range sport?

[Dirty Bill]

Originally posted by LV2HUNT:
 

Originally posted by Dirty Bill:
 

Originally posted by LV2HUNT:
As mentioned above there are a lot more factors involved than accuracy. It is up to each hunter to determine their effective range based upon the conditions at hand. I like them close and have a personal preference for 17.3 yards!

What is that in meters?         [/b]

Dirty Bill,
Good news on that front. The whole world has come to its senses and is switching over to yards, inches, and feet   :D  . [/b]

That's good to hear,because I sure wasn't goin' to change to metric..  

[String Cutter]

U met Who????? Rick??? I'm confused?? Who's rick??? whyed you have to change him??

[Scott J. Williams]

I believe that most of us would agree with the statement that "bow hunting is a close range sport".  

I believe it is for a several reasons. I have seen excellent shots, shooting(modern bows)at six and eighty yards.  Putting arrow after arrow into the bullseye.   I have also seen a couple of these guys shoot at game at thirty and forty yards, under excellent conditions, have the animal take one step before the arrow arrived and produce a bad shot.

This is one of the reasons I believe it is a short range weapon, and should remain so.. Shooting stationary targets at thirty, forty, fifty, or further is a lofty and honorable goal.  I agree that confidence plays an important part in all ranges of shooting, but targets don't move for the most part.  There is no moral penalty for making a bad shot on a 3D, or paper target.  

The natural limitations of the weapon make it a short range weapon.  I too believe that it takes more skill to take game at 15-25 yards than getting within 40-50yards of game.  Heck, I can get within 40-50yards  a lot of the time, and even though I shoot those shots in practice frequently, I would not take it on game.

It all comes down to what is more important.  I know a couple of brothers who just were awful shots at the monthly bow hunter shoots.

Yet, each year they would take a couple of really nice bucks, on the ground, stalking, at ten and fifteen yards.

While I try to balance the woodsmanship skill, with the shooting skill.  Trying every day to refine each, if I had to make a choice of placing one over the other,  I would take the woodsmanship skills to get closer.

[SteveB]

Can't answer without a defined measurement of "close".

Steve

[Pete W]

Definately.

[rybohunter]

Depends on your definition of close. For me, I’ve always bee of the mindset the closer the better. Even coming from a compound background and the ability hit targets at much farther distances, I still waited for a 20 yds or less shot. Which is kind of why transitioning over to trad gear makes easier sense to me, because I’m already in that close up mindset.

I’ll sit there and see how far away I can hit something in the yard, but when I am hunting, I’m there to get my quarry into a range that it is tough to miss.

[Huntrdfk]

For me it definately is, while I am there to kill the animal, some of my fondest memories are of encounters where I never loosed an arrow but had animals so close I could literally touch them....


David

[ChristopherO]

I remember earlier in the year (everything is earlier in the year at this date) a man, and I believe it was Charle Lamb, was recounting a hunt where he shot at a stationary doe at 12 or 14 yards.  She turned at the shot and was gut shot.  It happens even at that range.  He then redemed the hunt by making a 40 yard shot to ancor her with a vital hit.  His point was to not limit your self to only practice at 20 yards but much farther as we don't know when we will need it.  If a man is personally confident to take an animal at 30 + yards then that is his choice without my approval needed.  I'm having a hard time making that shot at 15 yards!  That distance is still pretty close if you are stalking.  In the east most folks don't stalk much as the ground is so noisy.  We set up and wait for the critter to walk close to us.  So technically we're not getting close, they are.
It is a pretty good indicator that hunting season is winding down when these type of posts start to appear.

[Mark Trego]

Yesterday I was within 25yds. of four does, I was on the ground in a natural ground blind. The lead doe was getting nervous with the other deer watching her,I knew if I attempted a shot at  one of the deer watching the lead doe she would spook my target animal,I passed on the shot. Getting close is good, but you have to analize the situation also.

[John Nail]

I would ask:

How badly do you NEED to kill? Why can't you get closer? What's important(to you)?

When I answer these questions, I try to get closer.  Maybe you have different answers.

[longbowben]

Well when im hunting i want them under 20 MY comfort range.I have a problem picking a spot the further they are.But on target i have no problem at 30.

[Ia Hawkeye]

John nail nailed it !!!!

I thought hippies were in the 60's. Sure remember them back then !

If I can hit the spot at 20 everytime (almost), and I only take 20 yards or less shots, why do I have to be able to hit the spot everytime at 30 yards to make a killing shot at 20 or under ? Doesn't make sense.

