Hunting ethics

[JR Chambers]

I don’t shoot at over 15 yards

[kennym]

I shoot up to 30 in the yard but not in the field.  4 years ago I passed a shot at one of the biggest bucks  I've ever seen on the hoof. 25 to 30 yards but it didn't feel right and the shoot sensor didn't light up... I've never regretted it.

What I would have regretted is not finding him if I had made a crappy shot...

[Pappy 1]

When I am surprised when I miss my target and not when I hit it. 
 Pappy

[Wudstix]

Allot of good advice here.  17-18 yards is my longest kill, a hog.  Range is dictated by the actions of the animal.  Calm and quiet, a bit farther within my capabilities.  If they are wired 5-6 yards may be too far.
 

[mnbwhtr]

When it feels right I shoot, most are under 20 yds but I watched a nice 8 pt chase a doe for over a half hour and when he finally stopped, I stopped him. He walked in a circle and dropped and when I walked over to him I had to pace it off, 51 yds.

[Stringwacker]

 I find the topic interesting because everyone approaches appropriate shooting distance differently. Quite a few people have mentioned something similar to how I look at it.

I don't think  your ethics regarding shot selection can be put in a neat little box based on mathematical percentages, ratio's or such things. I think ethics in our sport are often largely shaped by experience more than anything else. In my own experience, I rarely shoot more than 15 yards but rather than distance based, I have a mental stop light. That stop light will turn to green and allow the shot to happen when my mind says its going to be okay. I think most folks with an abundance of real world bowhunting experience likely understands what I'm saying.

I don't advocate long range shooting, but a beautiful Caribou hangs on my wall that I shot at 65 yards. I also have a mule deer that I killed (via a confirmed range finder) at 72 yards.  Neither shot seemed long in the open tundra or plains but I had confidence I could make the shot and never gave it a second thought. The mind is a funny thing. Last year, I had a beautiful PY whitetail at about 30 yards and my mental redlight kept blinking red. It just wouldn't turn to green and I let the bow down and let him pass by in the wide open.

Time will tell you in a most certain way when you should shoot. You might still miss on occasion; but your successes will be more more predictable.

[Mo_coon-catcher]

I feel confident to hunt when I can walk around the yard shooting at random distances and positions. And everything lands in the vitals of my target or atleast vital sized zone if I don’t have a 3d target at the time. And if once you hit a distance or position you miss, that’s just too far. Those random positions and distances really build confidence.

Then when your in the field and you get that “oh ya, your going home with me” feeling When the animal get in position l, then your good to go. But if the animal pops out and you have any of the “eh, I dunno” feeling. Just let it go until you get the first feeling again. Just don’t over think it, that’s where problems arise.

Kyle

[SS Snuffer]

I find my shooting distance shorting every year as
I see more and more things that can go wrong. I am still eating venison every year, and figure by the time I turn 90 I won't have to shoot anymore,I'll just grab them by the horns and point them towards the truck!

[Wudstix]

Have to agree, after several seasons and situations, it is just a feeling.
 

[PrimitivePete]

Distance+Deer Position+Predictable Accuracy=Shot, that is my basic ethical shot

[MnFn]

My uncle was a long time bow hunter.  I wish he was still around as he was a thoughtful guy and a good story teller.

Anyway, he had five boys, some of whom wanted to hunt deer with a bow.  He insisted before they could hunt they had to put ten consecutive shoots into a paper plate at twenty paces. At least it gave them a standard to work at.

[Archie]

My meager opinion is that once a person can shoot fairly well with the bow, the ethics should be taken on a shot-by-shot consideration. 

My first trad kills were little gophers, some taken at 30 yards... I was pretty impressed with my shooting back then, and had a lot of confidence.  I'm not a very good deer hunter, and never had a lot of time to invest in hunting whitetails, nor a great spot to hunt... but I shot a small deer from a tree at 15 yards a couple years later, and it died less than 10 yards from where I shot it.   That gave more confidence.  Then I got my longbow and wounded a doe at about 15 yards a couple years later... that was around 2011, and I was very disappointed with myself.  I haven't taken a shot at a deer since, because even though I had some opportunities, and I am comfortable with my shooting.... I never had a shot that felt right.  I've killed lots of rabbits and possum and grouse and raccoon and squirrels and chipmunks... but no more deer. 

Fast forward to last year., and now I live back in Alaska.  First of all, I have never shot a moose, but would like to.  I have a 65# Black Widow recurve that I can shoot real well, and that's been my moose bow.  But I got my first short bow (56" Cascade recurve) last summer and find that it's harder to shoot consistently.  I went out grouse hunting several times with the Cascade and had multiple shot opportunities, but missed every time with that bow.  I just wasn't up to snuff with it, but I like it so much that I wanted to get some grouse with it.   Then one day, later in the season I took the BW recurve out for grouse, but hadn't shot that bow for a couple of weeks.  Before I had a chance at any birds, I drove in and sneaked up about 25 yards from a legal bull moose.  It was a very good opportunity, but I couldn't get those short-bow misses out of my consciousness, and simply could not justify taking that shot at that moose.  After the moose ran off, I took a shot at a leaf at 25 yards, and nailed it.  Maybe I could have done it, but in my mind, it just wasn't ethical.  And it doesn't bother me at all that I didn't get that moose.  Not at all.