Who ever said that is full of it. Puesdo- self proclaimed expert.

[NorthShoreLB]

Who's the quoted hunter ?

It's always hard to put a number on such a subjective matter.

I personally get more satisfaction in getting super close than making the actual shot.

If everything felt right I would probably take a long shot, but to date I don't think I ever taken one longer than 12 yards, most times under 10.

[Mr.Chuck]

I think we owe it to animal to get close based on our shooting skills.  Everyones shooting skill or confidence in their shooting skills are different. It's not right to dictate to anyone how close you should be to shoot.  "Close"  is as far as your shooting skills allow!  Those who shoot a lot of tournaments are experienced in shooting the longer distances.  Those that don't or just shoot backyard, will stay within those distances.  It's whats your comfortable with!  Just my thoughts!

[Larry247]

Right on Chuck.

[Larry247]

It all comes down to this-HOW WELL DO YOU SHOOT WITH YOUR HEART IN YOUR THROUT. Controlling your adrenaline is where it counts.IMO

[Chris Wilson]

Mr. Wilson-Those were different times,even the old timers learned from their mistakes. Leland

My point was, bow hunting hasn't always been a close shooting proposition.  Did the old timers learn from their mistakes?  Maybe, maybe not.  And who's to say that those shots were mistakes.  Very few of the archery legends are still around to say how they really feel about shot distances.  What's funny is that many of the archery legends routinely took shots at animals well past what the majority would even think about today, and they are revered by many.  If a modern day trad bowhunter comes on a site like this and tells of his 40 yard one shot, clean kill, he's labeled by many as being unethical for his shot selection.  Not everyone has the skill and nerve to take the longer shots, but some do.  Those indivuduals shouldn't be looked upon as any less of a bowhunter.

[Bonebuster]

High percentage shots are what we should all strive for. ALWAYS.

Regardless of a hunters shooting skills, the farther the shot is, the lower the percentage is of making a clean, vital shot. The reasons are the same for all of us.

There is no substitute for getting close.

Bowhunting is a close range endeavor. The closer the better.

Honestly, twenty yards is a long shot at a deer.

[SteveB]

As I said, the thread starter needs to define "close range" with a number for us to reply.

 

Honestly, twenty yards is a long shot at a deer.

So if you are agreeing with the premise bowhunting is a close range sport, then you are saying bowhunters should not shoot at deer at 20yds? I think more then a few may disagree with you on this.

Steve

[TSP]

"As I said, the thread starter needs to define "close range" with a number for us to reply."  SteveB

Steve, thats a bit like saying we need to specifically define big and small when deciding what size piece of pie we want.  Most of us kinda' have a ballpark feeling for such terms, relative to the subject matter at hand.  But thats actually the issue here...whether "close" should relate primarily to the skill of the archer...or should there more thought involved.  

Another way to look at the question might be to pose it in terms of skill level relative to consequence at the personal level.  Just for discussion lets say you agree with the celebrity that 30 yards should be an 'easy' shot for a savvy hunting archer pursuing deer (a valued and respected game animal).  Now lets say we have a little shooting contest using your favorite bird dog and longtime family pet (an animal you intrinsically value) where contestants can earn a $500 prize if they can knock a grapefruit off the dog's head with a broadhead, at "close range".  In that situation, where value and consequence beyond simple shooting skill and 'opinion' is at stake, would you feel comfortable having your dog standing at 30 yards while you take that shot?  Would you feel more comfortable at 20 yards?  How about at 10 yards?  And then, how would you feel if someone else, someone who was personally confortable and confident shooting at say 45 yards, was next in line for a try.  He's pretty darned sure he can do it...and there's your dog standing out there with that grapefruit sitting on his head, and theres you watching to see the outcome.  That's really what we are wondering about, isn't it?  Theres a situation where if the shooter truly DOES hit what he says and THINKS he can then there's no problem...but where the possibilities and consequences of if he DOESN'T are very real indeed...at least for the dog.  And for anyone who values the dog.  

So I guess the real question is...should bowhunting be ALL about personal preference and convictions, or is there an intangible risk factor associated with the animal itself and its effect on others, that deserves to be considered? Assuming, of course, that the hunter/shooter isn't a straight-out slob.

So once again here we are.  Should bowhunting (attempting to kill game animals) be a close-range affair?  How far is 'too far', really?