[MCNSC]

When I first hunted with traditional gear I limited myself to less than 15 yards, I later progressed to being comfortable at 20 , shot a couple at 20. My shooting has went downhill so now I’m back to under 15. I arrived at these distances by being consistently accurate and more importantly confident at those distances. I don’t normally shoot for groups and never had any urge to shoot at paper plates so I’m no help there.

[Wudstix]

I also have a "floating" distance.  Also, don't shot clumps of arrows.  Normally pick a spot on the block and if I get two arrows with feathers touching l am happy.  17-18 yards seems to be the limit, but I have taken a few that where more than that.  Just called them 18 and didn't step them off.  Did take a long one many years ago in IN while I was in college.  I was carrying my DHH 65# recurve.  As I walked out to go to class had a monster buck that potentially was a record, he stopped in an opening in the brush, standing out in a bean field and I took the shot.  Was confident in shot until it dropped into beans.  Clipped white white of his chest behind the front leg.  Stepped that one off at 35/6 yards!  Saw him twice more, but not during season.  We called him Bullwinkle.
 

[TRAP]

For me, I pay more attention to how often my first arrow of a practice sessions goes where it’s supposed to.  I hate pounding targets and quite frankly, I’m not very good at it.  Second, third and fourth shots at game are rare so I don’t get hung up about where those arrows hit during a practice session. 

If you can consistently put a broadhead tipped arrow within a couple inches of your intended target on the first shot you’re ready if you think you are.  Confidence is key. 

[FORKS]

NUsensi put the idea in my mind of being a hunter. And eh paraphrase he mentioned "are you going to chance it" with a traditional bow. The old rusty wheels of my hoyt shoots precision, which leads me to my decisions.

Then again, in conclusion... the next thread on this conversation should be about angle shots. To thread a needle.

[epage_backwards_hat]

It is a very loaded question that realistically must be answered each for his or her own self based off of skill and proficiency. Not only as a shooter but a hunter! You have to understand animal behavior and how to get close. Thats as important as the shooting. But my PERSONAL baseline has been off of cold shots. No matter the time of day, coffee or no coffee, rain or shine, cold or hot…. What range can I make a kill shot every time. I am no tack driver but I hold my own. I’m a better hunter than shooter so I limit to 15 and under. Based off of years of experience with whitetails and turkeys alike. You just can’t know for sure how they will react to the shot. Late season whitetail is a whole other story.
All this to say; if you have a range that you can make killing shots with your eyes closed and deer don’t know the shots coming that’s a place to start. But I can assure you that for MOST experienced hunters it’s well under 20 if not closer to 10 yards.

[LookMomNoSights]

Ones ethical distance is certainly subjective.  Taking notes from all the responses,  you can certainly more easily narrow down what a "common distance" would be,  and draw conclusions that correspond to ethical shooting distances.
As far as taking a chance is concerned,  you are taking a chance every day of your life......and certainly in the woods when you are trying to take an animal,  with any weapon.  Things happen, often not as expect, things go wrong.  And fairly routinely.  And often nothing to do with what you have in your hands to make the harvest.   If you like shooting a stick bow and you can hit what your looking at the overwhelming majority of the time,  take the tackle into the woods and hunt with it.   Have fun...... if it's not fun then it ain't really worth doing.

[FORKS]

Totally, I shot a deer last year, nearly wounded it. I shot it high, I reckon it ducked the arrow. It dropped right away, but I wasn't happy with the shot and it took my buzz away fairly quick.

I drew back, even had the time in my mind to tell myself "now, don't just shoot" when I was aiming.  It was a little fork. I had some backstrap fever, needless to say by my shot placement.

Thing is... I was dialed, and practiced a lot. An you bet ya things happen.

At this point, I'm going to use my stick for 10 yard shots in the thickets. Then use my compound for the areas that give me 20-30 yard shots.

I know if I go out with my trad bow I will see a nice one at 20 If I go out with my compound I will see one at 10, type of conundrum.

[Hud]

Regardless of whether you are a hunter or not, it was obvious you intended to ask and challenge others about their ethics, and need to do it. You called it our "limitations".  I think everyone answered you honestly and fairly, but you pressed on. You have not explained your own experiences. A lot of people do not hunt, yet they feel a need to tell hunters, and fisherman they should not do it. In Oregon, the anti-crowd tried to put a referendum on the ballot in 2024 to ban ALL hunting and fishing. It did not qualify, but they promised to try again next year. In WA the governor hired a women to head the Department's Fish and Game, she lacked all experience necessary, and was not a hunter and was openly opposed to others hunting. She eventually left, or was told to leave. In the 1990's the Federal Government, decided to reintroduce wolves in MT, WY, and ID, because the Timber Wolf had been killed off. The supporters of wolves might think the reintroduction has been a success, but the Canadian wolf doesn't have ethics and strayed off course, killing livestock, deer and elk reducing herds by significant numbers. In many cases they left dead livestock and wildlife on the ground. The Whitehead pack in ID, went on a training mission and killed a herd of 85 sheep over two nights and did not eat any. One winter at the Teton Elk Refuge & Feeding Station, the wolves killed 14 elk and ate none. These are just a few examples of the unintended consequences of their demands. I wonder why hunters and fisherman need to explain why we need to do it, but anti-hunters do not.